Thrilling News About Efforts to Reform Texas’s Junk Science Law
Dear Friends,
We wanted to pass along the thrilling news that House Bill 115— proposed legislation by Republican House Member David Cook that would reform Texas’s junk science law—passed the Texas House of Representatives this session by a huge margin. In our report An Unfulfilled Promise: Assessing the Efficacy of Article 11.073, published last year, we found that Texas’s junk science law is not operating as legislators intended to exonerate innocent people convicted based on junk science. As I testified at the hearing on HB 115, “The fixes in HB 115 would ensure that innocent people convicted based on junk science have a genuine pathway for relief.”
House Bill 115 did not ultimately make it through the Senate this session, but the overwhelming bipartisan support it received in the House, which passed the bill by a vote of 124 to 14, is a fantastic step for first-time legislation. We look forward to seeing the bill pass over the finish line next session. In the meantime, you can read more about the legislation in Kayla Guo’s Texas Tribune article or check out our report on 11.073.
With gratitude,
Burke Butler
Executive Director
Texas Defender Service
