2023 Texas Lege

[Winehole23]

Why I'd probably say no on a referendum about vouchers. I don't mind religion - but I also don't want to subsidize it, which seems like the real intention here, the more I read and ponder.

Want a hand up to get your kid into a better school? Hell yes.

Want a hand out so your kid can learn about the Bible? Hell no.I'd be cool with including the Bible in curriculum as a work of literature and teaching kids Greek, Latin, Hebrew and modes of interpretation. The Bible without any doubt is a major, world historical literary narrative.

But if we did that, radical Republicans would probably start burning down schools.

[Winehole23]

What they're trying to do now is the administrative equivalent of burning them down, tbh

[Winehole23]

4th special session adjourns.

The Texas lege gave itself power to enforce international immigration and gave state LEOs power to demand proof of citizenship and deport anyone failing to satisfy them, without a hearing.

School vouchers lost again.

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[Winehole23]

unless a court stays enforcement of SB 4, Texas deporting legit US citizens is a matter of when, not if


Since March 2021, the government of the state of Texas, led by Governor Greg Abbott, has allocated $10 billion to “Operation Lone Star,” which Abbott calls a “border security” initiative designed to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants into the state. The money has had no discernible effect on immigration, undocumented or otherwise, and has mainly been used in the service of human rights violations, such as turning the Rio Grande into a moat (https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/merrick-garland-is-letting-texas-get-away-with-sadism/) designed to maim people seeking to migrate to this country.

Texas voters, a majority of them anyway, seem to be cool with this gigantic waste of taxpayer funds. The public support for this ongoing boondoggle only really makes sense in the context of racism. I don’t mean that flippantly. You can’t spend $10 billion on something that doesn’t work and experience no public outcry, political consequences, or epic memes dunking on the effort unless the point of the wasted money was to harass ethnic minorities. If you spend $10 billion on a monorail that goes nowhere, citizens notice and try to vote the politicians who approved it out of office. But if you spend the money to stop immigrants, and all you end up with is a few drowned minorities and generalized racial harassment, apparently the public claps along and asks for more.


And so, Texas and Abbott are giving their morally stunted voters more of what they want: racism. This time, the wished-for racism and harassment is in the form of new legislation Abbott signed into law this week (https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/18/texas-governor-abbott-bills-border-wall-illegal-entry-crime-sb3-sb4/). Senate Bill 4 (SB 4) makes undocumented immigration a state crime in Texas and authorizes state troopers and cops to arrest undocumented immigrants. How can they tell if a person is an “illegal immigrant” versus just a brown person walking down the street in Dallas? That’s the fun part (for racists): they can’t. SB 4 lets the police round up anybody they “suspect” of being an undocumented immigrant, then it’s up to the undocumented immigrant (or documented immigrant or random brown person the cops hauled off the street) to prove to a judge that they are in-status.

As troubling, the Texas law doesn’t treat asylum-seekers as “legal” residents, thus making them eligible for arrest under its new racial profiling regime. That is a violation of international human rights standards, but I guess there are scores of American politicians who would be brought up on charges in The Hague if INTERPOL ever decided to hold American rulers to the same standards it holds the ruling junta of any non-European nation that lacks nuclear weapons.
Once arrested, if the brown person in question can’t prove their status to the satisfaction of a random local judge, they can “voluntarily” agree to be deported to Mexico, or they can be jailed for six months. Repeat offenders can be charged with a felony and sentenced to anywhere between two and 20 years in prison. What if the person is not from Mexico, or is not Mexican? That’s also the fun part (for racists): It doesn’t matter. People who cannot prove their legal status will be jailed or deported back to Mexico, whether they’re Mexican or not.
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/texas-sb4-immigration-law-unconstitutional/

[Winehole23]

Abbott held public schools hostag (https://x.com/zachdespart/status/1738222902229757976?s=20)e to the lofty public aim of subsidizing private education for rich folks.

1738222902229757976

[Thread]

Abbott held public schools hostag (https://x.com/zachdespart/status/1738222902229757976?s=20)e to the lofty public aim of subsidizing private education for rich folks.

1738222902229757976

Hello, he's in a wheelchair, don't you know, fart -face.

[Winehole23]

So 2009.

Nutty then, nutty now.

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[Winehole23]

How is the Sharia law scare progressing today?

