Tag Archives: Texas

The attorneys general of fifteen states have filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in which they predictably argue that a ruling in favor of same-sex marriage will “irretrievably” destroy their right to self-government. From the brief:  The Constitution takes no sides on same-sex marriage, and therefore leaves the issue up to the free deliberations of state citizens. The …

“The ruling that the coalition fell 585 signatures short was a result of Judge Schaffer, who was supported in his election by the LGBT community, unfortunately accepting the constantly changing manipulations of the law by the City’s legal machine and Mayor’s team. We will not yield the safety and welfare, the voting rights and Constitutional freedoms of the citizens that …

Via the Houston Chronicle: Opponents of Houston’s non-discrimination ordinance failed to gather enough valid signatures to force a repeal referendum, a state district judge ruled Friday, validating city officials’ decision to toss out the petition foes submitted last summer. After separate rulings from both a jury and state District Judge Robert Schaffer, attorneys for both sides entered dueling counts of …

Via Raw Story: Testifying before a Texas House Committee over a bill that prohibits state or local funds from being used to issue a same-sex marriage licenses, an anti-gay activist compared gays to murderers and rapists who also, in his words, commit “immoral acts.” In audio recorded by the Texas Freedom Network, Dr. Steven Hotze, head of Conservative Republicans of …

Only three Texas school districts offer plus-one insurance benefits that are inclusive of same-sex partners and even asshat Gov. Greg Abbott said that was legal back when he was the state’s attorney general. But that isn’t stopping state Rep Drew Springer.  John Wright reports at the Texas Observer: Springer has introduced a budget amendment that would eliminate state funding for …

Clip recap: “Texas has won the right to have gays and lesbians fired for taking medical leave. The state’s also working on a sneaky work-around to stop marriage equality, just in case the Supreme Court overturns the state’s ban. And Alabama officials says that maybe gays and lesbians don’t want to get married after all.”

Last night a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against a recently-issued Labor Department policy that grants family medical leave benefits to married same-sex couples in states that forbid same-sex marriage. Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: In a 24-page decision, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, an appointee of George W. Bush, issued the preliminary injunction based on the …

Late last night a committee of the Texas House took public comments about  Rep Cecil Bell’s bill that would forbid county clerks from issuing any marriage licenses, putting that duty in the sole hands of the secretary of state. The bill further bans the issuing of same-sex marriage licenses by any state employee, no matter how the Supreme Court might …

The scheduled morning meeting never happened. The House State Affairs Committee is now meeting after adjournment of the full House. Watch it live here. You can see Rep. Cecil Bell above in his cowboy hat. The order of the bills is not known, so the marriage bill may not come up right away. NOTE: This is the original post from …

Via the Associated Press: A contentious debate is expected as a Texas House committee hears a bill barring state and local employees from licensing or recognizing same-sex marriages — even if the U.S. Supreme Court authorizes them. The “Preservation of Sovereignty and Marriage Act” by Magnolia Republican Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. will be heard Wednesday. It says no state or …

Texas Values is about to begin its anti-gay marriage hate rally in Austin where Judge Roy Moore and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are among the scheduled speakers. Lone Star Q is on the scene and live-tweeting. Hit the link and follow along. UPDATE: The Austin Statesman is also live-tweeting. UPDATE II: The opening prayer was delivered by Rick Scarborough, …

Also speaking will be Roy Moore.

“We fully support Texas Attorney General Paxton’s actions to ensure that both the U.S. Constitution and the Texas constitution are fully respected and upheld. The federal government’s effort to force state agencies to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages is just another example egregious abuse of power. We are appalled by the federal Department of Labor’s blatant disrespect for Texas voters and …

The Dallas Morning News reports: Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday over a proposal to extend family leave benefits to same-sex married couples. Under the proposed federal rule to take effect March 27, the definition of “spouse” would be revised to include gay partners who were married in a state that recognizes same-sex unions. …

From the hate group Texas Values: It’s time for Texans to rise up and take a stand for God’s truth about marriage! We must draw a line in the sand. Please make plans to attend the Defense of Texas Marriage Amendment Rally scheduled for Monday, March 23rd at 1:00 pm on the south steps of the Texas Capitol. Please encourage …

Via the San Antonio Express: Barely two months after a federal judge struck down Texas’ hair braiding regulations, a move to erase the unconstitutional statute already has bipartisan support. Not so for Texas’ anti-sodomy law, which remains on the books a dozen years after the U.S. Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. “Absolutely, there is a difference,” said Rep. James White, …

Clip recap: “Texas is pushing a proposed law that would let the state overrule the Supreme Court. There’s just one problem: they can’t actually do that. Alabama judges have decided that they don’t have to obey federal courts either, except that in reality, they do. And Oklahoma politician wants to switch from marriage licenses to marriage certificates, which would accomplish …

From the Facebook page the Texas Democratic Party: “A few weeks ago, several Republican lawmakers celebrated Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage by eating wedding cake. Today, we stopped by the offices of Dan Patrick, Donna Campbell and several other Texas lawmakers to remind them that the majority of Texans support the freedom to marry, and to drop off cakes of …

From the press release: “The purpose of this rally is to protect and preserve Biblical marriage. The Texas legislature and state legislatures around the country can stop the federal courts’ encroachment on states’ rights to determine the definition of marriage. Rep. Cecil Bell and Rep. Charles Perry have introduced legislation that would prohibit and state or local government employees from …