The State Board of Education (SBOE) does not want to face the public, especially not the SBOE Chairwoman, Gail Lowe. Here's what happened:
The Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Legislative Study Group, the House Black Caucus, and Senate Hispanic Caucus invited numerous SBOE and education officials to a hearing
SBOE Chairwoman Gail Lowe declined, saying she couldn't afford to make the trip
MALC made transportation arrangements, housing arrangements, and were going to pay for Lowe's gas to attend the short trip from Lampasas to Austin -- a commute that is hardly beyond the realm of possibility.
Lowe still refused to attend.
From the press release I received from MALC:
Initially citing the fact that her position as SBOE Chair was unpaid, Lowe declined to make the short trip from Lampasas to Austin. Even after receiving notification that MALC had made arrangements for a hotel, mileage reimbursement and per diem for meals; Lowe declined again— this time claiming a work commitment.
"To be turned down by Chairwoman Lowe is surprising and disappointing. I urge her to realize that over fifty members of the legislature are requesting her attendance at this very important hearing. We all have hectic lives and busy schedules, but she needs to make the time " said MALC Chairman Trey Martinez Fischer.
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28 from 9am-3pm at the Capitol Extension E2.012
Cynthia Dunbar, another Republican on the SBOE, is under fire from the Texas Freedom Network for additionally controversial remarks she made over the weekend. From a post on the TFN Insider blog titled, "Dunbar Takes New Trip on Extremism Train":
Speaking last week on a far-right talk show, The American View, (read more about the show here) Dunbar — a Richmond Republican representing a state board district that stretches from west of Houston to Austin — attacked public education and even the religious faith of people who don’t agree with her. She also repeated her infamous attack on President Obama as a terrorist sympathizer. And as the state board prepares to take a final vote next month on social studies curriculum standards for public schools, Dunbar suggested that supporters of separation of church and state don’t understand the Constitution and that the drafters of the First Amendment had no concerns “whatsoever” for the nonreligious.
State Rep. Mike Villarreal is one of numerous legislators and groups urging Texans to take action and speak up about the State Board of Education. Sign a petition he has here.
Sergeant at arms Jennifer Irvy said she found Kuempel collapsed in the elevator and with a faint pulse.
"It scared the hell out of me," she said.
Irvy said she called immediately for emergency help.
News of Kuempel's condition spread quickly through the House, and brought business to a standstill. Legislators, staffers, lobbyists and reporters gathered on the first floor near the elevators waiting for news on the 66-year-old legislator's condition. State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, paced the hall, giving hugs to others and at points was in tears.
State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, led those gathered in the hall in a prayer for Kuempel and his family after he was taken away in an ambulance.
Rep. John Zerwas, an anesthesiologist, aided Rep. Kuempel until medical crews arrived on the scene.
Zerwas said he oversaw CPR until EMS arrived. He said a defibrillator was used to shock Kuempel about eight times.
By the time Kuempel left for the hospital, he had a heart rhythm and a pulse, and though he was not breathing entirely on his own, he had "some spontaneous breathing," Zerwas said. Zerwas said it could have been a primary cardiac event but could not say for sure.
Needless to say, our thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Kuempel, his family, and his friends and we join them in cautious optimism.
We do not normally intrude on a family's privacy during a medical crisis, but Rep. Edmund Kuempel has a special place in the heart of the Capitol community.
Word minutes ago from the hospital was that the Seguin representative was in stable but critical condition after what appears to have been a heart attack last night. He is on a ventilator in a medically induced coma and will be so for the next several days as physicians monitor his condition. They will know more as they bring him back up.
Physicians reportedly feel good about his prospects. They believe he was found and resuscitated in time. But nothing will be certain for several more days.
During public testimony in the Election Committee, Republican Representative Betty Brown said something very interesting.
"Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese - I understand it's a rather difficult language - do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?"
Now the background.
Rep. Brown, a Republican, made it clear that nothing is sacred that gets in the way of Texas Republicans' extreme partisan agenda, asking a witness testifying on the problems the Republican Voter ID bill would create for Chinese-American Texans. That's when she said the above mention line.
According to the Texas Democratic Party, Rep. Brown then went on to put the onus on those who would be prevented from voting by the Republican Voter ID bill to figure out their own solution, saying to the aforementioned witness, "I see a need here for young people like you, who are obviously very bright, to come up with something that would work for you and then let us see if we can't make it work for us." While Rep. Brown later tried to back out of her statements, the damage was done.
The Texas Democratic Party is now asking for Rep. Brown to apologize.
"It's already shameful enough that the Republican Elections Committee members are trying to suppress the votes of countless Texans with their partisan Voter ID bill, and now Rep. Brown is adding insult to injury with her disrespectful comments," said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie. "We are calling on Rep. Betty Brown to apologize for her offensive and out-of-touch remarks."
The Asian American community is one of the fastest growing populations in Texas. If a law is going to disenfranchise a group of people, the solution cannot and should not be for a person to sacrifice their culture in order to have the right to vote.
As the Asian American Action Fund pointed clarified, "Texas has a rather substantial APA voting population, including a fair number of Republicans. Not to mention, current and previous elected officials including ex-Rep. Martha Wong and sitting Rep. Angie Chen Button."
AJ Durrani, President of the Asian American Democrats of Texas added to Chairman Richie's appeal. Durrani e-mailed the members of AADT saying:
Members of AADT,
On Wednesday April 8, during the Texas House of Representatives testimony on the Voter ID Bill, State Representative Betty Brown, R-Terrell, made shockingly intolerant and insensitive remarks about Asian Americans. An article from the Houston Chronicle.Com is provided below for details, as is a statement from Texas Democratic Party Chairman, Boyd Ritchie.
