Sunday, May 09, 2021
Friday, May 07, 2021
Mothers Day Weekend Collation from Far Left Texas
You should have already made arrangements to go see your mother, take her out for lunch or dinner, send her flowers, chocolates, or her favorite something. If you haven't, you had certainly better call her. This would be especially important if she is at the stage of life where her memory is receding. If she is no longer with you, celebrate your memories of her. And if any of that is too difficult or painful to do, then I wish you peace and strength to accept with grace the emotions you may be feeling.
Anyways, if you were still in the #txlege this morning around 3, that sound you heard was millions of amendment layouts and back mic questions suddenly crying out in terror before they were suddenly silenced. #SB7 #HB6
— André Treiber (@andrebttx) May 7, 2021
The Texas Legislature closed out a very long yesterday early this morning, passing the contentious voting restrictions legislation in a party-line approval after truculent debate, procedural delays, and more incompetence by the gaffe-prone chair of the statehouse committee in charge.
The 3 a.m. vote followed hours of debate as Democrats, with little means of stopping #HB6 in the GOP-controlled Texas House, deployed technical challenges and hours of questioning that Rep. @BriscoeCain appeared unprepared at times to answer. https://t.co/cB4GqyiOMW #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) May 7, 2021
If you think you are not qualified or intelligent enough to run for office, please tune into the SB7 debate where Briscoe Cain is attempting to explain/defend his voter suppression bill, and go file your candidacy immediately. #txlege pic.twitter.com/2UYcHW3UDb
— nikki sumrow (@nikki_sumrow) May 7, 2021
Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Unlike the Fab Four, I don't believe.
It appears Texas House Public Education Committee, chaired by @RepHaroldDutton will hold a vote on #SB29, the transgender sports bill, at 9 a.m. today https://t.co/sAuYX3bBHs #TXLege pic.twitter.com/qa2I18wdvg
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) May 7, 2021
Dutton, a Houston Democrat, may be a little PO'ed because -- as the elections bills were being poured over by parliamentarians for hours on a point of order before the chamber moved on -- his bill regarding the takeover of certain (read: majority Black) HISD schools by the state was killed by a p.o.o. from Rep. Alma Allen, also of H-town.
houston rep. alma allen (an educator) ~extremely not pleased~ with houston rep. harold dutton (public ed chair) and his bill HB 3270 on state takeover of school boards pic.twitter.com/oJdOafZ5KO
— Jen Rice (@jen_rice_) May 7, 2021
Update:
Chair Dutton just said that he doesn't know how many children SB 29 affects but his (unrelated) bill that was killed last night affects many more children. Apparently these two things are connected - his bill dying and him calling this anti-trans bill back up for a vote. #txlege
— Jessica Shortall🧂🥴 (@jessicashortall) May 7, 2021
*headdesk*
Friends, you don't often get to see a #txlege member speak so plainly about sacrificing children and families out of spite. @RepHaroldDutton: thanks for pulling back the curtain for Texas voters. #SB29 https://t.co/Z6IJkEuB2e
— Bee Moorhead (@BeeMoorhead) May 7, 2021
While TXGOP legislators are standing in solidarity, the House Democratic Caucus' fault lines are cracking wide open.
Texas House Dems who voted last night for bill that would ban homeless encampments in public places statewide: Anchia, Guillen, Herrero, J. Turner, Meza, King, Lucio (joint author) and Raymond https://t.co/wOcl45Er1R #HB1925 #txlege
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) May 6, 2021
Most of these Blue Dogs are Latinos representing RGV districts, scared to death of losing to a Republican next year in the rising Red Tide coming to South Texas. This is why TexDonks are in a world of hurt (among many other reasons, mostly of their own doing ... or not-doing).
Texans who will suffer most are those who have the least, as always.
“The chasm between Texans and the #TXLege has never been more stark,” said Patrick Bresette, executive director of @CDFTexas. “The failure to so much as give that bill a hearing shows the dangerous disconnect between state leaders and their constituents." https://t.co/VxMvOiYPNW
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) May 7, 2021
Rural Texans will see their hospitals close, their doctors move away to make a better living, their loved ones get sick and die, and they will still vote a straight Republican ticket in 2022. Even my well-endowed empathy has its limits for that amount of ignorance.
More bad at the Lege:
ICYMI: Yesterday, the Texas House approved a bill to penalize large cities that cut their police budgets.
— Jolie McCullough (@jsmccullou) May 7, 2021
It was the state's strongest move against local actions taken after anti police brutality protests rocked the nation last year. https://t.co/buuy9YAHkq #txlege
@DrSchwertner said a gun is a God Given Right 🤔
— Carrie Vaccinated 😷🇺🇸💙 (@STEM_Gal) May 6, 2021
Raised So Baptist, I researched via my Bibles (diff studies): NO. NOT Old nor New Testament, NOR Apocrypha.
SO: U ignored God, Faith Leaders, Law Enforcement, Constituents.
