On Thursday, the House Public Education Committee voted 7-3 to approve HB 1057 by Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, making it eligible soon for consideration by the full House. But the version of the bill the committee passed bears almost no resemblance to the bill as originally filed, or its Senate companion (SB 521) that passed out of the Senate Education committee […]
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Proposed Texas Constitutional Amendment Could Help Fred 'God Hates Fags' Phelps Disrupt Funerals
Why would religious-right groups like Texas Values, the Texas lobby arm of Plano-based Liberty Institute, want to help hate groups disrupt funerals for military servicemembers and the victims of tragedies like last week’s fertilizer plant explosion in West? Those groups are demanding that state lawmakers pass a constitutional amendment — HJR 110/SJR 4 — that […]
Religious‐Right Group ‘Texas Values’ Desperately Defends Sodomy Law, Anti‐Gay Discrimination
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Texas sodomy law unconstitutional in 2003, but Texas Values ‐‐ the Austin lobby arm of the religious‐right group Liberty Institute ‐‐ apparently still wants gay and lesbian couples to be thrown in prison. In an email to activists Friday, the group characterizes efforts to take the state’s sodomy law […]
State Board of Education Joins Texas House in Slamming the Door on Vouchers
Add the State Board of Education to the list of elected Texas officials who are against private school voucher schemes. By a vote of 10-5, the board earlier today approved a resolution by board member Ruben Cortez, D-Brownsville, calling on state legislators to reject vouchers. On April 4 the Texas House overwhelmingly passed an amendment […]
Another Anti-Sharia Measure Pops Up in House
Another anti-Sharia measure received a surprise hearing in the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday, even though there was no advance notice for the hearing. HJR 43 is a constitutional amendment by Dan Flynn, R-Van, stating that a “court of this state may not enforce, consider, or apply any religious or cultural law.” Strangely, the […]