State Representative Betty Brown's racially insensitive remarks have no place in America, and she should immediately and unconditionally apologize for her remarks. Please contact State Representative Betty Brown about her unacceptable remarks and ask her to apologize immediately in a public forum.
Her email address is: [mailto:betty.brown@house.state.tx.us betty.brown@house.state.tx.us]
Her postal mail and fax addresses, and phone numbers are as follows:
Capitol Address
Room E1.404, Capitol Extension
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 463-0458
(512) 463-2040 Fax
District Address
108 S. Pinkerton, Suite 105
Athens, TX 75751
(903) 675-9500
(903) 677-6773 Fax
This is the Republican solution to the many problems with Voter Suppression legislation. If you are negatively effected by this ill conceived and unnecessary law, you should make sacrifices. If you are unwilling to sacrifice your job, your culture, your marriage, or anything else that may prevent you from voting, then you didn't want to vote bad enough.
Maybe that is why former Texas Republican Party Political Director Royal Masset estimated that a photo ID requirement would reduce Democratic turnout in Texas by 3%.
Mexican American Legislative Caucus chairman, and recent blog newcomer, Trey Martinez-Fischer has found a way to bring some levity to the situation. Once you get done asking for Rep. Brown to apologize, you can at least find out what your new name can be here. Let me introduce you to Elise Hughes KVUE's new political reporter. She may look familiar. Sort of like Jennifer Kim.
Update: Thanks to a friend on facebook, we now have the entire question and answer period between Ramey Ko and Rep. Betty Brown. There a couple really great points and our friend Ramey does a great job testifying.
The word substantial means a lot more to bloggers and citizen journalism.
Today House Bill (HB) 670, simply referred to as the Texas shield law, passed to engrossment.
The bill analysis for HB 670 describes the need and function of the bill.
Thirty-six other states and the District of Columbia have statutes relating to the free flow of information and the right of a journalist to gather and communicate the news. Under current Texas law, a journalist has no assurance that a whistleblower's identity or information may be kept confidential without the journalist's risk of imprisonment. A whistleblower may hesitate to come forward to discuss matters of public concern because of fear of retribution. If a journalist cannot guarantee confidentiality, a whistleblower may not provide information to a reporter and, ultimately, to the public about matters of public concern.
C.S.H.B. 670 creates a qualified privilege and provides for a balancing test for compelled disclosure of confidential and non-confidential information and sources by a journalist. The test would be applied by a judge rather than by the subpoenaing party or by the journalist.
The most important part of this bill for bloggers is the definition of journalist.
"Journalist" means a person, including a parent, subsidiary, division, or affiliate of a person, who for a substantial portion of the person's livelihood or for substantial financial gain, gathers, compiles, prepares, collects, photographs, records, writes, edits, reports, investigates, processes, or publishes news or information that is disseminated by a news medium or communication service provider and includes... (emphasis added)
After contacting Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer, author of the bill and chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC) the reason for the definition becomes clear.
"One of the compromises that inevitably needed to be made in order to get HB670 to pass was in regard to online communication and blogging. Bloggers affiliated with news organizations (like Elise Hu and KVUE) would be covered under HB670 as would journalists as defined as those who derive a 'substantial portion of the person's livelihood [from journalism or other news reporting].' So basically, someone like me who has a blog (albeit, an awesome blog) wouldn't be covered under HB670."
As a quick aside, Rep. Martinez-Fischer and his office were quick to get back with me and were more than helpful to take time out of their busy to respond.
In pushing further, a blog or citizen journalist could be covered by this shield law if the site and staff were being paid and making a larger portion of their living off the website. The only national comparisons I can think of would be Raw Story, DailyKos, Firedoglake, and Open Left.
Clearly, Burnt Orange Report is not in that classification yet, but we could be, and if that happens, we would be covered.
That shows the strengths of this bill.
It is not totally inclusive, thus creating a bill that is too broad and inclusive. However, the bill will not need to be amended if the future of journalism includes ad based, citizen journalism.
With the future of print and traditional news unclear, Rep. Martinez-Fischer wrote a bill that is sufficient to today's journalism but also open for the journalism of tomorrow.
We reported on Republican Caucus chair Frank Corte's vacant lot this past Wednesday, and now San Antonio Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer has an offer for Rep. Corte.
After State Rep. Frank Corte, Chairman of the House Republican Caucus, admitted to the San Antonio Express News that he actually lived in Texas House District (HD) 116 instead of HD 122, as he claimed in his candidate filing forms, Democratic State Representative Trey Martinez-Fischer offered to help his newfound constituent. As reported in today's newspaper, Rep. Corte claims to live on a vacant lot. Luckily, Corte really lives in the district of a Democratic House Member who is ready, willing, and able to provide him with whatever constituent services he needs.
"I want to be the first to welcome Frank to House District 116 and let him know that my office is ready to assist my new constituent with any help he needs establishing his residency," said State Representative Trey Martinez-Fischer. "Moving is a difficult and tedious process and Frank only has a limited amount of time to legally change his address and to get a new driver's license from the Department of Public Safety."
Chad Dunn, General Counsel for the Texas Democratic Party, sent a letter to the Bexar County Republican Party Chairman requesting he abide by the Texas Election Code and formally declare Frank Corte ineligible to run as a candidate in HD 122. It is now up to the Chairman of the Bexar County Republican Party to do the right thing.
If Frank Corte needs anything during his troubled times, his Representative's doors appear to be open.
"Now that Frank is one of my constituents, I look forward to listening to his legislative concerns at my next town hall meeting, and I'll do my best to earn his vote as I continue to reach across party lines and gain bipartisan support this November," added Rep. Martinez-Fischer. "Of course, that's only possible if he has legally changed his voter registration, and my office will be more than happy to assist him so he can vote legally this fall."
