Big Jolly Politics

politics in Harris County and Texas

Speaker Straus forcing Gov. Abbott to come out of the closet

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It’s the silly season in the Texas Legislature, aka the last days of the session. For the last 137 days, our elected representatives have been in Austin spending taxpayer dollars and getting little done. Now that crunch time is here, the two legislative bodies are staring each other down, trying to impose their will on the other.

This evening, we saw dueling press conferences. First there was Speaker Straus, going solo, challenging Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to a showdown, chastising Lt. Dan for spending more time on a bathroom bill than he did on school finance. Then Lt. Dan took the stage, complete with a 13 member posse of Senators, and called the Speaker’s bluff, challenging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session over the failure of the two bodies to reach agreement on property tax reform and privacy rights.

Every liberal reporter in Texas (and that would be 99.999{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of them) was fawning all over the Speaker, praising him for his courage and ridiculing Lt. Dan. But while they were busy pontificating about the Speaker being the only adult in the room, Lt. Dan was winning in the eyes of every day Texans around the state. About the only good thing that the Speaker managed to do this evening was to finally force Gov. Abbott out of his closet and make a decision. We’ll see in the coming days what that decision is. Will the Governor support Lt. Dan and the vast majority of Texas voters? Or will the Governor side with the Speaker, a man that has started to believe his own press and has made unforced errors in trying to protect the members of the House from voting on controversial issues?

Watch Lt. Dan take Speaker Straus to the woodshed:

 

 
Did you hear Lt. Dan talking about a bill that the Senate is ready to accept? That bill is House Bill 2899. It is so simple and so short that I’ll put it here in full:

85R11181 JCG-D

By:  Simmons                                          H.B. No. 2899

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the regulation of discrimination by political subdivisions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 250, Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

CHAPTER 250.  MISCELLANEOUS REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF MUNICIPALITIES, [AND] COUNTIES, AND OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

SECTION 2.  Chapter 250, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Section 250.008 to read as follows:

Sec. 250.008.  CERTAIN REGULATION OF DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED.  (a)  A political subdivision may not adopt an order, ordinance, or other measure to:

(1)  protect a class of persons from discrimination; or

(2)  reduce or expand a class of persons protected under state law from discrimination.

(b)  An order, ordinance, or other measure that is adopted by a political subdivision before the date this section becomes law and that violates Subsection (a) is null and void.

SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

That is it. In its entirety. Simple. To the point. It makes clear that no city or county in the state can enact a law that discriminates against anyone.

Notice what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t tell anyone where they have to pee.

Lt. Dan also noted that HB 2899 had 80 authors. Clearly the bill will pass if the House votes on it, right? Probably not. These are called ‘cover your ass’ co-authors – they sign onto a bill knowing full well that the Speaker is not going to make them vote on it. That way they can go home and tell the voters, well, heck, I sure tried. Which is bullshit but that’s the way the game is played.

So let’s put those 80 co-authors names out there for posterity’s sake, shall we?

Primary Author Date Filed
Simmons 03/06/2017
Coauthors (79) Date Signed On
Anderson, Charles “Doc” 04/21/2017
Anderson, Rodney 04/27/2017
Ashby 05/01/2017
Bailes 05/05/2017
Bell 04/27/2017
Biedermann 05/02/2017
Bohac 05/04/2017
Bonnen, Dennis 05/05/2017
Bonnen, Greg 04/21/2017
Burkett 04/25/2017
Burns 04/27/2017
Burrows 03/20/2017
Button 04/21/2017
Cain 04/27/2017
Capriglione 05/01/2017
Clardy 04/27/2017
Cosper 05/08/2017
Craddick 05/05/2017
Cyrier 05/05/2017
Dale 05/08/2017
Darby 05/08/2017
Dean 04/17/2017
Elkins 05/04/2017
Faircloth 04/27/2017
Fallon 04/21/2017
Flynn 05/05/2017
Frank 04/21/2017
Frullo 04/21/2017
Goldman 04/27/2017
Hefner 03/29/2017
Holland 04/27/2017
Huberty 05/09/2017
Kacal 05/05/2017
Keough 04/27/2017
King, Phil 04/27/2017
Klick 04/27/2017
Krause 04/21/2017
Landgraf 05/05/2017
Lang 04/27/2017
Larson 05/09/2017
Laubenberg 03/27/2017
Leach 04/21/2017
Lozano 05/05/2017
Metcalf 04/25/2017
Meyer 05/10/2017
Miller 04/21/2017
Morrison, Geanie W. 05/10/2017
Murphy 04/21/2017
Murr 05/05/2017
Oliverson 04/12/2017
Parker 04/21/2017
Paul 05/02/2017
Phelan 04/21/2017
Phillips 04/21/2017
Price 05/08/2017
Raney 04/27/2017
Rinaldi 05/05/2017
Roberts 04/27/2017
Sanford 05/01/2017
Schaefer 04/21/2017
Schofield 05/04/2017
Schubert 05/10/2017
Shaheen 04/21/2017
Shine 05/08/2017
Smithee 05/05/2017
Springer 04/21/2017
Stephenson 04/21/2017
Stickland 05/08/2017
Stucky 04/27/2017
Swanson 03/23/2017
Thompson, Ed 05/04/2017
Tinderholt 05/04/2017
VanDeaver 05/05/2017
White 04/27/2017
Wilson 03/28/2017
Workman 05/04/2017
Wray 04/27/2017
Zedler 04/27/2017
Zerwas 05/08/2017

