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Texas legislature further restricts women's reproductive rights

Texas Senate Bill 575 was voted out of the House’s State Affairs Committee late Saturday and put on track for a floor vote; and in exchange, Republican Rep. Jon Stickland  pulled down an amendment to a...

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Texas Anti Same Sex Marriage Legislation Dies

Just reported in the online version of the Austin American Statesman.Republican legislation seeking to create a permanent ban on gay marriage died Wednesday night without a vote in the Texas...

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Texas Legislature recesses until 2017

Thank the maker!  The Lege finished up its 140 day session today.   Their next session will be in 2017.   As bad as it was, it could have been a whole lot worse.More below

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A victory in Texas- small, but good

This from the Austin American-Statesman:The U.S. Supreme Court took no action Monday on a request that it review for a second time the race-conscious admissions program at the University of Texas. The...

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State of Texas wins against Sons of Confederacy in SCOTUS decision

Just read this over on SCOTUSBLOG.  US Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Texas' refusal to issue a license plate bearing the Confederate battle flag, rejecting a free-speech challenge.The 5-4 ruling...

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Spiderman makes it to SCOTUS

Just saw this on SCOTUSBLOG from a decision in Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment LLC on whether or not royalties must be paid after patent expiration.  It looks as if Justice Kagan, who wrote the...

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Texas counties issuing same-sex marriage licenses

Excellent interactive maps published Monday by the Dallas Morning News.Google "interactive maps: How Texas counties are handling same-sex marriage licenses"Basically, the paper had people on their...

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173 Texas counties now issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples

From Thursday morning's Austin American-Statesman:173 Texas counties (out of 254) now issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples.   According to a  spokesperson for Texas for Marriage (a gay-rights...

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Lubbock County, Texas to start issuing same sex marriage licenses on July 6

This comes from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (an ironic name for a newspaper in Lubbock, if I ever heard one. Lubbock=flat as pancake).The civil division chief of the Lubbock County District...

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5 more Texas counties issuing same sex marriage licenses

As of July 3, five more Texas counties are issuing same sex marriage licenses.  They are: Erath (pop 40000), Fannin (pop 34000), Grayson (pop 124000), Randall (pop 128000), and Wilson (pop 46000).  The...

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3 more Texas counties issuing same sex marriage licenses, July 6

From scanning local newspapers online it looks like three more Texas counties are issuing same sex marriage licenses as of Monday, July 6.  They are:  Dickens (pop 2200), Kerr (pop 50562), and Lubbock...

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Anderson Co., Texas finally issuing same sex marriage licenses

As reported in the Palestine (Texas) Herald-Press -  Anderson County, Texas is finally issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples.According to the county clerk's office, licenses  supposedly delayed...

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Update on Same Sex Marriage in Texas, July 16

This is an update on which Texas counties have recently begun to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples and some news from the state legislature regarding same sex marriage.According to the...

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Update on marriage equality in Texas, July 17

According to a news item in today's Dallas Voice, two counties in Texas are still not issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples.  These are Hartley County (pop 6000) located in the panhandle, and...

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When is someone's diary offensive enough to HR?

Serious question.  When is a diary or comment considered offensive enough or inflammatory enough to deserve being hide rated?There's some obvious ones (at least to me) - threats, racial slurs, ethnic...

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Just now: 5th Circuit Court throws out Texas Voter ID Law

Just reported.  US 5th Circuit Court threw out the racist Texas Voter ID Law.  Not much detail as it just happened.

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Texas will begin to allow same-sex couples to be listed as parents on birth...

Reported in this morning's Austin American Statesman and local TV.  State officials will allow same-sex couples to both be listed as parents on a child's birth certificate.  This decision came at the...

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Think good things about my cat

I know it's not important on the scale of things, but my old friend Ike needs major surgery next week.  He could use some good thoughts.  Thanks

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Jade Helm 15 ends - no takeover

Just in case you were wondering.  Jade Helm 15 ended on Tuesday.  Haven't seen any black helicopters, nor have seen any tanks coming out of the tunnels connecting abandoned Walmart Supercenters.  Guess...

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Bye-Bye until next September

Too many diaries slamming this and that Democratic candidate. Too many diaries mentioning weird stuff done by Republicans, but offering no solution. Too many diaries saying people from this or that...

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Houston HERO ordinance. What was it? What is it's history?

What is it:  The ordinance was intended to prohibit discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics in employment, services, housing and public accommodations.  This ordinance would have...

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Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Stupid) gives $2.7 million to pro-wrestling

Just when you think that our Governor - Greg Abbott (R-Stupid) can’t do anything more stupid than “monitoring”  Jade Helm and trying to keep Syrian refugees out of the state, he does it.He has agreed...

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Sylvester Turner defeats Bill King in close Houston mayoral runoff election

Sylvester Turner defeated Bill King in the closely contested Houston mayoral runoff election held on Saturday, December 12.  Although Houston mayor is a nonpartisan position, Sylvester Turner (a...

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I guess we were running low on crazy here in Texas

This was reported in today’s Texas Tribune:Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R-Major Jerk) today appointed former Florida U.S. Representative Allen West (R-Completely Nuts) to serve on the Texas Sunset...

