Less than a week after Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) signed a law protecting free speech on college campuses, he signed one that threatens that very protection.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48229/texas-gov-greg-abbott-signs-bills-protecting-free-ashe-schow">previously reported</a>, Abbott has signed numerous bills and posted videos about the new laws on Twitter. But on Friday, he signed two laws that ostensibly deal with campus sexual assault that hurt not only free speech rights but also due process rights.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) <a href="https://www.thefire.org/texas-governor-signs-unconstitutional-bills-into-law/">had written</a> to the governor twice to let him know their concerns with the bill and also sent a letter asking him to veto the bills. While Abbott vetoed many bills on Friday, he did not veto SB 212 and HB 1735. From FIRE:
<blockquote>
As a brief recap, both pieces of legislation &#8212; <a href="https://www.thefire.org/pair-of-texas-bills-pose-grave-threat-to-civil-liberties/">SB 212 and HB 1735</a> &#8212; use an unconstitutionally overbroad definition of sexual harassment that lacks the fundamental requirement that the conduct in question be objectively offensive to a reasonable person. SB 212 compounds the problem further by requiring all college and university employees to report any conduct they reasonably believe satisfies that definition to the institution&#8217;s Title IX apparatus. Failure to do so subjects the employee to termination and <a href="https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.12.htm">criminal misdemeanor charges</a>, which carry potential penalties of up to $2,000, 180 days in jail, or both.
HB 1735 will take effect Sept. 1. Most of SB 212&#8217;s provisions also take effect on Sept. 1, while the bill&#8217;s criminal penalties take effect Jan. 1, 2020. This means Texas&#8217;s students and faculty will be forced to navigate new, unconstitutional speech codes this academic year that will inevitably lead to an explosion of frivolous investigations into protected speech, self-censorship, and possibly even jail time for faculty members who run afoul of the new law.
</blockquote>
The biggest problem with these bills is that the definition allows for too much subjectivity, meaning school officials, fearing they could lose their jobs or go to jail, will likely start reporting any and all instances involving sex or sexually charged speech.
We&#8217;ve seen what happens in a case like this. Grant Neal <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/she-said-she-wasnt-raped-but-the-school-expelled-him-anyway">was a football player</a> and pre-med student at Colorado State University-Pueblo. He became close to a woman who part of the school&#8217;s Athletic Training Program. They engaged in some sexual activity, which left hickeys on the woman&#8217;s neck. One of her peers saw these marks, learned they were from Neal, and reported him for sexual assault.
Even though the woman said she was not raped or assaulted (Neal has recordings of her saying so), Neal was suspended. Neal sued and was <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2017/07/26/college-students-falsely-accused-sexual-assault-good-couple-weeks/">able to settle</a> with CSUP out of court.
FIRE, in its <a href="https://www.thefire.org/fire-letter-to-gov-greg-abbott-6-6-19/">veto request letter</a>, also noted that HB 1735 demands schools do not inform the police when they decide to investigate an allegation they deem to be severe enough that they would go against the accuser&#8217;s wishes and investigate. The bill essentially tells schools not to alert the police about potentially violent perpetrators.
The bill also requires as a default the ability for accusers to drop courses they share with the accused without academic penalty. As FIRE noted, this creates an incentive for accusers to get out of classes in which they are struggling by falsely accusing classmates. We&#8217;ve seen it before. A woman at Ohio State University brought a false sexual assault claim against a male student &#8212; months after the encounter &#8212; just days after she was told she was about to fail her first-year medical school program (for the second time). By making her dubious accusation (which text messages and multiple witnesses disputed), she was spared from expulsion.
Finally, neither of the bills signed provides meaningful due process protections for accused students.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is set to release new Title IX guidance for schools that would require them to provide basic due process protections for accused students. These new Texas bills will end up running afoul of those new rules.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Bills That Hurt Free Speech And Due Process Rights

