Tag Archives: Greg Abbott

The Houston Chronicle reports: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gave evacuation advice Friday afternoon that conflicts with the advice of Houston area elected officials and emergency management experts ahead of Hurricane Harvey. “Even if an evacuation order has not been issued by your local official, if you are in areas by Corpus Christi and Houston … you need to strongly consider …

NBC News reports: A Texas “bathroom bill” targeting transgender people died again late Tuesday along with many of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s summer demands as an already bruising legislative session was derailed by Republican backbiting that could preview an even nastier 2018 primary season. It is the second time that North Carolina-style bathroom restrictions have failed to pass in Texas, …

The Texas Tribune reports: Despite it serving, in part, as the reason lawmakers are back in Austin for legislative overtime, the Texas Legislature could very well gavel out next week without passing a “bathroom bill.” And it’s unlikely that will change in the coming days. “I’d say the chances are definitely getting smaller,” Republican state Rep. Ron Simmons of Carrollton, …

The Texas Tribune reports: As part of Republican efforts to revive the controversial “bathroom bill,” the Texas Senate on Tuesday gave initial approval to another version of the legislation. The 21-10 vote — identical to the Senate’s March vote on a similar proposal — came after several amendments to the bill on the floor throughout an eight-hour debate during which …

The Dallas Voice reports: Dallas businessman Jeffery Payne on Friday, July 14, announced that he is running for governor of Texas, challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who he characterizes as a “disaster for Texans” and a governor who “offers nothing in the way of new ideas.” “Texas needs a governor who believes in real Texas values, like integrity, honesty, freedom …

The Associated Press reports: A transgender Texan has posted an all-smiles photo with Gov. Greg Abbott to protest a “bathroom bill” that state lawmakers will again consider during a special legislative session beginning Tuesday. Ashley Smith posed with Abbott after he announced his re-election campaign Friday in San Antonio. She later identified herself in the photo as “trans-woman” and posted …

The Dallas Morning News reports: IBM is upping the ante in its fight against Texas’ so-called “bathroom bill,” dispatching top executives to Austin and waging an ad war against what it calls the “discriminatory legislation.” Before state lawmakers reconvene Tuesday for a special legislative session, the technology giant is taking out full-page advertisements in The Dallas Morning News, San Antonio …

The Austin Statesman reports: A unanimous Texas Supreme Court concluded Friday that there is no inherent right to government-provided spousal benefits in same-sex marriages. The 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established the right to same-sex marriage did not decide all marriage-related matters, leaving room for state courts to explore the decision’s “reach and ramifications,” the Texas court said. Supporters …

The Texas Tribune reports: The “bathroom bill” that preoccupied the Texas Legislature for the first half of the year is important to only 44 percent of the state’s voters — and “very important” to only 26 percent, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. During the regular session, lawmakers considered but did not pass legislation that would regulate …

Reuters reports: The Texas governor signed a law on Thursday to protect the religious rights of faith-based groups in state child welfare programs, but critics said it could be used to discriminate against LGBT and non-Christian families in adoptions. Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3859 which allows faith-based groups working with the Texas child welfare system to deny …

The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday called a special session of the Texas Legislature starting July 18. Abbott asked lawmakers to first pass key legislation that would keep some state agencies from shuttering. That “will be the only legislation on the special session [call] until they pass out of the Senate in full,” Abbott said. Abbott laid …

Yesterday the Texas House devolved into literal shoving matches and death threats on the final day of the legislative session. The Texas Tribune reports on what might come next: While both chambers successfully passed a two-year $217 blllion budget — the only item the Legislature is required to pass — other controversial items, such as a “bathroom bill” to regulate …

The Dallas Morning News reports: The CEOs of 14 top companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, have sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott urging him not to pass discriminatory legislation. “As large employers in the state, we are gravely concerned that any such legislation would deeply tarnish Texas’ reputation as open and friendly to businesses and families,” the …

The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday signed a bill into law significantly reducing the cost to get a license to carry a handgun, making Texas one of the states with the lowest fee in the nation. “The right to bear arms is something that is synonymous with the state of Texas. We are proud to expand the …

The Texas Tribune reports: A proposal to gut cities and school districts’ trans-inclusive bathroom policies did not advance in the House ahead of a crucial deadline, nixing the measure’s chances of getting a vote by the full chamber. But that doesn’t mean that the issue itself is dead. Up against bill-killing deadlines, the House State Affairs Committee on Monday did …

The Texas Tribune reports: The Texas Senate on Wednesday voted 20-11 to accept the House’s version of Senate bill 4, legislation that would ban “sanctuary” jurisdictions in Texas and allow police to inquire about the immigration status of people they lawfully detain. The bill now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott, who declared the legislation an “emergency item” in the early …

The Austin Statesman reports: The Texas voter ID law was enacted in 2011 with the intent to discriminate against minority voters, a federal judge ruled Monday. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos followed a July decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said the law had a disproportionate impact on minority voters because they …

The Austin Statesman reports: Hundreds of people have signed up to protest outside the Texas governor’s mansion on Thursday against bills that they say threaten the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Their resistance of choice? Dancing. The mansion is “a Greek revival building and is the oldest continuously occupied home in Austin,” said Jeremy von Stilb, an …

Sports Illustrated reports: Texas governor Greg Abbott mocked the NFL’s “decision makers” on Twitter after the league issued veiled criticism of a proposed “bathroom bill” in the state. Abbott’s tweet came after a league spokesman told the AP that prejudicial legislation could be a factor when the NFL chooses where to host events like the Super Bowl. “If a proposal …

The Austin Statesman reports: Ratcheting up pressure on the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court, Gov. Greg Abbott and other leading GOP officials Friday urged the court to revive a lawsuit that seeks to abolish employee benefits the city of Houston provides to married same-sex couples. The case has become a rallying point for the state’s social conservatives, with the stakes growing …