Tag Archives: Cecil Bell

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell is at it again: At a press conference in Magnolia, Bell released his “PACT for the Constitutional Restoration of State Sovereignty,” essentially a manifesto listing broad ways for citizens and state and federal officials to come together and defy the Supreme Court ruling. Citizens should pressure elected officials to stop enforcing the ruling, and Congress …

Via San Antonio’s WOAI: Social conservative groups, including the Texas Eagle Forum, Texas Values, and a group called Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, specifically want Abbott to recall lawmakers to consider a bill that would prohibit county clerks from issuing same sex marriage licenses. A 1980 U.S. Supreme Court case, Harris v. McRae, held that states cannot be required to …

Via the Associated Press: Divisive efforts by Texas Republicans to defy the U.S. Supreme Court if same-sex marriage is legalized ended Wednesday night with conservative finger-pointing and opponents feeling relieved. The first session under Republican Gov. Greg Abbott will end next week without a measure that gay rights activists considered one of the harshest in any U.S. statehouse: restrictions that …

From the Houston Chronicle: A Democratic state senator has dredged up anti-gay marriage legislation that advocates thought was dead this session, attaching the language to an uncontroversial county affairs bill under the noses of his fellow Democrats. While gay rights advocates decried the move, the bill’s original sponsor in the House said he would never let his legislation pass with …

Earlier today Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell’s bill to super-triple-extra ban same-sex marriage was revived when it was attached as an amendment by Democratic state Sen. Eddie Lucio. Texas Values is so pleased that they’ve photoshopped Lucio into the photo of Bell cutting the “celebration” cake marking the tenth anniversary of the Texas ban on same-sex marriage. That anniversary doesn’t …

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell has followed through on his promise to attach his previously failed House bill as an amendment to a Senate bill. The deadline for new House bills passed last week before the chamber could get to Bell’s item. HB2977 authorizes certain fees for Texas counties and presumably that was “germane” enough to gain today’s committee approval. …

Michelangelo Signorile interviewed notorious Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell this week, grilling him about his quixotic pursuit of legislation that Bell believes would allow his state to defy the US Supreme Court on same-sex marriage. Listen to the clips below in which Bell expounds on states rights and refuses to answer Signorile when asked if sodomy should still be illegal. …

Via the Dallas Voice: Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell, R-Magnolia, intends to attach an amendment similar to his previous bill barring the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples to a bill protecting clergy from being forced to perform same-sex marriages during a House floor vote on Thursday, May 21. Bell filed HB 4105, also known as “The Preservation and …

Clip recap: “Texas is setting itself up for a showdown with the Supreme Court. A bill to defy the court’s rulings died in the House last week, but anti-gay politicians could find a sneaky way to revive it. Meanwhile, the Attorney General of Texas refuses to say if he’ll obey the Supreme Court’s ruling in June.”

Texas Values head Jonathan Saenz (above left) is ever so pissed that major corporations have come out in favor of same-sex marriage. Don’t they know that people have moved to Texas because of its wonderful anti-gay laws?

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell’s bill to triple-super-extra ban same-sex marriage died tonight without a vote as the deadline passed without the bill coming up for a vote. The legislative session will continue until June 1st on other business, after which Gov. Greg Abbott could call them back for a special session. Major Texas-based corporations have denounced the bill, including …

As you can see, GOP Texas House reps are pulling every dirty trick they can think of in order to get that triple-super-extra ban on same-sex marriage up for a vote before tonight’s deadline. UPDATE: As noted above it could be hours before the marriage bill comes up, if at all. But right now GOP reps are pulling their bills …

Austin Statesman reporter Chuck Lindell is closely tracking #HB4105 and if there’s any movement on the bill before tonight’s deadline we’ll hear it from him first. You can be sure that anti-gay lawmakers in other states are watching Texas very closely.

Via the Austin Statesman: With the Texas House moving at a glacial pace, Democrats became increasingly confident Wednesday that they can run out the legislative clock, killing a bill designed to make it difficult, if not impossible, for same-sex Texans to wed — even if the U.S. Supreme Court rules otherwise. If Democrats can keep House Bill 4105 from receiving …

From the San Antonio Express-News: Texas’ resistance to civil rights is part of history. So, fortunately, is the state’s eventual embrace, with some noticeable lapses — exemplified most recently by voter ID and gerrymandering. The state is there again on the issue of gay marriage and gay rights generally. How about being on the right side of history this time? …

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell’s bill to triple-super-extra ban same-sex marriage will likely not be heard today. The Texas House has until midnight on Thursday to pass bills that originate in their chamber. The legislative session ends on June 1st.

Texas already bans same-sex marriage by statute and in its state constitution. Tomorrow the Texas House will vote on triple-extra-super banning it. House Bill 4105 would prohibit state or local tax money from being spent to “issue, enforce or recognize” a same-sex marriage. It also would ban any government employee in Texas from issuing a same-sex marriage license or recognizing …

Watch it live. Texas HB 3567: A religious organization, an organization supervised or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization, an individual employed by a religious organization while acting in the scope of that employment, or a clergy or minister may not be required to solemnize any marriage, provide services, accommodations, facilities, goods, or privileges for a purpose …

Via the Texas Tribune: A Texas House committee on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to prohibit same-sex marriages, even though the state already bans such unions. The measure is one of several proposals at the Texas Capitol targeting same-sex marriage and the first one that has cleared a legislative committee this session, according to the Texas Freedom Network, which …