{"id":581739,"date":"2021-12-07T13:15:25","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T18:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/?post_type=article&p=581739"},"modified":"2021-12-07T13:15:30","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T18:15:30","slug":"exclusive-national-education-association-cancels-july-convention-in-boycott-over-texas-voting-abortion-critical-race-theory-bills","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/article\/exclusive-national-education-association-cancels-july-convention-in-boycott-over-texas-voting-abortion-critical-race-theory-bills\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: National Education Association Cancels July Convention in Boycott over Texas Voting, Abortion, Critical Race Theory Bills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mike Antonucci\u2019s Union Report appears most Wednesdays; see <\/em>the full archive<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of delegates to the National Education Association Representative Assembly will not be meeting in Dallas in July as scheduled, and the reason has nothing to do with COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union took the unprecedented step of canceling its Texas plans due to its displeasure with a series of bills that came out of a special session of the state legislature<\/a> having to do with voting, abortion and critical race theory, internal NEA sources say. Several state affiliates had threatened not to send their delegates to the convention if it were held in Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of these was NEA New Hampshire, which boycotted the 2019 assembly that was held in Houston<\/a> for similar reasons. That year, the controversial Texas legislation concerned what the union saw as discriminatory policies against undocumented immigrants and the LGBTQ community in Houston and the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NEA Representative Assembly meets for four days once a year to set the national union’s policies and elect officers. Due to COVID, the assembly was held virtually in 2020 and 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering the estimated 6,000 delegates involved and hotel rooms needed, it will be difficult to find another venue on such short notice. One source reports that NEA is looking at Chicago and Orlando as possible destinations. If an alternative cannot be found, the 2022 assembly will be held online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was no word from NEA or other state affiliates as to whether this action means further sanctions against travel to Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n