:lol

[Winehole23]

Paxton isn't contesting the facts of the whistleblower lawsuit. Those same facts were part of the basis for impeaching him. The Texas Lege covered his ass.

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[Winehole23]

Springer voted to acquit Paxton, fwiw.

[scott]

Convenient for Springer to grow a pair now that he's retiring. I met the Senator when he was a freshman house member, one of the few members who would show up to our mixers thrown for staffers to get a buzz on after a long day at their shitty, underpaid jobs :lol

[Winehole23]

Paxton continues to lose

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[Winehole23]

school vouchers for rich folks are already blowing up the Arizona state budget

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[Thread]

school vouchers for rich folks are already blowing up the Arizona state budget

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As your side is won't to say, Winestein..."Whatever it takes."

[Winehole23]

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[Winehole23]

4th special session adjourns.

The Texas lege gave itself power to enforce international immigration and gave state LEOs power to demand proof of citizenship and deport anyone failing to satisfy them, without a hearing.

School vouchers lost again.

1732093954181533864I thought this was an ok summation. No one else even tried.

Local politics isn't even local. It mostly isn't noticed, I think.

[Winehole23]

Establishing and maintaining a system of robust, universal public education in Texas is also a constitutional requirement going back to the 19th century.

But that doesn't count for much for today's radical Republicans.

[Winehole23]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F9r_1dlWEAAa9fj?format=jpg&name=large

[Winehole23]

Still relevant


Deputizes peace officers to deport people.

What could go wrong?

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=883&Bill=HB4

[Winehole23]

Texas has been controlled by a Republican trifecta for about thirty years, but Republicans are still blaming Democrats for bad government.

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[Ef-man]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F9r_1dlWEAAa9fj?format=jpg&name=large

This will devastate Texas college (NFL too) football as these rural areas are the biggest source of 300-400 pound defensive/offensive linemen and most private schools do not have football programs.

[Thread]

This will devastate Texas college (NFL too) football as these rural areas are the biggest source of 300-400 pound defensive/offensive linemen and most private schools do not have football programs.

After over a 100 years of stealing this talent the NFL will have to pay these men with real money vs. room, board and goody bags.

[Winehole23]

Wrecking public schools is an already out there Republican preference in North Texas.


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[Thread]

Wrecking public schools is an already out there Republican preference in North Texas.


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Yes, and they should be destroyed, by hook, or, by crook. You know, Winestein, "whatever it takes." tee, hee.

[SnakeBoy]

Rural Republicans not budging (https://x.com/TexasTribune/status/1725566230503809048?s=20)

1725566230503809048


Gov. Abbott Declares Victory for School Choice Following Electoral Gains
Abbott, Club for Growth, and AFC have announced that there are now enough votes for school choice to pass in the Texas House.
https://texasscorecard.com/state/gov-abbott-declares-victory-for-school-choice-following-electoral-gains/

[Winehole23]

Gov. Abbott Declares Victory for School Choice Following Electoral Gains
Abbott, Club for Growth, and AFC have announced that there are now enough votes for school choice to pass in the Texas House.
https://texasscorecard.com/state/gov-abbott-declares-victory-for-school-choice-following-electoral-gains/Yep

There's a good chance Abbott will bust the bank with free money given to folks who can already afford to send their kids to private school. Private schools are already raising tuition for everyone else, and private schools aren't required to accommodate .everyone.

[Winehole23]

That's what happened in AZ

[Thread]

Yep

There's a good chance Abbott will bust the bank with free money given to folks who can already afford to send their kids to private school. Private schools are already raising tuition for everyone else, and private schools aren't required to accommodate .everyone.


That's what happened in AZ

You ain't turnin' Texas, fart-face.

[Winehole23]

wrecking public schools,while recruiting political donors and future education privatizers with public money, what a trip!

according to scuttlebutt, Dan Patrick will insist that school vouchers be the first order of business, and that no other business will be conducted until the lege passes a voucher bill.

1799242010345586996

[Winehole23]

Basically, holding the whole state government hostage until it does what he wants.

[Thread]

You ain't turnin' Texas, fart-face.


Basically, holding the whole state government hostage until it does what he wants.

[Winehole23]

like the crackling of thorns under a pot

[Thread]

like the crackling of thorns under a pot

Moo, moo, buck-a-roo.

