Tag Archives: ACLU

No hearing on request to bar refugees till January

So much for that. A Dallas-based federal judge has denied a request by Texas state officials for an expedited hearing regarding Syrian refugees and will not rule on the case until mid-January at the earliest. Judge David Godbey informed lawyers … Continue reading

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Violence against transgender people

There’s way too much of it. For a few transgender Americans, this has been a year of glamour and fame. For many others, 2015 has been fraught with danger, violence and mourning. While Caitlyn Jenner made the cover of Vanity … Continue reading

Posted in Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

30 day finance reports: Pro- and anti-HERO

Some good news here. Supporters of Houston’s contentious equal rights ordinance raked in $1.26 million during seven weeks of official fundraising, more than doubling opponents’ efforts and fueling a fierce and frenzied media campaign to court voters before the law … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Planned Parenthood petitions Fifth Circuit for en banc review of HB2 ruling

From the inbox: Today, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas filed a petition on behalf of their patients to request that the full bench of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals consider the constitutionality of harmful abortion restrictions that were struck down … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On, Wisconsin

From the ACLU of Wisconsin: The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin and the law firm of Mayer Brown filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of four same-sex couples who wish to marry in Wisconsin or are … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On, Wisconsin

VRA 2.0

Texas Redistricting: [Thursday] morning, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) introduced proposed amendments to the Voting Rights Act that would rework the section 5 coverage formula invalidated by the Supreme Court in Shelby … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on VRA 2.0

Utah will not recognize same sex marriages

Not until they are forced to. Utah Gov. Gary Herbertannounced Wednesday that the state will not recognize the 1,000-plus same-sex marriages performed in the state since Dec. 20, when a U.S. district judge ruled that the state’s ban on gay … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Utah will not recognize same sex marriages

Student RFID bill gets House hearing

We knew this day would come. Last fall, San Antonio’s Northside ISD began issuing radio-frequency identification (RFID) enhanced student IDs to help with its attendance records. Austin began a small opt-in RFID program last fall, and in 2010, two Houston-area districts began tracking … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No smokers need apply

Boy, is this a big can of worms. Methodist Hospital System in Houston this month announcedit will implement a tobacco-free hiring policy on Jan. 1, joining the Texas Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, which have had similar policies … Continue reading

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

All DNA, all the time

How often should we collect DNA from someone who’s been arrested? Some people think the answer should be a lot more often than we do now. Texas is one of several states that draw DNA samples from anyone convicted of … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on All DNA, all the time