All that stands between democracy in Texas and the most vile voter disenfranchisement legislation imaginable is
Mario Gallego's newly transplanted liver:
A Senate committee has passed the controversial, partisan-charged voter identification bill, but Democrats are vowing to do whatever it takes to block it.
Their success will depend on whether Sen. Mario Gallegos Jr., D-Houston, who has missed most of the session recuperating from a liver transplant, can make it back to work for the vote.
All 11 Senate Democrats are needed to block the bill from coming to the floor for debate, where the Republican majority will easily pass it.
"I'll be here," Gallegos promised Tuesday from the Senate floor, where he put in a full day against the advice of his doctor.
Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst promised to give Gallegos 24-hours notice before the bill hits the Senate floor — but only once, and that came Tuesday.
There won't be another notification should the bill be delayed today.
If this bill passes the Texas Senate, I would go so far as to say that the Republican party in Texas will become that permanent majority Karl Rove desires for another generation. Or longer. Essentially the rest of my life (and I'm not quite fifty). And
I was feeling so positive just a few days ago.
And every Texan should understand what that means: a woman's reproductive rights completely eliminated; forced prayer in every public venue, conducted by fundamentalist zealots wearing sidearms; the absolute worst possible conservative nightmares that you have ever dreamed coming true. Wholesale deportation of every brown person they can't shoot. Homosexuality
outlawed. Non-Christian worship intimidated at best and banned at worst. Pretty much everyone that doesn't conform to their view rounded up, deported, spied upon, arrested, tried, convicted and imprisoned.
3-D neo-conservative theocratic fascism, coming to your town, your home, your bedroom.
Alarmist, you say?
I want to be wrong but it feels to me like this is the Alamo, people.
(If you're a semi-regular reader around here, you don't need reminding why this bill is bad news in the first place, but in case you do
Eye on Williamson,
Kuffner, and
Vince have been all over it.)
Tell me I'm overly concerned (as long as you're not a
goonbat). No, really. Convince I'm worried about something that isn't so serious as I think.
Really. Don't assuage me, persuade me that I'm mistaken.
While I wait for your argument I'll make my disaster preparations, if you please.
Update (6 p.m.): It's always nice when you're able to provide a little ray of sunshine into
a pathetic child's life.
The Texas Freedom Network, the League of Women Voters, and a panel of medical experts will host a town hall meeting on stem cell research tomorrow evening in Clear Lake.