Texas & TX Biz wont forget. #txlege #TXDeservesBetter https://t.co/MlCIH37Uld
Pretty sure any random atheist knows there is no mention of guns in the Bible. Not a good idea for a Christian to lie about what his god says.
Enough of this. Moving on.
A billion here, a billion there: pipeline giant Energy Transfer, controlled by billionaire Kelcy Warren, a huge donor to @GregAbbott_TX, scored $2.4 billion off the storm that caused the #Texas blackouts #txlege https://t.co/eUxhdB1N1N via @markets
— Jay Root (@byjayroot) May 6, 2021
Something rich richer something poorer something.
Texas Legislature advances bills to shield oil and gas from climate initiatives https://t.co/1SMls2yQUW #txlege
— KVUE News (@KVUE) May 6, 2021
And the environmental story of the week comes from Rolling Stone.
Great reporting on Exxon's massive new plastics plant. Otherwise known as Mordor Inc. https://t.co/CShx05nYGJ
— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) May 3, 2021
Abuse against female soldiers is not limited to Vanessa Guillen.
EXCLUSIVE: Texas National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Tinker, a decorated 17-year veteran, reported her captain last fall for sexual harassment. She gave testimony and text messages, and officials reprimanded the senior officer. Days later, the military turned on Tinker. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/hw7Jb2GkOB
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) May 6, 2021
Austin has a homeless problem for a very good reason.
Data confirms the rent is too damn high https://t.co/WeJkCf1YE4
— Austinist (@austinist) May 6, 2021
Rent in Austin increased 97% in the last decade. The biggest jump in the country. The Federal and State minimum wage in Texas has remained the same during that time, and state law forbids cities from setting their own
— Jordan (@AimIessFriend) May 4, 2021
What percentage of 'close enough' to herd immunity will it take to protect our lives, health, and freedumbs?
Because Texas is far from herd immunity, transmission of more contagious COVID-19 variants will continue to increase, said Bhavna Lall, assistant professor of adult medicine at the University of Houston College of Medicine. https://t.co/YOr7sNByc4
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) May 7, 2021
Bless their hearts, Texas Democrats are fighting back with everything they have. It's just that they don't have very much.
Houston Mayor @SylvesterTurner & Harris County Judge @LinaHidalgoTX no longer plan to hold their annual addresses w/ region's largest chamber of commerce because of its silence on proposed voting restrictions — some targeting Harris County — in #txlege: https://t.co/QPFSfPPeir
— Alexa Ura (@alexazura) May 5, 2021
The Lamar County Democratic Party is not accepting the resignation of its chair after he reportedly used the slur "Oreo" to describe U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, who is Black, in a now-deleted Facebook post, according to a statement provided to The Texas Tribune. https://t.co/fg3gWx346L
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) May 4, 2021
Poor Q: Gilley's event venue in Dallas says they've pulled the plug on the upcoming QAnon convention featuring GOP chairman Allen West and U.S. Louie Gohmert. https://t.co/Wu1awe2W6y
— Dallas Observer (@Dallas_Observer) May 5, 2021
Kinda doubt the Gilley's folks are Democrats, but whatever; take the W where you can. Here's a Mockery Moment.
.@KenPaxtonTX unblocks nine Texans on Twitter after lawsuit claiming he violated First Amendment https://t.co/XMUPsDqAdf #TXLege #OpenYourEyeKen
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) May 6, 2021
Paxton has a lazy eye. Ted Cruz has a lazy everything.
.@SenTedCruz wanted to see who was trolling him on Twitter in order to troll someone on Twitter ... but forgot to crop out his Twitter search history https://t.co/9oTld953mL #GetARealJobTed
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) May 7, 2021
Sometimes these guys are funny; most of the time they are not.
Apparently, Texas state reps don't have email. https://t.co/YlQSt7EMTW
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) May 6, 2021
Closing with the lighter side.
Such a strange Texas story, wonderfully and endearingly told by @MHurstKENS5 https://t.co/iHr8iwkXB2
— David Lynch (@RealDavidLynch) May 6, 2021
Like #Astros icon Reggie Jackson once said, “Fans don’t boo nobodies.”
— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) May 4, 2021
Can a photo have too much Texas soul? Augie Meyers had his 80th birthday party 2 weeks ago and @raybensonaatw and @BillyFGibbons showed up to play. Legendary journalist Sam Kindrick took this photo and said I could post it. See Sam's great website here: https://t.co/8JqfO56JgJ pic.twitter.com/S9COlt28Q6
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) May 5, 2021
Wednesday, May 05, 2021
Hump Day Bad Lege Round-up
Today the Republican-controlled statehouse moved quickly to outlaw a woman's right to make her reproductive choices, and to criminalize the actions of those who would assist her in doing so.
BREAKING: The Texas House just voted to pass #SB8, one of the most extreme abortion restrictions in the nation. The bill would ban abortion at 6 weeks, before most people know they’re pregnant.
— Progress Texas (@ProgressTX) May 5, 2021
The fight over this unconstitutional ban is far from over. #txlege #TXDeservesBetter
The bill is designed to be challenged at the SCOTUS, in a direct threat to Roe v. Wade with the new conservative justices -- installed by a corrupt US Senate process and its former leader, Mitch McConnell -- standing by, ready to strike it down.