Greg Abbott

Texas

Gov. Greg Abbot (R-TX) had a stellar opening week of June. With few exceptions, the governor lived up to his state&#8217;s reputation for defending freedom.
In a series of tweets last week that ended up going viral, Abbott announced that he had signed legislation that would protect free speech rights on college campuses, ban red light cameras, and allow people to have beer delivered to their homes.
On June 1, Abbott tweeted a video of himself signing the red-light camera ban, saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m about to sign this bill that bans red light cameras in Texas,&#8221; before signing the document in front of him.
&#8220;Is now law,&#8221; he says as he shows the finished, signed bill to the camera.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I just signed the law that bans red light cameras in Texas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txlege?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#txlege</a> <a href="https://t.co/AyF28hxGwO">pic.twitter.com/AyF28hxGwO</a>
&#8212; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1134944087965077507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The National Motorists Association <a href="https://www.motorists.org/issues/red-light-cameras/increase-accidents/">collected a list of reports and studies</a> that show red-light cameras actually increase accidents. The cameras have also been argued as unconstitutional, since citizens are essentially accused of crimes without being able to confront their accuser (the camera, which may be faulty or calibrated improperly).
Two days later, Abbott posted another tweet, this time of him signing a law that would allow Texas citizens to &#8220;order beer and wine from retailers to be delivered to your home.&#8221; 
&#8220;Enjoy responsibly,&#8221; he added.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I just signed a law allowing you to order beer and wine from retailers to be delivered to your home.
Enjoy responsibly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txlege?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#txlege</a> <a href="https://t.co/4T6C6B7O77">pic.twitter.com/4T6C6B7O77</a>
&#8212; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1135696192938139649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
On June 9, Abbott posted another video of himself signing a law &#8212; this time in an effort to protect the First Amendment on college campuses.
&#8220;Some colleges are banning free speech on college campuses,&#8221; Abbott said in the video. &#8220;Well, no more because I&#8217;m about to sign a law that protects free speech on college campuses in Texas.&#8221;
&#8220;Shouldn&#8217;t have to do it,&#8221; he added after signing the bill. &#8220;The First Amendment guarantees it. Now, it&#8217;s law in Texas.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I just signed a law protecting free speech on college campuses. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txlege?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#txlege</a> <a href="https://t.co/jHIh8431SH">pic.twitter.com/jHIh8431SH</a>
&#8212; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1137875109362974724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In addition to these bills, Abbott also signed laws directed at reducing the rape kit backlog in the state and expanding access to mental health resources. Not everything he signed last week was seen as an expansion of freedom, however.
On Friday, Abbott signed a bill that increases the purchase age of tobacco products &#8212; including cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes &#8212; from 18 to 21. Those in the military are exempted from the law. As CBS Austin <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/gov-abbott-signs-bill-raising-smoking-age-in-texas-to-21">reported</a>, supporters of the bill said it would &#8220;save lives because 95 percent of smokers start before age 21, and three fourths of adult smokers try their first cigarette before their 18th birthday.&#8221;
So now those statistics will just shift until 21. Supporters also failed to note that one does not have to personally purchase cigarettes in order to get their hands on one before they are legally able to purchase.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Bills Protecting Free Speech, Allowing Beer Delivery, And Banning Red Light Cameras

Alcohol

Free Speech

In 2017, Texas passed into law a statute that forbids government agencies in Texas from doing business with contractors who boycott Israel. The bill <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Texas-House-of-Representatives-unanimously-passes-anti-BDS-bill-488544">passed</a> the Texas House of Representatives by a 131-0 margin. At the time, Joel Schwitzer, the regional director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in Dallas, told <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Texas-House-of-Representatives-unanimously-passes-anti-BDS-bill-488544">The Jerusalem Post</a>: &#8220;We appreciate the leadership of Representative Phil King in authoring the bill. It is gratifying to see our elected officials sending such a clear and principled message that Texas will not do business with those who boycott our friend Israel.&#8221;
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott was positively <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/anti-israel-policies-are-anti-texas-policies">emphatic</a>, upon signing the bill into law, referring to anti-Israel policies as necessarily also being &#8220;anti-Texas policies&#8221;:
<blockquote>
&#8220;I am proud to have commemorated Israel&#8217;s Independence Day by signing into law Anti-BDS legislation in Texas,&#8221; said Governor Abbott. &#8220;As Israel&#8217;s number one trading partner in the United States, Texas is proud to reaffirm its support for the people of Israel and we will continue to build on our historic partnership. Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies, and we will not tolerate such actions against an important ally.&#8221;
</blockquote>
The law, according to the governor&#8217;s <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/anti-israel-policies-are-anti-texas-policies">press release</a>, &#8220;prohibits the state of Texas from conducting business with companies involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.&#8221;
This past December, after groups such as the ACLU filed First Amendment claims against Texas&#8217; law, Texas Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) announced a plan to tweak the measure to better assure its constitutionality. USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/20/anti-boycott-israel-texas-lawmaker-tweak-law-has-sparked-suits/2374613002/">reported</a>:
<blockquote>
The Texas lawmaker who wrote an anti-boycott of Israel law that has led to the canceling of contracts for a debate judge, a translator, a speech therapist and a public radio station reporter said Thursday that he will introduce legislation next month to clarify individuals were never the intended targets.
The comments by Texas Rep. Phil King follows the filing of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas over the 2017 law that requires contractors doing business with the state to certify they are not engaged in boycotts of Israel.
</blockquote>
Earlier this month, the Texas legislature <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/fl-jj-texas-approves-measure-tweak-law-bars-government-contract-businesses-bds-20190424-story.html">ratified</a> King&#8217;s legislative amendments. According to the <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/fl-jj-texas-approves-measure-tweak-law-bars-government-contract-businesses-bds-20190424-story.html">South Florida Sun-Sentinel</a>, King stated from the Texas House floor: &#8220;Two years ago, the Legislature put this policy in place that said we didn&#8217;t want taxpayer dollars being spent to promote a boycott against Israel. The intent of this legislation is to narrow the (law) &#8230; which had some unintended consequences.&#8221; The Sun-Sentinel confirms that King&#8217;s amended law would make categorical exceptions for &#8220;individuals and smaller companies, such as those with fewer than 10 full-time employees or valued under $100,000.&#8221;
Alas, there was still a major setback yesterday for anti-BDS activists. Judge Robert Pitman of the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Texas, an Obama judicial nominee, enjoined enforcement of the initial 2017 statute on First Amendment grounds. The Texas Tribune reports:
<blockquote>
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the enforcement of a state law that prohibits government agencies in Texas from doing business with contractors who are boycotting Israel.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman issued an injunction Thursday against the law, saying it threatens to suppress unpopular ideas and manipulates &#8220;the public debate through coercion rather than persuasion.&#8221;
&#8220;This the First Amendment does not allow,&#8221; he wrote.
</blockquote>
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already announced that he will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Federal Judge Halts A High-Profile Anti-BDS Law In Texas

