On May 24, 2011, the Texas Senate read on the floor for the first time HB 1937, which bans the TSA and any other State or Federal Government official from using a “pat-down” without probable cause as a condition for entering an airplane or a public building.
Earlier that Tuesday, the US Department of Justice delivered a letter to the Speaker of the House Joe Straus and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst threatening the State of Texas with legal action if they passed this bill:
If HR 1937 were enacted, the federal government would likely seek an emergency stay of the statute. Unless or until such a stay were granted, TSA would likely be required to cancel any flight or series of flights for which it could not ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
Let’s be absolutely clear here: the Federal Government just threatened to make Texas a no-fly zone if they can’t sexually assault us.
During the hearing, Senator Patrick, one of the Senate bill’s sponsors, defended HB 1937 and denounced the DOJ’s actions as threatening and insulting. Indeed, the Federal Government is not allowed to lobby for legislation in any state, yet here they are not only lobbying but threatening us! Finally, Patrick called this a “Come and Take It” moment in front of the entire Senate.
Yet despite his impassioned speech in support of the bill, Senator Patrick withdrew the bill from consideration that evening, not even allowing it to come to a vote.
Senator Patrick is right, this is our “Come and Take It” moment, and we need to TAKE ACTION NOW and let the Senate know that they MUST act. We need to let Lt. Gov. Dewhurst know that Texans WILL NOT stand by and let the Senate COWER before the ridiculous Department of Justice. The Senate knows the DOJ is wrong, we need to tell them to do what is right.
Call your Senator today and use our email form below to make a difference IMMEDIATELY. If Texas does not lead here, not only is our legislative defense doomed but many other states’ will be as well.
Action Items:
1. Use the email contact form below to message the entire Senate and Lt. Gov. Dewhurst.
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2. Contact your Senator :: Find your Senator and his office number by clicking here. For a list of all Texas Senators, click here. Please call all of them, but especially focus your attention on the bill’s sponsor, Senator Patrick (512-463-0107), and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst (512-463-0001).
3. Contact Governor Perry’s office by clicking here. Please feel free to copy and paste the same information from the above form in your message to Governor Perry.
I spoke with a representative at Senator Patrick’s office and she explained to me is that the reason the Senator pulled the bill is that it came to his attention at the last minute that he did not have the votes to bring the bill up for a vote (it’s a bit confusing, but before a bill is voted on it must have enough votes to bring it up for a final vote on the floor). Senator Kirk Watson and a cohort of others are the main opponents to the bill and would have voted against bringing it up for a vote.
If Senator Patrick would have allowed it to go through and did not get the 21 votes required the bill would then be DOA. Senator Patrick is fully behind the bill; he is trying to keep it alive. Call your senator and especially call the office of Kirk Watson (district 14).
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Well, oh FREE (HA HA HA) Whiteman.
This is your moment to prove to me you have worth on this planet.
The State of Texas response to this Federal “Threat” should be plain and simple.
“If and when the Federal government declares Texas to be a “No Fly” Zone, on that day ALL TEXAS EMPLOYERS WILL NOT COLLECT NOR SEND ANY MORE FED PAYROLL TAX TO THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THIS LAW IS UNDER PENALTY OF IMMEDIATE SEIZURE OF THE BUSINESS BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
ALL TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD UNITS DEPLOYED WILL BE ORDERED BACK TO TEXAS IMMEDIATELY.
Don’t worry about being surrounded, Texans. A whole bunch of us here in the Southwest will “Have your back side” covered.
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Texas should have accepted the no-fly zone and passed the law to reign in sexual assault(s) by the TSA. One very positive thing is that if Texas became a no-fly zone, it’s possible that elitist left-wing politicians wouldn’t come here to campaign. After all, without interstate flights, they might have to resort to (YUK-PHTOOEY) buses! Jobs would be lost but if enough union workers were laid off, especially TSA and their (would be) union, believe me, Texas’s no-fly conditions would be lifted and maybe TSA’s sexual predation policies would be changed. Washington and the White House would lose too much revenue to let Texas be a no-fly zone for long. People would put too much pressure on the government. The best part is that other states would likely follow with TSA laws of their own.