Federal Judge Blocks Texas’ Enforcement of the First Amendment

That’s how I read it anyway.

Federal Judge Blocks Texas Social Media Censorship Law, Abbott’s Office Slams Move As ‘Hostile’ To America’s Free Speech Foundation | The Daily Wire

On Wednesday, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against a Texas social media “censorship” law which would prevent Big Tech giants like Twitter and Facebook from blocking content or banning users based on political viewpoints.

In September, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB20 into law. “There is a dangerous movement by some social media companies to silence conservative ideas and values,” said Abbott at the time. “This is wrong and we will not allow it in Texas.”

Judge Robert Pitman for the Western District of Texas granted the preliminary injunction and said that Big Tech companies have a First Amendment right to moderate content on their platforms.

No, that’s not how the First Amendment works. You have it completely backwards. I have a First Amendment right to have my voice heard.

Actually, this is an interesting case. I hope it makes its way to SCOTUS. As far as I know, the Court has  not weighed in on freedom of speech and Social Media. I’d love to hear what they have to say.

It Is Now Illegal Even in Texas to Be an Engaged Parent

Texas School Board Sends Police To Arrest Parents At Their Homes For Speaking Out Against School Board During Meetings (lifezette.com)

At this point, it’s time to re-visit how school boards are organized and what kind of power they should have. School boards should be on the same side as parents, not considering them enemies to be arrested.

While parents were asking the school board to open up the room so public comments could be shared, school board president Amy Weir ordered officers to remove Clark from school grounds. While Clark was being removed from the property, he reportedly called the school board members communists and demanded that they should “let the public in.”

But this wasn’t the end of the controversy regarding Story and Clark – as they’d find themselves being visited by police days later and arrested. The Round Rock Independent School District has their very own police force, reportedly consisting of patrol units, school resource officers, a detective, and a K-9 unit.

The school district sent officers to Clark and Story’s homes and had them arrested under charges of disorderly conduct with intent to disrupt a meeting, where the two local fathers were jailed overnight and released the following day.

This is truly frightening. We have a police state with dedicated police run by school boards being used to intimidate concerned parents.

Big Businesses Come to Business Friendly Locations

And they bring small businesses with them.

Samsung To Build $17 Billion Chip Factory In Texas, Marking Largest Ever Foreign Investment Into The State | The Daily Wire

Samsung will build a $17 billion semiconductor factory in Taylor, Texas — marking the largest foreign direct investment in the state’s history.

The investment comes as a global computer chip shortage threatens American businesses, especially in the automobile industry.

This will make the state even redder, most likely. And will make it even harder to unseat Gregg Abbott (R-TX) as Governor.

Texas Rep Says ”We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore”

Biden Administration Targets Texas School District. Texas GOP Rep Strikes Back. | The Daily Wire

The Biden administration’s @usedgov has deemed it necessary to go after one of Texas' top school districts.

I am not going to sit back while this authoritarian administration conducts overreaching investigations in the shadows.

Read my letter to the Dept. of Education below⬇️ pic.twitter.com/RMxlqbUAFx

— Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (@RepBethVanDuyne) November 19, 2021

Two rules the Democrats should learn:

1. Never attack success
2. Never anger a woman from Texas

Both are unwise moves.

I’m Sure Garland and the DOJ Will Be On This Domestic Terrorism Threat Right Away

Somehow this seems far worse than parents shouting at a school board meeting, but what do I know?

WATCH: Texas Man Warns CRT Opponents He Has 1000 Soldiers ‘Locked And Loaded’ | The Daily Wire

A Far-Left activist in an FWISD Board meeting threatened parents all because they were criticizing CRT. The activist said that he would bring 1000 soldiers and that he will be "lock and loaded" next time. pic.twitter.com/VmqNaQQh10

— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) November 12, 2021

I expect a statement from the DOJ immediately.

Some parents said they took the incident as a threat.

“Absolutely, it made me feel threatened,” Hollie Plemmons, a mom of three, told Fox News over the weekend. “I’m scared and I’m afraid he’s going to do something.”

Plemmons was at the school board meeting and attempted to speak with Austin. Earlier in the evening, she herself had spoken at the meeting and had mentioned CRT.

After Austin promised to bring soldiers next time, Plemmons responded, “Locked and loaded? Did you just threaten me?”

“Locked and loaded,” he said again.

