First Amendment Tuesday: Week 16

"and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,"
Ephesians 6:19

Fun times this morning.

Jim Graham (Texas Right to Life) (Partial):



Highlights:

• Just because we made concessions 15 years ago doesn't mean we'd make them today.

• SB 575 by Taylor on Senate floor today.
• Author's Note: This video was recorded around 9AM, the bill passed around noon.

• Bills have to be done by May 14th.

Mary Lynn Gerstenschlager (Texas Eagle Forum):

Highlights:

• Byron Cook playing much bigger shenanigans with witness registration than Stickland ever did.

• Troy Fraser left during American Laws for American Courts hearing.

• Judy Zaffirini gave Donna Campbell the pre-K bill to give it a "conservative" face.

• Don Huffines: "At what point do you want children to go into pre-K?!?"
• Proved liberals want to do this at birth.

Jonathan Saenz (Texas Values):

Highlights:

• Pastor Protection bill moving surprisingly quickly.
• "There will be no more changes to this bill."
• ACLU amendment language would have added another layer of bureaucratic B.S.

• "This bill is not about consensus."

• Senate could move on SB 2065 this week.

• No movement on bill to smackdown local "Non-discrimination" ordinances.

Texas Homeschool Coalition:



Highlights:

• College admission bill has been voted out of Senate.

• Tebow bill passed Senate Ed committee two weeks ago with bi-partisan support.

• Parental rights bill has the most hurdles to climb.

• Sticklan has bill to allow foster parents to homeschool.

Ann Hettinger (Concerned Women for America):

Highlights:

• ALAC only pertains to divorce and child custody.

Which Texas Senate Republicans are defending Travis County's DA?!?

"The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
1 Samuel 2:10

Update (3/31/2015): The Houston Chronicle reports that Eltife's colleagues have fingered him out while Seliger has confessed; Empower Texans has more here.

Hmm:

A Republican bill to transfer the Public Integrity Unit out of Travis County is snagged in the Senate, where the legislation does not have enough support to force a floor vote.

News that Senate Bill 10 has been blocked came in a Monday letter by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate and who has made moving the Public Integrity Unit out of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office a legislative priority.

....

Legislation must have support from 19 senators to allow a floor vote — a requirement that was lowered from 21 votes at the start of the session to let the body’s 20 Republicans move forward on GOP priorities. Watson’s letter indicates that at least two Republicans are not on board with SB 10.

[Author's Note: Emphasis Added.]

While the article never identifies the Republican holdouts, common sense guided by history (combined with the fact that Craig Estes and Troy Fraser voted for the bill in committee) leads one to conclude that Kevin Eltife and Kel Seliger are the likeliest suspects.

Senator Kevin Eltife: (512) 463-0101; @KevinEltife
Senator Kel Seliger: (512) 463-0131; @KSeliger