Look at all of those “leaders” on that list.

Remember these names at election time folks. Ask yourself, how many of those names have you seen standing up and fighting for the chance to vote on it? My own state rep is on that list and I assure you I haven’t seen him standing up and asking the Speaker to bring it to the floor.

I guess we’ll see everyone in a special session. Careful what you ask for Mr. Speaker. And as for you Gov. Abbott, are you sure that Lt. Dan isn’t going to take this personally if you fail to lead on these issues? A whole lot of Republican primary voters might be interested to know.

 

Is it time to ‘vacate the chair’ in the Texas House?

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Dr. Steven Hotze thinks so. From the InBox:

Joe straus

IT’S TIME TO REMOVE STRAUS AS SPEAKER “VACATE THE CHAIR”

dr steven Hotze
Dr. Steven Hotze

The Texas House is in chaos. Speaker Straus, who holds his position because he has a base of 55 Democrats, has lost control of the House. He has not been able to contain the conservative Republican Texas Freedom Caucus nor the Marxist pro-perversion Democrats. The 95 Republicans who have enabled him to hold the speaker position for the past 5 legislative sessions have now lost what little confidence they had in him to begin with. Most bills that have been passed by the Texas House have been sponsored by the Democrats. The 95 Republicans are bewildered. Straus has given half of the committee chairmanships to Democrats and has allowed their Marxist, pro-perversion legislation to have committee hearings and to reach the House floor for a vote. Meanwhile, conservative legislation passed by the Texas Senate sits idly by with no committee hearings.

Many Republican state representatives have supported the Straus/Cook leadership team in order to gain positions of prominence through committee appointments and to receive campaign donations from Straus. The Straus/Cook leadership has failed miserably to adopt the positions of the Texas Republican Party Platform. These Republican representatives now see clearly that they are on a sinking ship and are going to be held accountable in the Republican primary elections by their constituents in March of 2018.

These Republicans can redeem themselves by removing Straus from the Speaker position by making a privileged motion to “vacate the chair.” This motion would require immediate action by the House.

I am not going to tell you that the Republican state representatives should have elected an arch conservative as Speaker of the Texas House. You will have to decide that for yourself. Republican state representatives outnumber the Marxist, pro-perversion Democrats by a margin of 95-55.

Historically in Texas, the House has been the conservative body and the Senate has been liberal. That has changed over the past 4 years in the Senate under the leadership of arch conservative Christian, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and with the election of many conservative Christian Republican state senators. The Texas Senate has passed over 30 conservative pieces of legislation and sent them to the Texas House for its concurrence. Few have even seen the light of day under Straus’ leadership, and under the leadership of his puppeteer, Rep. Byron Cook, chairman of the powerful House State Affairs Committee.

Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), the Women’s Privacy Act, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!”, was passed overwhelmingly by the Texas Senate on March 14 by a 21-10 margin and sent to the House for its approval. Speaker Straus has blocked this bill, despite his promise to the contrary, and has never even sent it to a committee for a hearing, which is required before it could be voted upon by the Texas House. Straus has denied the people’s duly elected representatives a chance to debate and vote on SB 6. This was Lt. Gov. Patrick’s #1 legislative priority. The Republican state representatives should be demanding that this be voted on by the Texas House. Straus and Cook hold SB 6 hostage.

84{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of Republican primary voters support SB 6, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms.”

