Lt.Gov Sees Agenda Slowed, Watered Down In House

[#TexasPolitics365]

With less than two weeks left in the legislative session, the Texas House has started moving on some of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's more conservative priorities in the Senate, such as proposals targeting drag shows for children and college professor tenure.

But the lower chamber is putting its own tweaks on the bills, watering them down in some cases and leaving it unclear whether the powerful Patrick will go along — if the bills even make it out of the House. The situation is adding even more uncertainty to the home stretch of a regular session that has already been fraught with threats of overtime lawmaking.

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

[#TexasPolitics365]

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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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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Legislation Would Protect Children From Sexual Drag Shows

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Republican Texas Representative Bryan Slaton is working on a law that would prevent children from seeing drag shows, saying they are too sexually explicit for them.

Slaton defended himself against critics who said he and other lawmakers should be focused on gun control.

"Every day is the right day to protect children, whether it’s from violence, or it’s from sexualization, someone taking advantage of them. I mean, it’s always the right time to protect children,” Slaton said.

(Full story HERE.)

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