This is an actual threat of domestic terrorism. Yet, it hardly made the news. I think we all know why, so I’ll skip the rhetorical question.

Third Time...err...Lucky?

Beto O’Rourke Launches Bid For Texas Governor | The Daily Wire

Dems keep trying to turn Texas blue, but it seems more red right now than it has been in a while. And Abbott is loved. This seems like a waste. Still, they have to run somebody, I guess. At least they won’t have to spend a lot on getting his name and face known to the public.

Former Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke officially launched a run for Texas governor on Monday, announcing that he intends to “serve ALL of the people of Texas.”

“I am running for governor to serve ALL of the people of Texas,” he said in his announcement, according to The Hill. “I believe that the only way we are going to achieve great things for this state is by looking out for each other and moving forward together.”

O’Rourke will likely be running against incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott. He said that he wanted to combat the “fringe policies and incompetence that we see in Texas today.”

Hard to see many people other than diehard Democrats seeing “incompetence” in the Abbott administration. Texas is doing better than just about any other state.

I’m Sure He’s Glad to Have It

Trump endorsements lately have been like blessings from the Pope.

President Trump endorses Rep. Pfluger for reelection in Texas | One America News Network (oann.com)

President Trump has thrown his support behind Texas Rep. August Pfluger (R) for reelection in 2022.

“I’m honored to have his endorsement again, to keep fighting for what we need in District 11, exactly what he did; for our energy security, for agriculture, for a strong border security. Thank you Mr. President for fighting, not just for Texans, but for all Americans,” said Pfluger.

Pfluger is a conservative Republican representing Texas’ 11th Congressional District. A decorated veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Col. Pfluger logged more than 300 hours of combat against ISIS and served in the Pentagon and NATO command.

We Can Have BLM Protests, but Not Veteran’s Day Parades

COVID-19 rules torpedo Austin Veterans Day Parade – HotAir

The Austin Veterans Parade Foundation canceled the city’s parade honoring military veterans due to its inability to fulfill Austin’s COVID-19 rules. Last year the parade was canceled due to the pandemic. This year the hopes of reestablishing the 57-year tradition have been extinguished.

Governor Abbott blasted the city for COVID-19 rules on testing and social distancing requirements that he characterized as too “stringent.” The mayor is not commenting but the Austin Center for Events, which sets the permitting requirements for special events, said it “proactively” reached out over the summer to parade organizers. Organizers expect about 30,000 participants and attendees. The city rules include proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of entering an outdoor event in downtown Austin. According to the Austin Center for Events spokesperson, there is no requirement for proof of vaccination. The governor has banned local governments from requiring anyone get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Funny how these China Virus restrictions are selectively applied.

At First I Thought This Was the Babylon Bee

But no, it’s real.

Texas constructs border wall with shipping containers | One America News Network (oann.com)

In an interview on Thursday, Texas Rep. Troy Nehls (R) praised the undertaking, saying that Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) has found a resourceful way to curb the approaching caravan. He said they’re strategically placing the containers to channel migrants into areas where more police and Border Patrol agents are available.

“It’s a tool that the governor is using to try to help slow down, curb this invasion, this invasion that we’re seeing at our southern border,” said Nehls.

There is a total of 1,250 miles of border in Texas. Nehls said it’s a lot of area to cover, but Texas is doing the federal government’s job for them because they refuse to do it on their own.

I applaud Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) for doing this. I hope other states follow suit.

I’m of Two Minds on This

Governor Calls for Removal of ‘Pornographic Images’ From Texas Schools (dailysignal.com)

I believe we should be careful of what kinds of things we expose our children to and at what age.

However, book banning is a very slippery slope. Almost frictionless. And what you describe as “pornographic images”, maybe I describe as the artwork of Ruben.

Once again, I think I have to err on the side of freedom of expression and of speech.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said “pornographic images and substance” don’t belong in schools, according to a Monday letter he wrote to the Texas Association of School Boards.

Abbott warned about a growing number of parents who are increasingly alarmed by the books and other “extremely inappropriate” content found in the public school education system, but did not give any specific example in the letter addressed to Dan Troxell, executive director of the Texas Association of School Boards.

Yeah. I have a problem with this without specific examples. The recent case of having children write a sex scene is over the top, clearly. But where’s the line? This is tricky, and without absolutely clear guidelines, I don’t think I agree with Abbott on this one.