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Help! Does anyone have any experience with a cat with limp paw due to radial...

Help! Does anyone have any experience with a cat that has had radial nerve damage to one of their limbs (left front leg in this case).  Poor old Ike got some sort of injury and he can’t walk properly...

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Our cat died yesterday

Ike, our sweet cat died yesterday.He was an abandoned cat that we took into our home back in summer 2013.No one is sure how old he was.  Our vet thinks he was 17 or 18 years old.He had two bad teeth...

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Thanks for the expressions of sympathy over our cat

Thanks for the expressions of sympathy and the condolences that you have given over the loss of our cat, Mr. Ike.  They help a lot.  

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Our governor (Greg Abbott) just called for an Article V Constitutional...

Delivering the keynote address at the “Texas Public Policy Forum” today, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R-Extremist) called for an Article V Constitutional Convention.In a 90 page screed, Abbott proposes...

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BFSkinner needs some help

In a diary posted  earlier today, BFSkinner said that his Social Security disability hearing has been delayed (for up to 60 days).We need the community to step up and help him out.You can make...

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton faces new investigation

Our dear Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-Indicted Felon) is now the target of a new investigation over a land sale in Collin County, Texas involving a limited partnership that included Paxton,...

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Poor Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-Indicted Felon)

More bad news for our Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-Indicted Felon).As you may or may not know, Paxton has been indicted on charges of first degree securities fraud and failing to register as an...

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Has anyone heard from bastrop lately?

Haven’t seen any diaries or comments made by bastrop lately.Has anybody heard from him?  Or, has he posted things, and I’ve just not seen them.Thanks.

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Central Texas - We're back in a drought. What happened to El Nino?

Talk about extremes!  Central Texas (including Austin — where I live) just had the wettest year on record with two feet more rainfall than average.  Much of the rain came in two flooding events: one...

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Texas Tribune/University of Texas presidential primary poll

Texas Tribune/University of Texas released a poll today.Clinton leads Sanders by 10 percent, but her lead has substantially decreased.  Some interesting details from the Texas Tribune/University of...

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Heavy voter turnout in Travis County, Texas (Austin)

 According to the Travis County county clerk’s office, voter turnout is looking like it will be greater than turnout in the 2008 primary.  Expected turnout in Travis County is predicted  to be...

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Primaries and caucuses through March 15 (both D and R)

I put these notes together for my reference over the next 10 days or so.  Information comes from various sites — including the DNC and the RNC webpages, as well as information garnered from pertinent...

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Livestream of President Obama's talk at SXSW

If you’re interested, the Texas Tribune will be live streaming President Obama’s talk at SXSW here in Austin.  It’s supposed to start anytime.  

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I want to find out best way to contribute to US House and Senate Democratic...

I’m in Texas.  In the past, in addition to giving to Democratic candidates running for state-wide positions and US House, Senate, and US President, I’ve given contributions to the national Democratic...

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Check your NOAA weather radio for reception!

Several of the NOAA weather stations here in Central Texas are down.  Accordingly, the weather radios that should give severe weather alerts and advisories, will not do so.  It is my understanding that...

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Kossack could use some help

streicher187 could use some help keeping his house. Looks like he's a couple hundred short.  Here's link to his gofundme pagewww.gofundme.com/...

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Supreme Court rules Texas HB2 restricting abortion access is unconstitutional

5-3 decision.  Decision read by Breyer.  Texas HB2 ruled unconstitutional.  Big victory for women’s reproductive rights. 

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Texas voter ID law violates Voting Rights Act

Texas Tribune reports ruled as violation of Voting Rights Act by US 5th Circuit Court and sent back to lower court.  

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I voted today in Texas

Today was the first day of early voting here in Texas.  My wife and I went and voted here in Travis County.  It was pretty busy, but virtually no wait.  Needless to say, we both voted for Hillary....

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How do we help our vulnerable brothers and sisters?

I am hurting so bad right now.  I’m sure that there are others like me.  The election results have shattered me.   I don’t know where we go from here. It’d be so helpful to have someone to talk to and...

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This man and his grandson had a REALLY bad day

You think you had a bad day?  Nothing compared to this man and his grandson, according to San Antonio, Texas television station KSAT.  While traveling on I-35 near San Antonio, their van blew a tire...

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Trump just pardoned Arpaio

Short diary.  Just heard on Chris Hayes.  Trump just pardoned Arpaio.  Well, so much for justice. 

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Houston Police Officer dies while on duty

Really sad story out of Houston.   It was just announced that Houston Police Sergeant Steve Perez,  who served the people of Houston for 34 years, died while on duty when his vehicle entered high water.  

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Monday, Feb. 5 is the last day to register to vote in Texas Primary Election

Fellow Texans,Today, Monday, February 5, is the last day to register to vote in the upcoming Texas Primary Election.  If you are already registered to vote, make sure you check with your county clerk’s...

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Elaina Fowler for Texas House District 47

Elaina Fowler is running in the Texas primary to be the Democratic candidate for Texas House District 47.  HD 47 lies to the west of Austin, in central Texas.Elaina is currently serving as State...

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Been a long time.

Been a long time since I’ve been here.  Nice to be back  

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