If the Republican legislators continue to follow Straus’ position to block SB 6, then they will have to face the ire of their constituents in next year’s primary elections. Straus is going to lead a lot of Republican legislators to defeat.

This is why a motion needs to be made to “vacate the chair,” removing Straus from his speaker role and electing a speaker who will allow the Texas House to vote on SB 6.

Sen. Paul Bettencourt’s Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), the Property Tax Reduction Bill, that passed the Texas Senate by an 18-12 vote margin, would require an election to be held if real property taxes rose 5 percent or more than the amount that any governmental taxing authority took in during the previous year. The reason that property taxes continue to rise is because of increases in appraised values of property. Under SB 2, taxing authorities would have to lower the tax rate to keep tax increases below 5{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} or else there would be a required election held for voter approval.

SB 2 would slow the increases in property tax bills that homeowners and businesses must pay every year. Homeowners have had property tax increases of 10{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} or more annually. Business owners of commercial rates have had much steeper tax hikes. The property taxes on my 20,000-sq. ft. Hotze Health & Wellness Center building in Harris County increased by 85{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} last year.  This is unconscionable. With increasing appraised values of property, taxing authorities can claim that they did not raise taxes because the taxes are based on the appraised value of your property. They still get increased tax revenues and can blame the increases on the increased appraised value of your property. Guess who gets appointed to your local appraisal boards by the taxing authorities? Employees of the various government taxing authorities. There is no way you can win in this situation.

The Texas House refused to pass SB 2 as passed by the Texas Senate, instead it was severely weakened. Lt. Gov. Patrick has asked Gov. Abbott to add Property Tax Reduction to the call for a Special Session.

Under the Straus/Cook Leadership, the House passed a budget that raids the Rainy Day Fund. Patrick and the senate oppose this.

The Texas House Republicans can avert a Special Session by removing Straus from his position as speaker and electing a Speaker who will let them pass SB 6, SB 2 and save the Rainy Day Fund.

Call your Republican state representative today at http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/. Tell him to remove Straus from the speaker chair and to let the House vote on SB 6, the Women’s Privacy Act, “No Men in Women’s Bathrooms!”

All that it takes for evil triumph is for you to do nothing.

“Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who tread down your adversary.” (Psalm 108:13)

CRTXNEWS. All rights reserved www.crtxnews.com

The weak-kneed, yellow-belly Republican legislators that pee with the LGBT

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sb6

Heh, I’ve been wanting to use that title ever since Dr. Steven Hotze and the Conservative Republicans of Texas started using it. In case you don’t know, Dr. Hotze and team are trying to force the Texas House to have a vote on SB6, the bill that would keep men from entering the public restrooms, locker rooms and showers that women and children use. Thus far, they’ve had little success and it looks like the guys and gals that want to pee with the LGBT are going to take home the victory.

But Dr. Hotze, et al. are nothing if not persistent. So today he sent out a list of the Texas House Republicans that have vowed to support a vote on SB6 and those that haven’t. Here is the list of those that, at least publicly, refuse to support a vote on the bill.

District Representative Phone Number
105 Rodney Anderson (512) 463-0641
57 Trent Ashby (512) 463-0508
18 Ernest Bailes (512) 463-0570
25 Dennis Bonnen (512) 463-0564
113 Cindy Burkett (512) 463-0464
83 Dustin Burrows (512) 463-0542
112 Angie Chen Button (512) 463-0486
98 Giovanni Capriglione (512) 463-0690
11 Travis Clardy (512) 463-0592
8 Byron Cook (512) 463-0730
54 Scott Cosper (512) 463-0684
82 Tom Craddick (512) 463-0500
17 John Cyrier (512) 463-0682
136 Tony Dale (512) 463-0696
72 Drew Darby (512) 463-0331
134 Sarah Davis (512) 463-0389
69 James Frank (512) 463-0534
84 John Frullo (512) 463-0676
99 Charlie Geren (512) 463-0610
97 Craig Goldman (512) 463-0608
52 Larry Gonzales (512) 463-0670
4 Lance Gooden (512) 463-0458
33 Justin Holland (512) 463-0484
127 Dan Huberty (512) 463-0520
32 Todd Hunter (512) 463-0672
45 Jason Isaac (512) 463-0647
12 Kyle Kacal (512) 463-0412
88 Ken King (512) 463-0736
102 Linda Koop (512) 463-0454
44 John Kuempel (512) 463-0602
71 Stan Lambert (512) 463-0718
122 Lyle Larson (512) 463-0646
108 Morgan Meyer (512) 463-0367
30 Geanie Morrison (512) 463-0456
53 Andrew Murr (512) 463-0536
9 Chris Paddie (512) 463-0556
21 Dade Phelan (512) 463-0706
62 Larry Phillips (512) 463-0297
87 Four Price (512) 463-0470
14 John Raney (512) 463-0698
59 JD Sheffield (512) 463-0628
55 Hugh Shine (512) 463-0630
121 Joe Straus (512) 463-1000
1 Gary VanDeaver (512) 463-0692
114 Jason Villalba (512) 463-0576
47 Paul Workman (512) 463-0652
10 John Wray (512) 463-0516
28 John Zerwas (512) 463-0657