[Winehole23]

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[Thread]

1799167063686033720

Thank Christ.

[Winehole23]

1800505256549265490

[Winehole23]

Plank 203 of the Texas GOP's official legislative platform, under the title of "Texas Independence," states: "The Texas Legislature should pass a bill in its next session requiring a referendum in the next General Election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation. This referendum should be a legislative priority."

Separately under the "state sovereignty," section Plank 20 called for "federally mandated legislation that infringes upon the 10th Amendment rights of Texas shall be ignored, opposed, refused, and nullified" adding: "Texas retains the right to secede from the United States."

[ChumpDumper]

"Texas retains the right to secede from the United States."

I mean the SCOTUS case that shat on this idea was called Texas v. White.

[Thread]

"Texas retains the right to secede from the United States."

I mean the SCOTUS case that shat on this idea was called Texas v. White.

You ain't obeyed a SC dictate in a coon's age, Dumper.

+ you ain't turnin' Texas.

[Winehole23]

"Texas retains the right to secede from the United States."

I mean the SCOTUS case that shat on this idea was called Texas v. White.sure, it's just another sign that the crazies are running the Texas GOP

[Thread]

sure, it's just another sign that the crazies are running the Texas GOP

...& you ain't a turnin' it.

[SnakeBoy]

Yep

There's a good chance Abbott will bust the bank with free money given to folks who can already afford to send their kids to private school. Private schools are already raising tuition for everyone else, and private schools aren't required to accommodate .everyone.

So much for your theory that rural voters don't want school choice. They gave the RINOs the boot.

[Thread]

So much for your theory that rural voters don't want school choice. They gave the RINOs the boot.

Tell it, Snake.

Testify!!!

[Winehole23]

So much for your theory that rural voters don't want school choice. They gave the RINOs the boot.That's an exaggeration, a lot of rural communities will get screwed against their expressed will. And it underscores my more recent point that crazies are taking over the GOP.

[Winehole23]

Handouts to greedy rich people

1803198600068903274

[Thread]

That's an exaggeration, a lot of rural communities will get screwed against their expressed will. And it underscores my more recent point that crazies are taking over the GOP.

[Public School] had there chance(s), Winester, and categorically refused to reform and obey the wishes and dictates of the parents of the children.

Their regrets are their own.

I've no sympathy for them.

[Thread]

Handouts to greedy rich people

1803198600068903274

I got nary problem with it. If you can get a handout/any handout>>>grab it both hands. And don't feel a bit regretful. We're handing it to millions of Nazi's in Ukraine for their health-care///FULL RIDE. So, we must have $ comin' out the wazoo.

[Winehole23]

Florida-based, but the political scene rhymes in Texas


One of the people leading the charge to attempt to convert Newberry public schools into charter schools (https://www.wcjb.com/2024/04/17/ballots-counted-newberry-public-to-charter-school-conversion-proposal/) was arrested for inappropriate contact with a child. According to the arrest report, he solicited sex from an underage boy on Snapchat.Joel Searby, 43, was booked into the Alachua County Jail on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior, communication to lure a minor, communication to travel to meet a minor, and using a communication device to commit a felony.


The arrest report from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office transcribes a conversation that started on Wednesday between Searby and the victim on the messaging app Snapchat. In the message chain, Searby asked the 15-year-old if he has ever had a crush on an older man and then describes a sexual encounter he had as a teen with an adult man.


Searby sent the boy multiple photos of himself with his face obscured, including a photo of his hand in his pants. He then invited the boy to visit his home the next morning, secretly.




He suggested the victim should sneak out and go to Searby’s guest house. He would send the boy a text asking him to go over to help with yard work as an excuse for his parents.

link (https://www.wcjb.com/2024/06/20/report-newberry-education-first-board-member-solicits-sex-teen-boy-snapchat/)

[Thread]

Florida-based, but the political scene rhymes in Texas

link (https://www.wcjb.com/2024/06/20/report-newberry-education-first-board-member-solicits-sex-teen-boy-snapchat/)

You ain't turnin' either one, son.

[Winehole23]

The lege defunding schools is stupid and makes things more expensive for regular people.

1813959498307964988https://x.com/HKronberg/status/1813959498307964988

[Winehole23]

1831710162597413134

https://x.com/tplohetski/status/1831710162597413134