Staff Of Houston Dem State Rep Resigns; Alleges Abusive, Hostile Work Environment

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Three staff members of state Rep. Jolanda Jones have resigned, alleging the Houston Democrat created an “abusive and hostile” work environment.

Chief of staff Kory Haywood, legislative director Catherine Mouer and district director Yesenia Wences alleged in a letter to Jones obtained by The Texas Tribune that Jones tasked staff with work unrelated to state business, required them to regularly perform work outside of business hours and regularly threatened to fire employees.

(Full story HERE.)
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Texas House, Senate Bills Would "Rein in" DAs

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In what is an emerging theme at the Texas Capitol, key Republican leaders and lawmakers say they want to "rein-in" district attorneys in Texas who disregard state law.

State Representative David Cook, R-Mansfield, filed a bill in the House, HB 1350, and State Senator Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, filed an identical bill in the Senate.

Cook said, "This is a very straight forward bill."

(Full story HERE
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Rep. Jackson Lee Running For Mayor of Houston

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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) revealed on Sunday that she is running for mayor of Houston, entering an already crowded field in the Lone Star State, The Hill reports.

Jackson Lee — who has represented Texas’s 18th Congressional District since 1995 — made the announcement at City Cathedral Church in Houston.

(Full story HERE.)
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State Rep. Makes Waves For Refusing To Vote To Celebrate Ramadan

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A Texas Republican has sparked controversy by voting against a resolution celebrating Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, in the state legislature.

A total of six members of the House failed to vote for the motion, but only State Rep. Tony Tinderholt released a statement saying his "faith as a Christian" meant he could not support the motion.

In November 2022 Dr. Suleman Lalani and Salman Bhojani became the first Muslims to be elected to the Texas Legislature. Both men serve as Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives.

The fort Worth Star-Telegram's editorial board wrote that Tinderholt "smeared two faiths — including his own — with pathetic vote against Ramadan honor."

 His vote has also made news internationally. 

(Full story HERE.)
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Paxton Wants Injunction On Investigating Families Of Trans Minors Lifted

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In the state’s final brief to appeal a September injunction that halted the investigation into Texas parents of transgender children who seek gender changing treatments for them, Paxton argued that individual families must provide evidence of harm from the actions of the Department of Family and Protective Services.

(Full story HERE.)
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Texas House Bill Would Penalize Venues That Host Kiddie Drag Shows

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When is a man wearing a dress inherently sexual, and when is it frivolous fun? If you ask Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, about the time he wore a dress for a school theater project, it was just a joke. But when it comes to other men performing in dresses in bars, that’s sexual.

At least according to a law he’s proposing that would classify places that host drag shows as “sexually oriented businesses,” which comes with additional taxes and licensing restrictions.

House Bill 1266 was assigned to the House State Affairs Committee on Friday, two days after a video of Schatzline wearing a dress surfaced. The video shows the lawmaker frolicking in a black dress along with classmates during his school days.

(Full story HERE.)
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Texas Senate Debates Minor Gender Surgery Bans

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In a marathon hearing that lasted late into the evening, a Texas Senate committee debated several bills to ban medical procedures for allegedly transgender minors and penalize doctors who provide it.

Senate Bill 14, the first to be heard, would bar doctors from providing a number of treatments for gender dysphoria to those under 18, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical interventions, commonly referred to as “gender affirming care.” It would also require the state medical board to revoke the license of physicians who provide this care, and bar taxpayer money to entities or individuals that facilitate or provide these treatments to minors.

(Full story HERE.)
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Texas Senate Passes Murder Charges For Fentanyl Dealers

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The Texas Senate passed a "Combating Fentanyl" bill Wednesday that would open the door for state prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with murder.

Senate Bill 645, introduced by Sen. Joan Huffman, a Republican representing the Houston area, would change the classification of drug overdoses to "poisonings," according to the Texas Tribune.

