Click below to see the results on a recent random poll we conducted from all registered voters in Senate District 7.
Last summer a U.S. district court in Austin placed an injunction on the Sonogram Bill. Claiming that our bill was vague and unconstitutional, Judge Sam Sparks enjoined the bill from taking effect. Attorney General Abbott quickly appealed this order to the Fifth Circuit. This morning the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the district court injunction in a strongly worded order:
“Appellees failed to demonstrate constitutional flaws in H.B. 15. Accordingly, they cannot prove a substantial likelihood of success on each of their First Amendment and vagueness claims. This is fatal to their application for a preliminary injunction. Accordingly, we VACATE the district court’s preliminary injunction, REMAND for further proceedings consistent with this opinion, and any further appeals in this matter will be heard by this panel.”
Since I was first elected in 2007, I have tried to pass the Sonogram Bill, and I am very glad to see it finally take effect. If only one out of five women see the sonogram of their unborn child and decide against having an abortion, we could save more than 10,000 children!
I have always believed that our bill was constitutional, and in writing the Sonogram Bill I had three goals: 1. protect a woman’s right to know; 2. protect the unborn; and 3. protect the United States Constitution. I am extremely pleased that the Fifth Circuit felt that our legislation accomplished those things.
Please join me in praying for a positive outcome as the case returns to Judge Sparks’ District Court for trial.
View the official press release here.
This is a GREAT DAY. As I’ve said from the beginning, I believed our Sonogram Bill was constitutional and that the lower court decision to stay the bill would be overturned by the 5th Circuit. IT WAS OVERTURNED THIS MORNING, meaning the law is now in full force. Lives will be saved today!! Praise God. Not only did the 5th Circuit overturn Judge Sparks stay, they said if his court now rules against the bill it will come back to these same three Judges. Here is part of the Court’s comment: “Appellees failed to demonstrate constitutional flaws in H.B. 15. Accordingly, they cannot prove a substantial likelihood of success on each of their First Amendment and vagueness claims. This is fatal to their application for a preliminary injunction. Accordingly, we VACATE the district court’s preliminary injunction, REMAND for further proceedings consistent with this opinion, and any further appeals in this matter will be heard by this panel.”
Please support our 100% disabled veterans and their families by allowing their property tax exemption to remain upon their passing, unless the spouse remarries. The spouses of our disabled veterans have sacrificed much for their loved ones in support of our country.
Click below to see the video about my support for Proposition 1:
Support Proposition 1 for our Disabled Vets and Their Families
This past Saturday I traveled to Austin to make my case to the SREC (the State Republican Executive Committee made up of citizens) that the Senate Republican Caucus should make the decision on who the next Lt. Governor and Governor are if there is a vacancy after the November 2012 election.
A local newspaper misreported what I said in a speech this week. To the credit of the reporter she apologized for the mistake to me and corrected the story. However, various bloggers, including Paul Burka of Texas Monthly, refused to reprint her corrected story. Sadly, we live in a world where anyone can say anything on the internet even if wrong. What is worse is when given the real facts they still refuse to correct their posts.
The headline says it all. What happens if both Perry and Dewhurst win in November 2012 and we have both the Lt Governor and Governor positions vacated at the same time? I have been talking about this possibility for over a year on the radio and to various groups.
Last August, I alerted my fellow Republican Senators of this possibility. Few people have focused on it as I have because most didn’t think Perry would run for President, and if he did, that he would have a high probability of winning. I have always believed he would run and that he has an excellent chance to be the nominee and become President. Therefore I have been thinking about what would happen if both move on in 2012, two years before their terms expire in 2014. Continue reading →
Because this is my legislative summary of a very long session and special session, this is longer than usual. I wanted it to be thorough, and I hope you will take a few minutes to read it at your leisure. If you have any questions concerning any of these issues please feel free to contact our Senate office by e-mail, letter, or phone. Read on to get the full story…
82nd Legislative Session Review
Around 6 p.m. on Monday evening, Governor Perry added the issue regarding intrusive TSA airport pat downs to the special session. I want to thank the Governor, who has been supportive throughout, for adding this legislation to the special session call. Most importantly I want to thank all of the thousands, and I mean that literally, thousands of citizens from all across the state who contacted the Governor and my fellow legislators. Our citizens simply want Texas to stand up for our liberty and freedom from unreasonable searches�
The TEA Party movement is the most important political movement of our lifetime.