With Christmas celebrations on the brink of extinction in Texas, the Texas House intervened yesterday by passing the “Merry Christmas bill” to ensure public schools remain a welcome place for Jesus Santa. Santa’s attorney — and lobbyist for the religious-right group Texas Values — was at the Capitol to whip votes and remind us all of the […]
Jonathan Saenz
Houston-Area Tea Party Leader Was Fascist Party Member
The head of a Houston-area Tea Party group appears to have been dabbling in extremist right-wing politics for some time and has shared the political stage with various far-right activist and elected leaders in Texas. According to a report in the Texas Tribune, James Ives, president of the Greater Fort Bend County Tea Party, served […]
Religious-Righters Howl Over Benefits for Domestic Partners in Austin-Area School District
UPDATE: The Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees refused Thursday night to rescind a new policy providing access to health insurance benefits for unmarried domestic partners of district employees. After hearing public testimony, the board voted 5-1 to uphold the policy. It goes into effect on January 1. From an Austin American-Statesman report: “We’ve worked really […]
Liberty Institute/Texas Values Caught Misleading Again, This Time on Proposed Adoption Bill
Free Market Foundation Liberty Institute Texas Values, a far-right group from Plano that opposes separation of church and state and equal rights for gay families, has been caught — again — playing loose with the facts. In a television interview on November 19, Jonathan Saenz — the lawyer/lobbyist who heads Texas Values — claimed that […]