Another Ominous Sign For the Dems

Texas District, Roughly 75% Hispanic, Turns Red For GOP | The Daily Wire

If the GOP can become remotely competitive with Blacks and Hispanics, and can continue making inroads with the working class, the left will be in deep trouble.

On Tuesday night, in what might be a harbinger of things to come, the GOP turned a state House district that is roughly 75% Hispanic from blue to red, as GOP House candidate John Lujan won the seat in Texas’ 118^th House of Representatives district.

FLIP ALERT Republican @LujanForTX flipped Texas HD-118 from blue to RED!

South Texas is ready for new leaders who finally stand up to protect the citizens they serve. pic.twitter.com/RLVtd52hP3

— Republican State Leadership Committee (@RSLC) November 3, 2021

It’s all about the candidates, though. The GOP has had a lot of trouble recruiting good candidates lately. They have a great message to tell, but poor messengers. The Democrats often have the opposite problem.

I Think It’s ”Seller’s Remorse”, Not ”Buyer’s Remorse” Here

They sold their police and now they want to buy them back.

Buyer's Remorse—Re-fund the Police On Ballot in Austin – PJ Media

If it doesn’t win, it’s time to move out.

Actually, Austin is a terrible place to live, regardless. Why would you want to live in the one major liberal stronghold in such a conservative state?

A little over a year ago, Austin, TX was at the forefront of a group of liberal American cities that wanted to defund their police departments. As the story went in places like the Texas capital, criminals weren’t the problem, the police were.

After more than a year of watching violent crime rates go up, the voters of Austin will soon have a chance to re-fund the very police that they took money away from last year

City Journal:

It was a decision made in the dead of the night: on June 20, 2019, at 2 A.M., Austin’s city council legalized homeless camps and panhandling. A year later, in August 2020, the council voted to defund the city’s police budget by more than a third. These decisions sparked immediate consequences for public order—and eventually a fierce backlash from a not-so-silent majority that rejected the council’s progressive agenda on homelessness (though the effects of these policies linger in parts of the city).

This November, Austin voters will have another chance to vote in favor of restoring order. Pending the outcome of Proposition A, Austin could become one of the first major American cities to have its citizens vote to “refund” and restaff the police.

There’s one problem. and PJ Media nails it in the next paragraph.

The cities that threw law enforcement under the bus last year may not find it so easy to bring those cops back. Seattle is finding that out right now. Police officers who felt abandoned by those in charge aren’t eager to rush back in and find themselves in similar situations again.

After you throw someone under the bus, it’s hard to say, “hey, it turns out I really need you”. Well, no, i guess it’s easy to say that. It’s hard to get a response that doesn’t include a middle finger.

Good luck to Austin. My advice to residents: move out.

The Subheading Is Perfect: Real Women Appreciate This

Governor Abbott Signs Bill Banning Trans Girls From Female Sports (lifezette.com)

Texas Governor Abbott signed a bill into law on Monday banning transgender girls from competing in female sports at public schools. Several other states across the country have already signed similar laws. The law is set to go into effect on January 18, 2022.

Those who support the bill say that the purpose is to create fairness in school sports due to the inherent physical advantage that transgender women have when playing on female teams. Equal rights advocates say it is discrimination and hate-driven claiming that transgender women have no advantage despite the fact they were born as a male.

Allowing biological males to compete in female sports will destroy female sports. I understand the desires of transgenders to compete, and I admit that I don’t know how to help them. I do know that letting them compete against girls & women is the wrong answer. It will set women’s athletics back 50 years.

This Is Perfectly Constitutional

In fact, the Constitution makes it pretty clear that border control belongs to the states.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott makes good on border security threat, authorizes state National Guard to make arrests of illegal aliens in historic first (newstarget.com)

Earlier this fall, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, frustrated and angry at the Biden regime’s purposeful inaction on securing the border, stepped up and issued a threat: He will use his authority and empower his own personnel to start arresting illegal aliens in the absence of federal enforcement.

“By virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas, I hereby order that the Texas National Guard assist DPS in enforcing Texas law by arresting lawbreakers at the border,” Abbott’s letter to  Texas Adjutant General Major Gen. Tracy Norris said in July, when he first issued the order.

This is awesome. I am so sick of Republican Politicians who just bend over and take it from the Left. We have some GOP Governors and even Congress folks with some intestinal fortitude and spines. Maybe this bodes well for 2022 and 2024. I refuse to get my hopes up though.

