MSimpson

Matthew Simpson

Pronouns: he, him, his

Co-Director of Policy & Advocacy

Policy & Advocacy

Bio

Matt Simpson co-directs the Policy and Advocacy Department at the ACLU of Texas.

He joined the ACLU of Texas in 2008 as a smart justice strategist advocating for improved conditions in jails and police accountability. For 15 years, Matt has advocated for change at the Texas legislature and with local policymakers. In 2011, he worked to stop legislation encouraging law enforcement to target migrants along with a number of smart justice measures. Since 2011, he has advocated for reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ equality, smart justice reforms, immigrants’ rights, and access to the polls at the state and local level.

Matt holds a law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, and a bachelor's degree in political science from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He is based in Austin.

Featured Work

News & Commentary
2021 Legislative Session Austin Capitol Image
  • Justice System and Carceral Reform|
  • +9 Issues

The Texas Legislature in a Time of Turmoil and Transition

Today marks the opening of the 87th Texas Legislative Session — and it signals enormous opportunity and peril for civil liberties in Texas. With a tense national political climate, a pandemic devastating communities across Texas, and lingering racial unrest since the killing of George Floyd, this session will be one of the most challenging — and most important — we have seen in recent history. 
News & Commentary
Reproductive freedom rights
  • Reproductive Freedom|
  • +1 Issue

TX Legislature in Review: Reproductive Freedom

One of the rumors at the beginning of the year about how the 2019 Texas Legislative Session would unfold was that the legislature would largely avoid the big social issues that it has pursued in years past. While that turned out to be true in some cases, there was one area in which the Texas Legislature seemed unwilling to relent: the attack on abortion and reproductive healthcare.

Related Content

News & Commentary
ACLU of Texas logo

ACLU of Texas welcomes Policy and Advocacy Co-Directors Lauren Coffee and Matt Simpson

Coffee and Simpson will lead the organization’s work in communities and at the State Capitol to advance civil rights and liberties in Texas.