Originally published in the San Antonio Current. In the wee hours of last Friday morning, Texas House representatives decided it was finally time to vote on a state budget. But even after 15 hours of negotiations (and drama) on the House floor, there was still a long list of bill amendments they had yet to…
Anti-LGBT Religious Refusal Bills Abound in Texas Legislature
Republicans in the 85th session of the Texas Legislature are pushing a number religious refusal bills that would codify anti-LGBT discrimination into state law. State lawmakers failed to pass nearly a dozen religious refusal bills in 2015 and in 2017 are again trying to introduce legislation which uses religion to deny equality to LGBT Texans.…
Texas House Bill Would Allow Denial of Same-Sex Couples as Foster Parents
On, Wednesday, March 29, the Texas House State Affairs Committee had a hearing on House Bill 3859 which would allow faith-based groups to deny placement of foster children with same-sex couples and others if it’s against the groups’ religious beliefs. The bill is authored by Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, vice chairman of the House…
Straus Warns of Economic Consequences if Bathroom Bill Passes
Addressing the Texas Association of Business conference on January 18, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said lawmakers should consider the economic consequences to the state if a proposed bathroom bill (SB6) is passed by the legislature. “There’s been a lot of work put into our state’s economic success. We want to continue that success, and…
Keeping Track of Pro and Anti-LGBT Bills in Texas Legislature
The 85th Texas Legislature opened on January 10, starting a 140-day work session with a Republican majority. So far this session, 17 pro-LGBT bills and four anti-LGBT bills have been filed. Among the bills proposed to benefit LGBT Texans is legislation repealing laws that are still on the books which punish homosexual conduct; prohibiting discrimination…
Could an Anti-Cyberbullying Bill Do More Harm Than Good For Texas Kids?
Originally published in the San Antonio Current In December, a pair of San Antonio state lawmakers filed a bill to address what seems to be a universally agreed-upon menace: Cyberbullying. In particular, aggressive cyberbullying across social media platforms by school-aged kids — the kind that can push kids to commit suicide. But with its focus…
Lt. Gov. Patrick Unleashes Anti-Transgender Bill
Originally published in the San Antonio Current Texas Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick began his Thursday press conference introducing a bill that would segregate transgender people from the general public by quoting Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent on things that matter.” But not once during his press…
Calls to Pass Cyberbullying Law on Anniversary of Student’s Death
Two San Antonio lawmakers are calling for the passage of an anti-bullying law named in honor of David Bartlett Molak, a 16-year-old Alamo Heights High School student who one year ago committed suicide after being bullied by classmates on social media over his physical appearance. To mark the first anniversary of Molak’s passing, State Senator…
Dan Patrick Continues His Bathroom Bill Tap Dance
Despite warnings from companies across Texas that a “bathroom bill” would be bad for business, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick remains steadfast in his plan to support the proposed law in the upcoming legislative session. The bill would prohibit transgender people in Texas from using bathrooms that match their gender identity. Dubbed the Women’s Privacy and…
Menéndez Files Medical Cannabis Bill
On December 6, State Senator Jose Menéndez of San Antonio filed Senate Bill 269 which would increase the number of patients who would have access to medical cannabis under the Texas Compassionate Use Program. Current state laws only allow patients suffering from intractable epilepsy the use of specific strains of medical cannabis. “Doctors, not politicians,…