Still, this is good news at least. Maybe the border situation will get a little bit better.

We Need to Start Making Examples of These People

Pharmacist Refuses To Fill Life Saving Medicine Prescription At Walgreens In Texas [VIDEO] (lifezette.com)

I’ll bet this has something to do with China virus treatments. I haven’t read the story yet. Let’s find out.

[A]pparently a San Antonio pharmacist believes he knows what’s best when it comes to COVID-19 when he refused to fill a customer’s order for ivermectin, which he had a prescription for.

The incident, which can be seen below, happened in a Walgreens in San Antonio, Texas. The customer politely tried to inform the pharmacist that he had a prescription, from a licensed doctor, yet the pharmacist, who is not a doctor, refused to fill it either way. Even when the man told the pharmacist that ivermectin was FDA approved, the guy argued with him.

It should be noted that ivermectin was first approved for treatment in humans by the FDA back in 1996. But apparently, the pharmacist missed that class.

Ding. I win.

Tar. And. Feathers.

He needs to be fired and forbidden from ever working in health care again for the rest of his life.

This kind of stuff can not be allowed to happen.

Sheila Jackson-Lee Is Evil, so This Would Be a Win for All

Texas poised to redistrict Jackson Lee or Green out of Congress | Power Line (powerlineblog.com)

Redistricting and gerrymandering happens every 2 years. Let’s try not to get too excited about it.

In fact, I commented on this just a few days ago.

Quite often, actually.

Life’s tough all over.

Pretty Soon All the Wealth and Power Will Be In the Red States

Tesla is moving its headquarters to Austin, Texas - The Verge

Musk had previously threatened to pull Tesla’s entire operations out of California in 2020, because of how vehemently he disagreed with the shelter-in-place orders the state used to help keep people safe early in the coronavirus pandemic. Tesla even sued the county that the company’s California factory is in as a form of protest.

Musk himself moved to Texas last year, as SpaceX dramatically increased its presence in the southern tip of the state. The Tesla CEO said at one point that he thought California had become too “complacent” with respect to its residents and businesses.

Blue states are increasingly unfriendly to businesses. And businesses are starting to say “enough!” This won’t be the last move like this that you’ll hear about.

Don’t believe me? Maybe this will help.

 

“Nobody Wants Your Racist Nonsense in Del Rio”

If only more people would say this sort of thing to the Reverend Al Sharpton.

VIDEO: Texans Shout Down Al Sharpton's Border Speech, 'We Don't Want Your Racism In Texas, Get Outta Here' - National File

“Kids are being sedated at the U.S. border, why are you not being a voice for the children, why are you stoking racism where it doesn’t exist?” protesters asked a visibly uncomfortable Sharpton, who repeatedly turned his head and craned his neck to look behind himself as the jeering continued.

“Why are you coming and trying to provoke violence? Why are you here advocating for violence? Why are you here advocating for violence? Del Rio is not a racist city, Del Rio is a loving, caring community,” one onlooker shouted. “We don’t want your racism in Texas, get outta here. Nobody wants your racist nonsense in Del Rio. You’re a racist, nobody wants you in Texas! Why are you not a voice for the children?”

Good questions. I suspect the answer is because the answers don’t fit the narrative he’s trying to push. Sharpton has always been a race-baiting huckster. It’s a sad commentary on society that he has achieved so much fame and power. He belongs on the dung heap of history.

We Could Only Be So Lucky

Awesome sauce. https://t.co/uQZqYc7Tng

— (((Jason Epstein))) (@Southfive) September 9, 2021

Please, We Definitely Need More of One Branch of Government Probing How Another Branch Goes About It's Daily Business

Senate panel to probe Supreme Court 'shadow docket' in Texas abortion case - UPI.com

The Democrats are mad because SCOTUS isn’t doing what they want anymore.

And when Democrats lose, it’s always because of foul play.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin announced Friday that the chamber's judiciary committee will hold a hearing to review the Supreme Court's decision to allow Texas' restrictive abortion ban to stand.

Durbin, who is chairman of the committee, accused the high court of abusing its so-called "shadow docket," a term used to describe expedited decisions made outside the regular docket and without oral arguments.

The Supreme Court voted 5-4 late Wednesday against an emergency application for relief filed by abortion providers in Texas who sought to halt Texas' new law.