June 20th, 2011
House Bill 41 is waiting in the wings in Austin. The bill makes it illegal for any “public servant” to touch a citizen “inappropriately” regardless of whether or not the citizen is clothed. Nicknamed the anti-groping law, the bill is of course aimed at the federal Transportation Safety Administration’s manhandling of the traveling public in the nation’s airports. If the bill does in fact pass it will put the state on a collision course with the federal government, who insists it will not change its regulations. In the past, Federal attorneys have threatened to shut down any flights whose security could not be verified. What does this mean? If Texas disallows the TSA’s violation of its citizens we’ll not be able to fly from Texas airports to other parts of the country?
At this point the whole bill is up in the air (no pun intended), due to procedural considerations. While advocates are confident that they have the votes to pass the measure, it’s unclear whether Governor Perry will add it to the special session call. The public clamor for the bill seems to be growing as even Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst is urging his superior to move it forward. Either way this could be a potential make or break for a Perry presidential run. Many potential voters could see his failure to add the bill as a lack of leadership, while other may object to his advancing the bill as radical, and disrespectful of federal authority. Personally I suspect that Texans of most political stripes would favor the legislation. The TSA is an enormously unpopular organization right now, and most citizens view it as power hungry and indignant toward the public’s objections. I suspect that Texas will not be the last State to consider such laws. Hopefully, if the dissent continues it will force the federal government to acknowledge what the rest of us already know; that current procedures are not protecting the public at all; they’re victimizing it further.
Tags: Advocates, Clamor, Collision Course, Dissent, Federal Attorneys, Federal Government, Federal Transportation, Governor Perry, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, Objections, Political Stripes, Protecting The Public, Public Servant, Pun, Special Session, Texans, Texas Airports, Transportation Safety Administration, Tsa, Tyler Texas, Waiting In The Wings
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February 10th, 2011
The Republican House is once again on a collision course with the other half of the legislature and with the executive. The plan is to vote to restrict funds from the new Obama care program sometime next week. Frustrated Dems are again ridiculing the vote as another measure that will go nowhere given the fact that they control the senate. But the Republicans are simply demonstrating their seriousness both about undoing the new health care legislation and about reducing overall spending. This week they released a plan to deeply cut expenditures to a whole slew of government programs, including the National Endowment for the Arts, Amtrak, the IRS, (seriously, who won’t support that?!) and numerous other big government favs.
So even though the move to defund the President’s pet law will probably not go very far it does serve a highly useful purpose. It reminds the American people where their senators and congressmen or women stand on the issue. Despite the promises of the ineffectual Harry Reid, the repeal did in fact make it to the senate floor where members where forced once again to put their names to controversial and unpopular legislation. I hope the electorate was watching. Now the landscape has changed slightly however. With the federal judiciary ruling Obama care unconstitutional it’s almost certain to eventually find its way to the supremes. Congresses vote next week would potentially put the Senate back on the hot seat, particularly if the nation’s highest court eventually up holds the federal court’s ruling and throws out the new law. Any votes against defunding national health insurance would be in effect votes for sustaining unconstitutional government.
Again, it’s imperative that the American people follow the money, and the votes on this thing! I realize many of us are cynical about our nation’s leadership, but that’s all the more reason. Big changes are afoot here and for once we have a group of people in congress doing what they said they were going to do! The American voters are smart people, smarter than they are often given credit for. Just don’t go back to sleep. We have a lot to learn in the next few months and perhaps more to teach.
Tags: Amtrak, Collision Course, Congresses, Congressmen, Electorate, Endowment For The Arts, Federal Judiciary, Government Programs, Harry Reid, Health Care Legislation, Health Insurance, Hot Seat, Irs, National Endowment For The Arts, National Health Insurance, New Health Care, Pet Law, Senate Floor, Seriousness, Tyler Texas, Whole Slew
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Will Texas Pass the Anti-Groping Bill?
June 20th, 2011House Bill 41 is waiting in the wings in Austin. The bill makes it illegal for any “public servant” to touch a citizen “inappropriately” regardless of whether or not the citizen is clothed. Nicknamed the anti-groping law, the bill is of course aimed at the federal Transportation Safety Administration’s manhandling of the traveling public in the nation’s airports. If the bill does in fact pass it will put the state on a collision course with the federal government, who insists it will not change its regulations. In the past, Federal attorneys have threatened to shut down any flights whose security could not be verified. What does this mean? If Texas disallows the TSA’s violation of its citizens we’ll not be able to fly from Texas airports to other parts of the country?
At this point the whole bill is up in the air (no pun intended), due to procedural considerations. While advocates are confident that they have the votes to pass the measure, it’s unclear whether Governor Perry will add it to the special session call. The public clamor for the bill seems to be growing as even Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst is urging his superior to move it forward. Either way this could be a potential make or break for a Perry presidential run. Many potential voters could see his failure to add the bill as a lack of leadership, while other may object to his advancing the bill as radical, and disrespectful of federal authority. Personally I suspect that Texans of most political stripes would favor the legislation. The TSA is an enormously unpopular organization right now, and most citizens view it as power hungry and indignant toward the public’s objections. I suspect that Texas will not be the last State to consider such laws. Hopefully, if the dissent continues it will force the federal government to acknowledge what the rest of us already know; that current procedures are not protecting the public at all; they’re victimizing it further.
Tags: Advocates, Clamor, Collision Course, Dissent, Federal Attorneys, Federal Government, Federal Transportation, Governor Perry, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, Objections, Political Stripes, Protecting The Public, Public Servant, Pun, Special Session, Texans, Texas Airports, Transportation Safety Administration, Tsa, Tyler Texas, Waiting In The Wings
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