They drove to the Capitol to testify on a bill and got a grueling lesson in Texas democracy

By Alejandra Martinez | The Texas Tribune | May 9, 2025

Read the full article by Alejandra Martinez (The Texas Tribune)

"By the time the committee hearing began, Tony and Karen Coleman, two farmers from Johnson County, had been awake nearly 24 hours.

The couple had started their day on the farm around 1:30 a.m., fed their cattle, and hit the road by 3 a.m. They arrived at the Capitol by sunrise, waiting outside until someone unlocked the doors.

“We come in as soon as he unlocked the door so we could register,” Tony Coleman said. “They said, ‘Okay, 10:30 [a.m.], we’re gonna have this meeting in the committee.’ And I’ll be damned. It’s 11:20 p.m. at night, and we still ain't seen no committee.”