No one on that list surprises me except maybe Tom Craddick.

I am a bit surprised by the way that TexasGOPVote.com is fighting against this bill. This is the website that supports Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Ted Poe among others, including the above mentioned Texas State Rep. Jason Villalba. I get that they’ve never been ‘conservative’ on the whole and I should have known something had changed when they attacked an attempt to rein in public unions, but it still surprises me. Of course, they’ve been for open borders and against any form of border control since their inception.

Check out the list of posts on their website about SB6 in the last three weeks:

And that’s just in the past three weeks. I’m guessing they will have daily posts from ‘conservatives’ from now until the bill dies from a lack of vote. If you ask me, you don’t have to be conservative or liberal to be against allowing perverts to lawfully enter women’s and children’s locker rooms and showers but what do I know?

Why Texas Bathroom Bill Will Not Pass

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North Carolina Bathroom Law collapses under weight of multiple blackmails

texas bathroom bill

by Howie Katz

The NCAA gave North Carolina a deadline of this week to repeal its controversial Bathroom Law or else!  The or else is the loss March Madness games as long as the law remains in effect.  The North Carolina legislature met the NCAA’s blackmail demand Thursday and the state’s new Democratic governor has indicated he will sign the repeal measure.

When North Carolina passed its bathroom bill a year ago it was immediately set upon by the NBA which switched its 2017 All Star Game from Charlotte to New Orleans.   Bruce Springsteen took his scheduled concert for a hike.  The NFL announced that none of its special events would be held in the state as long as the Bathroom Law remained in effect.  Major conventions were switched to other states and some major corporations announced a boycott of the state.

Thus North Carolina was subjected to multiple blackmails … and they succeeded.  It was estimated that the controversial law would cost the state some $4 billion over 12 years.

The repeal of the Bathroom Law, however, pleased nobody.  Conservative lawmakers were infuriated.  In order to mollify them, the legislature included a compromise provision which prohibits local jurisdictions from passing any of their own anti-discrimination laws or ordinances until December 2020.  That has angered the LGBT community and human rights groups.  And the conservatives are still pissed off.

North Carolina’s Bathroom Law was identical to the bill passed by the Texas senate.  Texas has received the same blackmail threats from the NFL, NBA and some major corporations.  The NCAA will almost surely impose a March Madness boycott of the state if the bill, which is lingering in the House, were to pass.

There is an old saying: Money talks, bullshit walks!  Passage of a Bathroom Law will cost the state of Texas billions of dollars.  And that is the real reason why the Texas Bathroom Law will not be enacted.

We are in the era of political correctness and those of us who are conservatives might as well learn to live with it … or suffer the consequences.

Howie Katz is a former law enforcement officer and retired criminal justice professor.  In 1969 he founded the Texas Narcotic Officers Association. He currently resides in Houston, Texas. You can see more of his writing at http://barkgrowlbite.blogspot.com and http://theunconventionalgazette.blogspot.com.

Sen. Bob Hall – Evaluating and Clarifying SB6

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sb6

Misinformation has led good people to make fun of the Legislature’s attempt to keep men out of women’s restrooms, locker rooms, and showers. “Bathroom” jokes now abound. Unfortunately, this issue is not funny and it will have some very serious consequences for women and children if this legislation is not passed.

There is truly an evil force hard at work in Texas. The objective of this evil force is to completely destroy the moral foundation of Texas and our Nation. This evil force is deeply embedded in a militant faction of the LBGTQ community. While the LGBTQ community makes up less than 2{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of the total population, this militant smaller faction accounts for less than 1{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of the 2{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}, and yet this very small group is determined to destroy the foundation of society by robbing the vast majority of women and children of their right to privacy and safety in the most intimate environments; locker rooms, showers, and restrooms.

