As the Texas Legislature prepares to gavel out at the close of the 2015 session, we’re preparing a summary of what happened at the Capitol. So while we pull that together, here is the end-of-session press release we just sent out:
Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller issued the following statements on the end of the 2015 session of the Texas Legislature today:
On the effect of tea party extremists on the Legislature:
“This session highlighted how tea party ideologues have slowed progress and skewed legislative priorities with scorched-earth tactics and extreme, uncompromising demands. Lawmakers wasted a lot of time on issues like guns, abortion and discriminating against gay and transgender Texans. Meanwhile, they failed to address truly serious problems that concern most Texas families, like underfunded public schools, lack of access to health care and the millions of dollars that anonymous special interests spend to influence our elections. That’s what happens when you try to please extremists who threaten and stomp their feet when they don’t get their way.Tea party temper tantrums shouldn’t dictate legislative priorities. But they will until more Texans turn out at the polls and stop letting an extreme, vocal minority define what true Texas values are.”
On Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s failure to pass private school vouchers:
“The only thing that equals Lt. Gov. Patrick’s disdain for public education is his continued failure to enact a voucher scheme that forces taxpayers to subsidize private and religious schools. He failed again this year because House members realize that most Texans want their tax dollars to fund neighborhood public schools, not private schools. It’s astonishing that this is such a hard lesson for the lieutenant governor to learn.”On the failure of anti-LGBT legislation:
“It’s frustrating that some lawmakers wasted so much time and energy pushing a ‘culture war’ agenda that would do nothing to fund our schools, repair crumbling bridges and roads or keep our economy strong. The passage of these bills would have been a big step backward for Texas at a time when a large and growing majority of Americans oppose discrimination against the LGBT community and support the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples. But we’re grateful that broad-based opposition from business, faith leaders and grassroots activists from across the state stopped that from happening.”
8 Comments
Vote. Them. Out.
Then your side is slave to George Soros and he wants to go back to the Red Revolution and Sodom and Gomorrah. Every person in the US has the same constitutional rights but some want to extend and have extra rights.
Who?
George Soros and he has rampaged against George Bush and others. Said he would give up his fortune as long as Bush was not re-elcted. Spends millions on progressive policies.
No, I know who Soros is. Who wants to have extra rights? And what rights are those?
Hi Dan,
It appears each side wants to somehow have extra rights. The right wing wants the right to discriminate but the left wants to insist on services. My belief is that those wanting to discriminate are going to cut their own throats.
It appears that we are playing the Sneeches game. “the star bellied sneeches had bellys with stars….
As a Christian I try to live by Paul’s words in ROmans 12 ‘as much as life in you be at peace with ALL men”.
I prefer to call the Tea Party really is: They are the TEAliban. They’re almost exactly what the Taliban is in that they want to go back a few centuries and give the finger to the 21st century.
A representative from Florida calls us the crazy state. Our representative had not intelligent comeback.
As a 41 year Texan, I am so ashamed of our legislators who are still hunting witches. What they do not understand is that they are slaves to the Koch brothers who started the TP.
If I had the money, I’d leave this idiotic state. I’m glad that saner minds overrode the TEAliban.
Not all the Tea Party agrees with what Dan Patrick is doing. The Tea Party is more concerned with fiscal responsibility than gay rights and other social issues.
I don’t like the voucher system. It only punishes districts that need the help the most. And not only the district the students as well. Besides, I don’t think Patrick understands that vouchers won’t guarantee a child into a private school. Some can be rather snobbish and self-righteous. Some will spurn and castigate LGBT students, students of a different religious persuasion and students who may not come from a certain economic background.
As a Christian I am troubled by the smugness of some of my fellow believers and hope they come to understand that but for the Grace of God.
To me all students are of value and need the attention of caring teachers who can help them succeed.