Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Paxton's federal contempt hearing will not occur

The Statesman says 'canceled', and the Express News says 'postponed'.

Wednesday’s contempt of court hearing for Attorney General Ken Paxton and a state health official was canceled Monday after state officials agreed to allow death certificates to acknowledge same-sex marriages, a lawyer involved in the case said.

The state also agreed to issue new guidelines allowing same-sex couples to be listed as parents on a child’s birth certificate, said Neel Lane, the lawyer for a Conroe man who sued Texas to be listed as the husband on his male spouse’s death certificate.

That's called a second chance, which is something Sandra Bland and a whole lot of other folks of a darker shade of pale have never gotten in their scrapes with criminal justice.

Hold off on the chains and shackles — for now.

This week’s contempt hearing for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and another top official was put on hold Monday after the state agreed to put guidelines in place to try to comply with same-sex marriage rulings.

During a telephone conference, lawyers for the state agreed to have a policy on death certificates ready by Thursday and one in place for birth certificates within two to three days, said Neel Lane, one of the San Antonio lawyers handling the litigation against the state.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia told Lane to confer with the state to review the policies and procedures to ensure that they do not discriminate against married same-sex couples. If Lane feels they are not adequate, he should inform Garcia, the judge ordered.

The roach gets away from la chancla again.  This time. More from Kuff.

Monday, August 10, 2015

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance thinks that big GOP candidate debate needed more balloon animals and seltzer bottles as it brings you this week's roundup.


Off the Kuff gives his campaign strategy for defending Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance.  And Texas Leftist reports on the latest lawsuit filed by HERO's opponents.

Harold Cook presents the GOP Presidential Debate Drinking Game, which will come in handy for the next debate, if you ever recover from the first one.  And Dos Centavos wonders if the poll reflecting 25% of Latinos as Trump supporters is really accurate.

Socratic Gadfly looks at the hoo-hah over Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments and his eventual $70,000 salary for employees, and has a mix of cautious applause and skeptical concerns.

A blogger started a petition to have the NFL relocate the 2017 Super Bowl away from Houston if the HERO is defeated by the voters in November. And then a Houston television station picked up the story. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs is in wonderment at how things can snowball -- or go viral, as the kids say these days -- so quickly.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants everyone to know that Texas Republicans are denying birth certificates for Hispanic babies born in Texas.

WCNews at Eye on Williamson sees more GOP mug shots coming this week: That Ken Paxton is Attorney General proves our political system has failed and Wilco DA Jana Duty.

Egberto Willies gathers some responses to critiques of Bernie Sanders and Black Lives Matters protesters.

Neil at All People Have Value spent the past week in Chicago and the Chicago area. Neil's blog has interesting pictures of that great American city.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Texas Clean Air Matters urges state leaders to meet the Clean Power Plan with innovation and not resistance.

The TSTA Blog reminds us that long before he was indicted on felony charges, Ken Paxton was bad news for public education.

Juanita Jean watched the Republicans debate each other and then made the observation that the fellow who spoke the least was voted the winner.  Silence really is golden. And The Rag Blog makes the point that if one of those kooky conservatives manages to get elected, your best investment is body bags.

Ted at jobsanger charts the proof that Planned Parenthood supporters outnumber those who oppose their existence.

Media Matters captures video of Houston LGBT activist Noel Freeman shooting down lies about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.  And Moni at Transgriot reported from the scene of the HGLBT Caucus endorsement meeting.

Lone Star Ma celebrates World Breastfeeding Week 2015.

Kevin Walker says Dallas needs a 21st-century blueprint for building a better city.

The Texas Election Law Blog noted the fifty year anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, and the conflict and mourning surrounding it.

Rafael McDonnell reports on a training program he attended for LGBTQ people running for political office.

The Houston Justice Coalition lays out its goals for addressing police brutality at the root.

Honorary Texan The Slactkivist advises Texas politicians on the best way to pose for their future mug shot.

And Fascist Dyke Motors made a cool .gif of the inside of her head.