How controversial could that be? You would be surprised.

In the recent Crux/Marist survey, by a 66 to 27 percent margin, Americans do not want individuals that are “transitioning to become the opposite sex” to be allowed to use whichever showers or locker rooms they want. In another recent survey, a large majority of Texas citizens clearly indicated opposition to allowing high school boys and girls to share locker rooms and showers. They also are opposed to allowing high school boys and girls to share sleeping accommodations on overnight trips.

Recently, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 6 (SB6), the ‘Texas Privacy Act’, of which I am a co-author. In the words of the primary author of the bill, Senator Lois Kohlkorst, “The act designates separate showers, locker rooms, and restrooms for males and females in public schools, colleges, universities, and government facilities.” It also further protects the privacy and safety of women and children by prohibiting local governments from establishing anti-discrimination ordinances by establishing a new class of protected people.

SB6 would simply make changes in state law designed to protect privacy and safety in bathrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms. The bill would prohibit a municipality from adopting an ordinance or an ISD issuing a rule that establishes a policy relating to who may use a private entity’s bathroom or changing facility. SB6 prohibits any political subdivision from considering an entity’s bathroom policy when awarding a contract, and requires each school district, public university, state agency, county, municipality, special district, and open-enrollment charter school to adopt a bathroom designation policy based on a person’s biological sex.

If SB6 does not pass, local governments and schools will have the ability to pass non-discrimination ordnances and policies for a new class of people, and would be capable of creating penalty-free zones that could enable some very bad sexual and indecent behavior. That is, straight-male perverts would then have locations in which lewdness, indecent exposure, voyeurism, etc., would no longer be a crime. These acts of perversion will come not from transgenders, but from straight males.

What SB6 does do is ensure reasonable accommodations, much like the American Disability Act (ADA) does, for all people. This bill is now necessary because the LGBTQ community is no longer content with the policies and accommodations that have worked with little to no controversy in the past. They are now pushing an agenda to allow transgender people to use the restroom and locker room and shower of their choice. Unfortunately, since ‘transgender’ is a state of mind and not a physical description, this policy would allow any male in the girls locker room and showers. Parents who object to their young daughters showering in a locker room with an anatomical male are attacked or ridiculed for their politically incorrect position.

Also, the opposition to SB6 by The Texas Association of Businesses (TAB) and Chambers of Commerce based on projected economic impact is totally unfounded. The report on which TAB bases its opposition was done by some college students long before North Carolina passed its bill to protect women and children in the restroom, locker rooms, and showers. That report has now been totally debunked by multiple organizations. The withdrawal of Specialty Events and threats of businesses leaving North Carolina have had almost no impact on North Carolina’s economy. In fact, in 2016, North Carolina had one of the strongest economic and jobs growth in the Nation.

On the other hand, when Target Department Stores made public its plan to allow men to use the women’s restroom in all stores sales immediately dropped and Target stock fell almost 50{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}. Based on facts, not passing SB6 would be bad for the Texas economy.

Another fact is that, in every community, where a rogue ISD has implemented a policy that caters to the transgender community by allowing boys to use the girls restrooms, locker rooms, and showers, the community relationships have been destroyed. It is expected that if these policies were allowed to continue there would be massive exits from the public school system. This would not be good for Texas children or the schools.

SB6 does not prohibit a private business from establishing any internal policy it so chooses. A company can decide what is best for its employees and the customers they serve. Thus the free market in the private sector will detain the acceptance and success of this policy.

As legislators, it is our responsibility to protect our citizens – all of them. No child should be put in a position where they feel their modesty or safety is threatened. That does not mean that individuals who are transgender should be subject to bullying, ridicule, or marginalization. It does mean that young girls and boys should not be embarrassed or ridiculed because they do not want to be in a state of undress with a transgender student of the opposite biological sex. Modesty and self-image are important for every person.

Texas Sen. Bob Hall represents Senate District 2

Log Cabin Republicans of Texas 2017 Legislative Agenda

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log cabin republicans

The Log Cabin Republicans of Texas, after careful and thorough deliberation, adopted the following positions on a selected set of Senate and House bills introduced in the 2017 legislative session. After canvassing all our member chapters, the Board of the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas deemed these selected bills to be of special importance to its members across the state, and to the people of Texas as a whole. The Board evaluated each bill in relation to the core values and beliefs of the Republican Party, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights; and to the mission of the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas. We respect the important and difficult work of every legislator, and thank each one for his or her service to our state.