When the previous president outsourced judicial selection to the Federalist Society, everyone understood that McConnell's long game of blocking Obama's bench appointments had paid off. And Senate Democratic leadership declined to pay it back, allowing Moscow Mitch to pack the courts, which included ram-rodding the abominable Amy Barrett onto the Supreme Court just a few weeks after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Barrett's well-known beliefs on this issue is the linchpin.
Their scheme is coming to fruition. There have been many players and many circumstances that got us to this point, but do not discount the subtle, conservative extremism of the still shiny-new Speaker of the Texas House, Dade Phelan.
A number of states have already passed six-week abortion bans, only to see them struck down -- including by conservative courts such as the Fifth Circuit, which last year threw out a Mississippi law banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. “All agree that cardiac activity can be detected well before the fetus is viable,” the court wrote, adding: “That dooms the law.” Under Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court held that women have the right to an abortion prior to the point of viability.This is Phelan's agenda. His role -- appointing the chairs and members comprising the House committees who carry this water -- has been key.
Pro-life groups in Texas are trying a different tack. SB8, as passed by the Senate, would leave enforcement to individuals by creating a private cause for action. Such a law might not pass constitutional muster, but it can’t be challenged via the same litigation strategy that has thwarted all the other statewide six-week bans passed to date.
“It’s legally clever in some ways,” conceded Blake Rocap, the legislative director for Avow, the nonprofit formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice Texas.
That’s right: under SB8, anyone in the country could sue a Texan who “performs or induces an abortion in violation of this chapter” or who “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance of an abortion” -- or, for that matter, who “intends to engage” in such conduct. [...] It would be absurd to be sued for such a thing, of course. But sillier lawsuits have been brought. And in addition to everything else -- and in stark contrast to the state’s general approach to frivolous lawsuits -- SB 8 would protect the litigants in such a situation, no matter how vindictive their motives or ridiculous their arguments: if you successfully defend yourself from such a lawsuit, you can’t even recoup your legal fees or other costs. [...] That may not be sufficient to thwart SB8’s passage in the House, or to prevent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott from signing it; he has declared abortion restrictions a priority for this session. Advocates are curious to see if it’s amended on the House floor -- and pessimistic about their chances of stopping the bill’s passage outright, given that the chamber is controlled by Republicans, more than 60 of whom have signed on as sponsors or cosponsors.
They will brag about this for years to come. They will fund-raise on it. They will gerrymander their seats so they can remain in Austin and Washington to do more and do worse, and they will restrict and suppress the votes of those who oppose them.
It's what they do. Who's going to stop them? Texas Democrats?
In other bad Lege news:
Brave new world? Or bad old days?
— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) May 5, 2021
'Cover as many lives as possible?' Or 'destroy the market?'
Team @DadePhelan advances bill letting Texas Farm Bureau sell health coverage exempt from insurance laws. @MorrisReports has the deets. #txlege #ACA https://t.co/1vx2rw5G1I
FYI, lawmakers in Texas are about to pass a bill that will make "activism" in public schools illegal, including having students contact their elected representatives: https://t.co/2AJXXt05mO pic.twitter.com/8QoptMQeWe
— Dr. but not the useful kind Susan Schorn (@SusanSchorn) May 3, 2021
That's a great civics and First Amendment lesson for the kids, isn't it?
It is with a heavy heart that we watch what is happening in Texas. Legislators have been hoodwinked into a "bail reform" bill that is illegal and expensive, that will separate tens of thousands of families, and that will mean more deaths on cold jail floors. (1)
— Alec Karakatsanis (@equalityAlec) May 4, 2021
Update: The House permitless carry bill, HB1927, is being jammed through the Senate, courtesy Charles Schwertner, as I write this.
With enough votes needed to suspend the rule, Senate is now in a “new” legislative day. Will vote to give final passage of #HB1927 today with some changes. @FOX4 https://t.co/PqjC8HVW55
— Steven Dial (@StevenDialFox4) May 5, 2021
I don't have the tolerance for any more today. I'll have a catch-up post on Friday. I need to go long on the "calm-me-downs", previously assembled.
Something special for tonight's Texas music: the entire Super Black Blues LP from the immortal T-Bone Walker. T-Bone was from Linden, Texas, released this gem. You can't be vaccinated against the blues. You can quote me on that. https://t.co/lHQO5B31f7 via @YouTube
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) May 5, 2021
"I love NY, but I live in Houston now," 50 Cent reveals! https://t.co/fQz80kHeRW
— FOX26Houston (@FOX26Houston) May 4, 2021
'One of the greatest': Austin rock 'n' roll critic and historian Ed Ward has died at age 72 https://t.co/XFd3P27TPs via @austin360
— Michael Barnes (@outandabout) May 4, 2021
Dallas Museum of Art will be only U.S. stop for ‘Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity’ https://t.co/15PwlNhA8Y
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) May 4, 2021