SB 723 Update 6

Like Jason, SB 723 is turning out to be in this 82nd Texas Legislative session the bill that will not die.  

Just got the word from Legislative Queery and bia an action alert from Meghan Stabler that Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) has placed the unjust bill back on the Senate 'intent calendar' for May 10.  


So you know what we have to do.  Call and e-mail the Texas Democratic senators and tell them to keep up the united front and 'oppose SB 723' with special attention on Sen. Carlos Uresti.     Sen. Uresti is rumored to be the 20th vote the Republicans need to bring this unjust legislation to the senate floor.

There's also this link to a form e-mail that will be sent to you Texas senator..  

Of course, if you're a do it yourself kind of person, Moni's going to make it easy for you to call the Texas Dem senators and urge them to show the same kind of leadership the Democratic senators in Wisconsin did.

Here are those addresses and phone numbers.   Let them know the eyes of trans Texans and our allies are STILL upon them.:

Mario Gallegos (512) 463-0106
mario.gallegos@senate.state.tx.us

Wendy Davis (512) 463-0110
wendy.davis@senate.state.tx.us

Rodney G. Ellis (512) 463-0113
rodney.ellis@senate.state.tx.us

Kirk Watson (512) 463-0114
kirk.watson@senate.state.tx.us

John Whitmire (512) 463-0115
john.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us

Carlos I. Uresti (512) 463-0119
carlos.uresti@senate.state.tx.us

Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (512) 463-0120
juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us

Judith Zaffirini (512) 463-0121
judith.zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us

Royce West (512) 463-0123
royce.west@senate.state.tx.us

Leticia R. Van de Putte (512) 463-0126
leticia.vandeputte@senate.state.tx.us

Eduardo A. (Eddie) Lucio, Jr. (512) 463-0127
eddie.lucio@senate.state.tx.us

José R. Rodríguez (512) 463-0129
Jose.rodriguez@senate.state.tx.us
 
For SB 723 to become law, it has to get voted out of the Senate by May 20, and then it must go through the legislative process in the Texas House by May 25.


HB 3098, the companion bill by Rep. Lois Kolkhorst (R- Brenham) is still in committee.  It dies if it isn't voted out of committee by midnight CDT tonight.

Let's get busy and kill this unjust bill..

SB 723 Update 5

We're now into the last month of the 2011 Texas Legislative session, and the clock is ticking toward the end of it on May 30.  We're keeping an eye on an anti bullying bill now on the House floor among with a few others.  

The Legislative Queery blog is an excellent resource to keep with with all things Texas Legislature related from a TBLG perspective, and if you want to get a feel for Texas politics, Burnt Orange Report is one of my fave sites as well.

But let's get to what you trans peeps want to hear about, SB 723.   

Sen Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands) had to make a decision as to whether to put his bill back on the senate intent calendar or let it go onto the general calendar, where as of April 22 it was 74th in line.   The  general calendar is where bills go that are more controversial in nature and don't have 2/3 support of senators to expedite the process.   

Well, there is good news and bad news concerning SB 723.    The good news is that it is NOT on the intent calendar any more, it's on the general calendar.

The bad news is that Sen. Williams has until May 20 to get SB 723 voted out of the Senate, and then it must work its way through the House process by May 25.   HB 3098, the companion bill to SB 723 is still languishing in committee right now as it has been since March 18.   The bad news is that the sponsor of that bill is the chair of the committee, and she can call a meeting at any time.   

Still keeping an eye on it until the clock strikes midnight on May 30.

Sen. Williams, Your Transphobia Is Showing

In case you're wondering why I and other POC's can't stand Republicans, it's because we know from experience they have been anti-civil rights since the Dixiecrats started arriving en masse into the party starting in the 70's, and the Texas division of Republicans isn't much better especially as they have gone more right wing than the national party.

Some of you non- POC peeps are just now figuring that out.

I mentioned earlier today that Meghan Stabler and Nikki Araguz were in Austin chit chatting with state senators today about SB 723.  In addition to conversing with Democratic senators to get them to continue presenting a united front against this unjust billl, they decided to have a chat with some of the Republicans as well.

One of the Republican senators they decided to have a chat with was Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), the sponsor of this odious bill.

So how did it go?   Can you say they were thrown out of his office?   Thought you could.

Here's the YouTube video of it prior to them being tossed and the BS being spouted by the Williams staffer.

.


While I realize that there are some Republicans who resent being lumped in with their bigot wing, they will have to verify with me and other POC's they are consistent civil rights supporters before I trust them.

Our standards are much higher to gain that trust than the ones of you short time marginalized people seeing that Republicans have spent decades opposing and leading the charge against civil rights issues.of importance to POC's.

But back to Sen Williams blatant attack on trans Texans human rights.    What axe do you have to grind not only against a widow who lost her husband, but trans Texans in general? 

I also have to wonder exactly what influenced your desire to file this bill, since you had no objection in the 2009 session to the bill passing and sex change documentation becoming part of the list of approved documents for a marriage license.     

Inquiring minds wanna know.


Kill SB 723!     

SB 723 Update 3

Meghan Stabler is not only still in Austin watching the Texas Senate and what they're doing on SB 723, the cavalry's coming from Houston.    Nope, the TransGriot's not needed yet at the capitol but I'm standing by.

Nikki Araguz is in Austin along with Meghan hoping to talk to some of the Democratic senators in person and implore them to keep up the united front against the unjust bill.   

The bill is still on the intent calendar, and the action on the senate floor will resume at 11 AM CDT.   just a reminder Meghan will be tweeting the proceedings and you can follow along with the TXSB723 hashtag on Twitter.

Wavering legislator that needs focus today is Sen. Carlos Uresti.   His district covers West Texas to El Paso County and the cities of Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and southern Bexar County   Please send you e-mails to him and thanks to the other Dem senators for their continued support in killing SB 723

Here are those addresses and phone numbers.   Let them know the eyes of trans Texans are upon them.:

Mario Gallegos (512) 463-0106
mario.gallegos@senate.state.tx.us

Wendy Davis (512) 463-0110
wendy.davis@senate.state.tx.us

Rodney G. Ellis (512) 463-0113
rodney.ellis@senate.state.tx.us

Kirk Watson (512) 463-0114
kirk.watson@senate.state.tx.us

John Whitmire (512) 463-0115
john.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us

Carlos I. Uresti (512) 463-0119
carlos.uresti@senate.state.tx.us

Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (512) 463-0120
juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us

Judith Zaffirini (512) 463-0121
judith.zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us

Royce West (512) 463-0123
royce.west@senate.state.tx.us

Leticia R. Van de Putte (512) 463-0126
leticia.vandeputte@senate.state.tx.us

Eduardo A. (Eddie) Lucio, Jr. (512) 463-0127
eddie.lucio@senate.state.tx.us

José R. Rodríguez (512) 463-0129
Jose.rodriguez@senate.state.tx.us