SUPPORT

SB 4 – Sanctuary Cities

Respect for the rule of law is one of the cornerstones of the Republican Party, and of our republic. As Republicans, we support the ability of the State of Texas to determine when local municipalities are overstepping their authority by not only failing to abide by federal law, but in some cases actively obstructing the ability of federal Immigration and customs enforcement agents in performing their duties. We can imagine federal laws protecting our civil rights undermined by localities that do not agree with them. For this reason, we believe that SB 4 is a good bill worthy of being passed, and call for a vote of ‘yes.’

HB 375 – Constitutional Carry

Whereas the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is indispensable to liberty, reforming state law to ensure that it is in line with the intent of our founding fathers is not only important to the Log Cabin Republican of Texas, but to all Texans. We support the passage of this bill on the grounds that it reinforces and strengthens our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and call for a vote of ‘yes.’

HB 428 – Religious Freedom at Universities

Religious student organizations are not exempt from the guarantees of the rights to free expression and freedom of association promised in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, the same right of free speech and assembly already asserted by the courts on behalf of gay students in Gay Student Services vs. Texas A&M. This right that applies equally to all – even with those with whom we disagree. Therefore, we support HB 428 on the grounds that it simply reinforces basic First Amendment rights, and call for a vote of ‘yes.’

OPPOSE

SB 6 – Bathroom & Birth Certificates

While we are fully supportive of the elements of the bill restoring property rights to the property owners in the state of Texas, and the intent of ensuring the comfort and safety of our citizens in our communities, we believe the requirement in the current bill for using birth certificates for determining appropriate use of restrooms and changing facilities in government buildings does not achieve those goals. In fact, we believe the bill in its current form not only puts some individuals in an impossible situation, it also creates new problems for the very people it aims to protect. LCR Texas reaffirms its support of private property rights and the First Amendment, but we cannot support this bill as it stands today, and call for a vote of ‘no.’

HB 1813 – Religious Exemption for County Clerks

While religious freedom is a core element of the First Amendment fully supported by the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas, religious exemption from performing the lawful duties of elected office is not a core element of any part of the U.S. Constitution. An elected Christian county clerk can no more decline to perform lawful duties related to marriages with which they disagree than a Muslim or atheist clerk can decline the same in regards to a Christian marriage. Furthermore, the bill selects one specific viewpoint on marriage for a special protection not extended to other viewpoints. Elected officials are elected to and required to serve all of those members of the society in the jurisdiction in which they were elected, not just the ones they agree with politically or morally. Allowing elected county clerks to act as business owners in refusal of services directly contradicts the fact that these officials are not owners of the government, rather they are public employees paid by the taxpayer they professed to serve. Therefore, we oppose HB 1813, and call for a vote of ‘no.’

HB 1923 – Religious Exemption for Providing General Services

We at the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas fully understand the need for reform in this area of the law given recent attempts by the left to use non-discrimination state laws and local ordinances to infringe on legitimate First Amendment and property rights. In fact, LCR of Texas has entered into a formal partnership with the Texas Young Republicans Federation and the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas to specifically address the real concerns and fears of those who believe they will be targeted because of their views on marriage. As the father of the gay marriage movement made clear, no one should be persecuted or legally driven out of business simply because of their views on same-sex marriage – for or against. However, this bill selects one specific viewpoint on marriage for a special protection not extended to other viewpoints, and unnecessarily violates the parameters of the Republican-passed Civil Rights Act of 1964. Lastly, by singling out a specific viewpoint for this protection, the bill implicitly surrenders the right of refusal to enter into a contract for other reasons – likely leading to the very loss of freedom the bill claims to protect. We at the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas stand ready and prepared to work with fellow Republicans to address the concerns of conservative Christians, Jews and Muslims who now fear the prospect of reverse harmful discrimination, making sure to address those concerns under the terms of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the principle of limited government of the Republican Party. HB 1923 violates those terms, to the detriment of every citizen of our great state of Texas. Therefore, we oppose HB 1923, and call for a vote of ‘no.’

We ask your support in the positions articulated here, and call on all fair-minded Texas, regarding all the bills before our state legislature, to base their positions on the principles and an even-handed application of the values that make our state strong and free.

Michael Baker
Board Chairman

Log Cabin Republicans of Texas