UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office just released a formal opinion calling the Pflugerville Independent School District’s policy of offering domestic partners of district employees access to health insurance benefits a violation of the Texas Constitution.
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Just what in the world are they thinking?
Earlier this month the House Public Education Committee considered legislation (House Bill 1568) to reduce funding to any school district that makes health insurance or other benefits available to the domestic partners of district employees. The Pflugerville Independent School District just north of Austin has adopted such a policy, although the employee has to cover the full cost of his or her partner’s insurance premiums. Religious-right groups — predictably — have pitched a hissy fit and argue that providing access to benefits for domestic partners violates the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
The Texas attorney general has not yet issued a formal opinion on whether such policies really do violate that constitutional ban. Even so, the original version of HB 1568 was bad enough — it would undermine local control, was out of step with growing support among Texans for such common sense policies, and represented yet another effort to denigrate and demean gay and lesbian families. But last week the Public Education Committee passed a completely rewritten version of the bill that’s even worse. The new version would give the Texas attorney general the power to force the closure of any school district that he or she determines has “knowingly violated a provision of the Texas Constitution.” Here’s the key part of the bill:
“If the attorney general determines that a school district knowingly violated a provision of the Texas Constitution, the commissioner shall revoke the accreditation of the district and order the closure of the district.”
So just one elected official would have the power of life or death over a school district. The attorney general — alone — would be able to decide whether the state must shut down a school district. The bill offers no route for appeal, although a local school district so targeted by the AG would almost certainly go to court in an attempt to stop such a decision. Just imagine the cost to taxpayers. And what if the courts found that such action by an attorney general was constitutionally permissible? Suddenly, thousands of children would be left without schools because of the arbitrary decision of one state official.
And, of course, it would be an arbitrary decision. First, there is hardly agreement that what the Plugerville and Austin school districts have chosen to do violates the Constitution. But consider many other actions — on issues ranging from free speech to religious freedom and beyond — that could bring an attorney general to rule a school district in violation of the state Constitution. One can easily imagine an AG from whichever political party being tempted to abuse that power for one reason or another.
Maybe this was just a clumsy effort to strip the bill of overt gay-bashing. But good grief. This would be colossally bad public policy.
The Public Education Committee approved the bill on a 6-4, party-line vote. All of the “yes” votes came from Republicans. The four “no” votes are Democrats.
OMG !!! This is one scary state !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Colossally stupid” is what they do best.
Under the best of circumstances this would be a bad idea, but knowing what Greg Abbott stands for, this is one horrible step towards fascism.
Oui! Smh…
One of the best reason to oust every TEA-Republican in Austin! Local, state and national expulsion of the fringe elements is the best solution. If you are tired of the stalemate and radical extremes blocking key legislation at the local, state level and nationally, get involved and inform yourselves, get registered and V.O.T.E.(Vote Out The Encumberances)
The committee substitute bill sent to calendars today specifies that the AG can defund any school district that “knowingly” violates the Texas Constitution. Greg Abbott’s opinion, also issued today, states that benefits for same-sex domestic partners are unconstitutional–thereby closing the door on any district that might say it was not knowingly in violation. Ain’t it neat how that works? We might as well start calling Texas state government what it is: Thugocracy.
Again, it’s a case of it’s evil when the federal government interferes with state government, but the state can overrule the policies set up by the local elected bodies.
Exactly. Pissing and moaning about federal law, while implementing state hegemony against any community that doesn’t look ‘red’ enough.
These elected hypocrites should face a daily rain of rotten tomatoes as they enter the capitol.
Who else but the AG decide if a local law violates the state constitution? If his decision is deemed erroneous then a suit can be filed and a judge has a say. This is the way our law works. Desist with the ignorant name calling, homosexuals.
Get real, Willard. You think only gay people object to having potentially thousands of children left with no schools? This straight woman begs to differ.
Reading Abbott’s opinion raised a question for me. Is there no political subdivision (I’ll say “city” for short) in the state of TX that offers domestic partnership benefits? See Abbott’s Note 5. It seems to suggest that health benefits are currently provided to domestic partners in some cities and he is uncertain or unwilling to say that those benefits violate the constitution. How does Pflugerville ISD differ from those cities that already offer it?
As an aside, would I be wrong in thinking that TX has given the country another opportunity to showcase its homophobia, and have it ultimately enshrined in a SCOTUS decision, a la Lawrence?
The SCOTUS ultimately has the final say, Abbott or no Abbott,,