(Full story HERE.)
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New Poll: 56% Of Republicans Say Trump Should Run Again

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February polling from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin found that 56 per cent of Republican voters surveyed in the poll believe Trump should run. Over 30 percent of Republicans say he should not run again. Two-thirds of independent voters oppose him running again.

Trump, with his campaign hailing Texas as “Trump Country,” was once a force of nature with the state’s GOP, though his political future in the state is shaping up to look much different in 2024 compared to his campaigns in 2016 and 2020.

GOP US Rep Chip Roy recently endorsed Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, whom he called “a man of conviction.” Gov. Greg Abbott also did not attend Trump’s campaign rally in October 2020, two days before early voting began.

(Full story HERE.)
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House Committee Approves Ban Of Paper Temporary License Plates

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The Texas House Transportation Committee unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that would eliminate paper temporary license plates in Texas.

The bill would require a switch to metal plates instead in an effort to stop widespread problems with fraudulent paper tags often sold illegally online.

A yearlong NBC 5 investigation exposed how criminals use fraudulent paper plates to evade police while smuggling drugs and even committing violent crimes.

In the wake of our reporting, lawmakers called for changes in the state’s temporary tag system. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles also made leadership changes and cracked down on small state-licensed car dealers involved in illegally selling real paper tags from the DMV’s online temporary tag system.

(Full story HERE.)
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Two Bills Regulate Cities' Ability To Legislate

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The Texas legislature is debating a pair of bills that would strip cities and counties of the right to set policy on a wide array of environmental, safety and discrimination issues.

These two state bills — House Bill 2127 and Senate Bill 814 — would bar municipalities from passing or enforcing local rules in several critical areas “unless explicitly authorized by statute.” 

(Full story HERE
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GOP Rep. introduces Bill Against Drag Shows With Children Present

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Texas state GOP Rep. Steve Toth filed House Bill 4378 on Thursday, March 9 that will allow anyone in Texas to sue people who perform in drag or host a drag performance where children are present.

The bill targets events like family-friendly brunch shows at restaurants or drag queen story time events at libraries or other family-oriented drag queen events. The bill says that people who sue a person or venue can be awarded $5,000 in damages. 

(Full story HERE.)
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State To Take Over Houston Schools

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The Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday that it's taking over the Houston Independent School District, a move that's been in the works since 2019.

According to TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, there will be no immediate changes, though Superintendent Millard House II and the current trustees of HISD's board will eventually be replaced by the TEA with an appointed Board of Managers.

(Full story HERE
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State Senators Unveil Property Tax Reduction Plan

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Texas Senate Republicans unveiled their plan to lower property taxes Tuesday, touting a $16.5 billion package they estimate will save the average homeowner nearly $800 on their tax bills for the next two years.

Senate Bill 3 raises the homestead exemption to $70,000. That exemption, the amount of your primary home’s value that is not taxed, is now $40,000. All 31 senators are joint authors of this proposal. SB 3 also triples the homestead exemptions for Texans who are disabled or over 65 to $30,000.

(Full story HERE.)
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Lawmakers Want Border Crossers Hit With Felonies

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Republican lawmakers in Texas are proposing legislation that would make it a state felony to cross the border from Mexico illegally and create a new border police force that could deputize private citizens, the latest in the state's continued push to test the limits of the federal government's authority over immigration.

(Full story HERE.)
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Challenger Releases TV Ad Against "RINO" Gonzales

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Roughly four months after the November midterms, Election Day 2024 is still pretty far off. But one Republican political hopeful is already brandishing her big guns and taking aim at the congressman in Texas’ 23rd District.

On Thursday, small business owner and “accomplished health industry leader” Julie Clark announced in a press release the unveiling of what her campaign is calling the district's first TV ad of next year’s election cycle.

Gonzales was recently censured by the Republican Party of Texas for his support for liberal gun control legislation and his vocal opposition to Republican border security plans.

(Full story HERE.)
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Texas Dept of Public Safety Warns Against Travel To Mexico

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The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is urging Texans to avoid traveling to Mexico during spring break, and beyond, due to the ongoing violence throughout that country.

