Be gay, do crime
Or do crime, run for Senate.
A bit scatterbrained today, what with everything falling apart. I realize as I get further into the session, I’m pretty underwater with what I can consume. There’s just SO MUCH happening, so many hearings, and it’s hard to tell what it all really means right now. Are we really going to ban THC? Hell if I know! Are we really going to pass this shitty school voucher bill? No idea! Are we really going to round up all trans people and deadname them in a public square on every third Thursday of the month? Could happen!
I dropped in to the House Criminal Jurisprudence hearing today on Rep. Venton Jones’ HB 1738, which would remove “homosexual conduct is a criminal offense” from the Texas Penal Code. It is an unenforceable part of the code, thanks to the Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court decision in 2003. Over many sessions, legislators have tried to remove it from the penal code.
If it’s a bill about anything gay, Jonathan Covey from Texas Values is THERE.
When I hear stuff like this, I really wonder about the people who are like “we have to reach across the aisle!” If one side has decided that you’re a criminal for living, there’s nothing that can be done in that aisle but punch.
Only hearing on my watchlist for tomorrow is:
8 a.m. Wednesday Natural Resources
HB 2068 Paul | et al.
Relating to the governance and territory of the Harris County Flood Control District. — Local Republican reps want the state to run the HCFCD, just like the want to run every other function of the city of Houston and Harris County, because we’re godless heathens who don’t deserve nice things (flood control.) I have strong opinions on this, we’ll talk about it later.
In campaign news, the most corrupt Republican ever to do it, Ken Paxton, is running to replace five jars of mayonnaise in a trench coat, Senator John Cornyn. Paxton is already polling better than Cornyn, for reasons that probably have nothing to do with reason.
He tweeted “It's official. I’m running for U.S. Senate to fight for President Trump’s agenda and take a sledgehammer to the D.C. establishment.”
*loud sigh* Please, can we get a decent Dem to run against this garbage?
In slightly better news (or bitter news, because there’s no reason for 800,000 Houstonians to lack representation in the U.S. House for nearly a year), Gov. Abbott set the special election date for Sylvester Turner’s House seat. It won’t be until November. But those of us at Bayou City Sludge (me, it’s just me) are excited that Christian Menefee is running and will surely win this seat.
Three. Good. Things.
Oof, this is going to be a challenge today.
- Foster dog Papa is jumping and running after a week of appearing near death. He is so adorable.
- I was able to cry last night. It only took unexpectedly coming across something I wrote back in college to my estranged extended family.
- Everything you can touch is blooming.
