The 84th Texas Legislature opens its 140-day work session today with a Republican majority: Twenty Republicans and 11 Democrats in the Senate, and 97 Republicans and 52 Democrats in the House. There are bills filed to further restrict abortion rights, to terminate in-state tuition for children of immigrants, to outlaw sanctuary cities and to increase…
State Rep. files bill to deny marriage licenses to Texas same-sex couples
Updated Jan.8,2015, 7:20 p.m. Perhaps anticipating that marriage equality could soon be a reality in Texas, a member of the state House of Representatives has submitted a bill that would deny the funding and issuing of marriage licenses for same sex couples. State Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., a Republican from Magnolia, Texas is the author…
2014 in Review: Honorable and Dishonorable Mentions
HONORABLE MENTIONS Leading the Fight for Equality: The Texas Marriage Team On January 9, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans will hear the State of Texas’ appeal of U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia’s ruling that the state’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. This case would never have reached the…
Campbell files resolution that says religious beliefs trump LGBT rights
State Sen. Donna Campbell of New Braunfels has proposed a constitutional amendment that would make it legal for Texas businesses to fire LGBT employees and turn away LGBT customers if their religious beliefs compel them to do so. The proposal, Senate Joint Resolution 10, was filed on November 10, the first day of pre-filing for…