“Drug cartel violence and other criminal activity represent a significant safety threat to anyone who crosses into Mexico right now,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “We have a duty to inform the public about safety, travel risks and threats. Based on the volatile nature of cartel activity and the violence we are seeing there; we are urging individuals to avoid travel to Mexico at this time.”

The United States government has also issued recent travel warnings to Mexico. Travelers are encouraged to view the latest warnings online. Additionally, U.S. citizens who do decide to travel to Mexico are urged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate prior to their departure.

(Full story HERE.)
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House Committee Unanimously Approves Pot Decriminalization Bill

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A Texas legislative panel has unanimously approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession.

The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee voted 9-0 on Tuesday to advance Rep. Joe Moody’s (D) legislation, which would remove the risk of arrest or jail time for low-level possession of cannabis and allow people to eventually erase cannabis issues from their criminal records.

(Full story HERE.)
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Bill Would Create Paid Maternity Leave For State Employees

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State employees have to use paid vacation time — or take unpaid time off — to be with their newborns.

Senate Bill 222 would give qualifying state employees 20 days of paid leave after giving birth to a child and 10 days if their spouse has a baby or if they have a baby through adoption or a surrogate.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Robert Nichols (R - Jacksonville) and has several Democrat co-sponsors.

(Full story HERE.)
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Diapers, Tampons Wouldn't Be Taxed Under Austin Democrat's Bill

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At Texas grocery stores, basic food products and several medications are not taxed. 

The sales tax exemptions would be expanded to include baby and menstrual products by a bill filed Thursday by state Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin).

The idea has begun to take hold in Europe. Last September, a 2020 law excepting diapers and menstrual products from taxes came into effect in Scotland.

(Full story HERE.)
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Gonzales Defiant After Censure For Liberal Votes

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The Texas Republican Party censured U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio this weekend for his party-splitting votes, and the two-term congressman has some words for the group.

In Spanish, Gonzales delivered his most forceful response to the censure yet via Twitter. Using Mexican slang, the congressman basically told the party to buzz off, and he called the vote "puro pedo" — total crap/bullshit.

(Full story HERE.)
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GOP Legislator Wants Referendum On Secession

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Republican Texas State Representative Bryan Slaton introduced a bill Monday to allow Texans to vote on whether the Lone Star State should secede from the United States. 

If the Texas Legislature passes the Texas Independence Referendum Act," or TEXIT, a referendum will be placed on the ballot during the 2024 general election.

"The Texas Constitution is clear that all political power resides in the people. After decades of continuous abuse of our rights and liberties by the federal government, it is time to let the people of Texas make their voices heard," Slaton said in a statement.

(Full story HERE.)
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Investor Central To Paxton Corruption Case Headed to Jail

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Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor who was central to allegations of illegal conduct by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has been found in contempt of court, fined more than $180,000 and ordered to serve jail time by a state judge in Travis County.

(Full story HERE.)
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Crosby ISD Adopts 4-Day School Week

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The Crosby Independent School District Board of Trustees approved moving to a four-day instructional week starting next school year, at their board meeting Monday night.

Crosby ISD, located in Harris County, is the largest district in Texas to make the decision and the first in the county.

The change will help recruit and retain both school teachers and bus drivers, says Crosby ISD Superintendent Paula Patterson.

(Full story HERE
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Rep. Gonzales Faces GOP Censure Over Left-leaning Votes

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U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, is digging in as he faces a potential censure by the Republican Party of Texas over his recent positions breaking with the party.

The party’s executive committee is set to hold a quarterly meeting Saturday, where it will consider a censure resolution that cites a few of the notable ways in which Gonzales has split from his party in recent months. Those include his very public repudiation of a border security proposal by his fellow Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, and his support of a bill defending same-sex marriage protections and a gun law that passed in response to the Uvalde school shooting in his district.

(Full story HERE.)
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