“Texas is not Arizona. Our culture, history and economy are based on genuine and pragmatic good will towards all residents in our state,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said. “We don't need the negative attention that would come to our state with enactment of laws perceived as anti-Hispanic.”
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Update, 5:55pm – Senate debating sanctuary cities bill, SB 9, now livestreaming
Update 2pm: Poll: Education leaps ahead as most important issue facing Texas | KUT News By Nathan Bernier – Education has displaced immigration as the most important issue in the Lone Star State, according to an annual survey sponsored by the Texas Lyceum, a non-profit leadership group. Thirty-three percent of likely voters said education is the most important issue facing the state of Texas today. Immigration, at 11 percent, was tied for second place with the state budget/deficit.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Monday, June 13, 2011 | By Dave Montgomery Police agencies join Hispanic leaders in opposing 'sanctuary cities' bill – The state's largest law enforcement agencies joined forces with Hispanic leaders Monday in opposing a so-called sanctuary cities bill that supporters say is a needed tool against illegal immigration. The emotion-charged bill, which Gov. Rick Rick Perry has designated as a top priority, would let law officers ask about immigration status when they arrest or detain someone. The bill heads for an expected vote today by the Republican-controlled Senate after clearing a committee on a party-line 5-4 vote.
Bloomberg News | June 13 2011 | By Joe Caroll Worst Drought in More Than a Century Threatens Texas Oil Boom – The worst Texas drought since record-keeping began 116 years ago may crimp an oil and natural-gas drilling boom as government officials ration water supplies crucial to energy exploration. In the hardest-hit areas, water-management districts are warning residents and businesses to curtail usage from rivers, lakes and aquifers. The shortage is forcing oil companies to go farther afield to buy water from farmers, irrigation districts and municipalities, said Erasmo Yarrito Jr., the state’s overseer of water supplies from the Rio Grande River . . . The water crisis in Texas, the biggest oil- and gas- producing state in the U.S., highlights a continuing debate in North America and Europe over the impact on water supplies of a production technique called hydraulic fracturing.
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By Patricia Kilday Hart
San Antonio Express-News
Read the complete story
From the testimony of a Houston police officer's widow to allegations of racism, a daylong legislative committee hearing Monday on a bill banning “sanctuary cities” brought the national immigration debate back to the Texas Capitol
The Senate's Transportation and Homeland Security Committee on Monday approved a bill that would ban cities from prohibiting police from asking about the immigration status of those they detain. Gov. Rick Perry last week added the proposal to the agenda of the Legislature's special session. A similar bill failed during the regular session.
The issue drew a crowd of advocates and opponents of the bill, with both sides staging rallies in anticipation of the hearing.
In one weekend rally, a leading proponent of the bill blamed the Legislature's inaction on the issue on the number of Hispanics who serve there.
“If you want to know why we can't pass legislation in Texas, it's because we have 37, no, 36 Hispanics in the Legislature. So, that's part of our problem, and we need to change those numbers,” said Rebecca Forest, a co-founder of the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas. “We need to do something about that in fact.”
Her remarks drew condemnation from the state's top three elected officials, all of whom support the sanctuary cities legislation as a needed tool for law enforcement.
7 comments:
The passage of this Sanctuary City bill in spite of the statewide objections from law enforcement is a clear signal that Perry and his right wing cronies in the Texas Legislature have crossed over to a neofascist political temperment.
Whenever a government ignores the better informed knowledge and pleas of law enforcement professionals on the ground it is no longer in touch or based in reality.
This is not about jobs. This is about right wing xenophobic pandering and tough guy bravado.
The Sanctuary City bill is the legislative version of an Anthony Weiner muscled body shot being tweeted to dysfunctional supporters and fantasy lovers of Rick Perry and his Legislative ilk.
It is political pornography, obvious to anyone who wants to look at the truth.
“If you want to know why we can't pass legislation in Texas, it's because we have 37, no, 36 Hispanics in the Legislature. So, that's part of our problem, and we need to change those numbers,” said Rebecca Forest, a co-founder of the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas. “We need to do something about that in fact.”
This, folks, is the racism that still exists in Texas.
@Rocky,
You said, "The passage of this Sanctuary City bill in spite of the statewide objections from law enforcement is a clear signal that Perry and his right wing cronies in the Texas Legislature have crossed over to a neofascist political temperment."
Certainly you know that in our State and Country, law enforcement does not make laws for a good reason. Calling our Governor and those that voted for the Bill "neofaschist" is beyond ridiculous. You have overstepped, Sir. Frankly most of the law enforcement types that oppose this Bill are racists themselves or just plain lazy. The Austin Police Chief Acevedo is a left-wing crazy Hispanic that responds predictably to anything regarding "his people".
It seems that you only see racism when it suits you, in other words when you don't get your way. I know many people that are for putting an end to sanctuary cities and none of them are racists. It is about enforcing our laws and protecting our borders, plain and simple. I don't care what color or race lawbreakers are, they should all be tried and if found guilty, punished. Illegal Aliens are by definition, law breakers or criminals.
all I can say is 2014 will flip it back to the D's. The R's just don't get it.
Despite their significant numbers, Hispanic community is notorious for not voting. Only when they start voting in big numbers will there be a flip back to Ds, probably still years off. Rethuglicans know that. Hasta mañana bro.
Wow, Anonymous, I didn't accuse anyone of being racist and you call me a racist. And you write what you wrote? Amazing chutzpah, Dude.
And your description of the Austin police chief sure sounds, well, we'll just let the readers decide.
And "neofascist" is exactly what this bill is: Using government police power to scapegoat and/or attack a weaker group of people who have no legal protection.
And finally, Anonymous, if you are so confident you are virtuous on this issue, why do you hide in the darkness with your nameless rant.
Please put your name on your comments so we can all know who is really making such statements. I'm sure our community would like to know.
Being pro Hispanic is not racist unless you favor them over other races including Whites and that is what some here seem to be saying. The same goes for looking upon Hispanics as less favorable to other races. It was the liberals that started all this PC crap and now want to deny it when it comes to their doorstep.
A population increase of 40% in 10 years is enough to put fear into the minds Americans of all races. Either they are breeding like roaches or the border is wide open. Either way, this kind of increase is a threat to our American/Anglo Language and Culture. There is nothing wrong with the Hispanic Language and Culture but it shouldn't be allowed to wipe out others, and that is the fear.
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