Israel

Judge

Judiciary

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has promised a teen he will grant his dying wish: &#8220;Outlaw abortion altogether in the state of Texas.&#8221;
Teen cancer patient Jeremiah Thomas had one wish before he died and thanks to the &#8220;Make a Wish&#8221; foundation, he offered that wish to the pro-life governor of Texas. His request: treat abortion &#8220;like an act of murder.&#8221;
&#8220;For my wish, I wanted to talk to you and discuss a bill of abolition [to end abortion],&#8221; said Jeremiah as he cited a poll showing 68% of Texans want the barbaric practice abolished.
&#8220;Sir, you would be representing the demands of Texans if you would pass this bill,&#8221; Jeremiah continued. &#8220;We could end abortion here and now.&#8221;
Abbott received Jeremiah&#8217;s wish and promised him via video that he will grant him such an incredibly unselfish wish.
&#8220;Your wish is on the Republican party platform position,&#8221; Governor Abbott said, &#8220;and we&#8217;re going to be pursuing this&#8230;And that is to outlaw abortion altogether in the state of Texas.&#8221;
&#8220;So, your wish is granted,&#8221; he added.
According to <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/texas-governor-promises-to-honor-pro-life-teens-dying-wish-and-outlaw-abort">LifeSiteNews</a>, the 16-year-old Jeremiah Thomas was an &#8220;all-star, state champion athlete when he was diagnosed with cancer in March 2018.&#8221; He has much experience with the pro-life movement considering that his father, Rusty, serves as the director for Operation Save America (formerly known as Operation Rescue).
&#8220;Jeremiah was diagnosed with osteoblastic osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that is resistant to radiation therapy,&#8221; reports LifeSite. &#8220;The boy had two tumors on his spine and one on his chest. The cancer progressed, defeating treatment. Jeremiah has now become paralyzed from the waist down and is in constant pain.&#8221;
May God grant Jeremiah his wish.
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</div>

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Promises Dying Teen To Outlaw Abortion

Abortion

On Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a press conference that the alleged 17-year-old shooter who killed several of his classmates at Santa Fe High School was illegally in possession of his weapons.
According to Abbott, the shooter was in illegal possession of a .38 revolver and a shotgun that he obtained from his father.
&#8220;Neither of these weapons were owned or legally possessed by the shooter,&#8221; Abbott said. &#8220;It is my information that both of these weapons were obtained by the shooter from his father.&#8221;
&#8220;It is my information at this time that the father legally owned these weapons,&#8221; Abbott continued. &#8220;I have no information at this time whether or not the father was aware that his son had taken these weapons from the father.&#8221;
WATCH:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovAbbott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovAbbott</a>: &#8220;Both of these weapons were obtained by the shooter from his father.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/XqYyPXzmPq">pic.twitter.com/XqYyPXzmPq</a>
&#8212; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/997564044101013505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>

WATCH: Texas Governor Says School Shooter Illegally Possessed Weapons

In October 2016, a Texas woman sent packages laden with explosives to Governor Greg Abbott, President Barack Obama, and Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Carolyn Colvin. The only reason Abbott was not either severely burned or killed was that he did not open the package as designed.
According to <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/365235939/United-States-of-America-vs-Julia-Poff-Court-Document#from_embed">court documents</a>, Julia Poff, 46, was reportedly angry at Abbott because she had not received support from her ex-husband. The package to Obama was detected in screening and rendered safe. The package to Colvin was reportedly motivated by the fact that Poff had applied for Social Security benefits and been denied.
Poff tried to learn the identity of witnesses talking to the FBI and the grand jury, asking her friends not to talk to the FBI. She had been fired from her job at a law firm because she had stolen money from a client.
The court documents stated Poff had been evicted seven times for non-payment of rent, leaving the premises in disrepair with actions including pouring concrete in drains, stuffing potatoes in toilets, and dogs locked in for a week left to defecate and urinate.
The court said that because the evidence against Poff was so strong, it enhanced the risk of Poff fleeing; it also said she represented a safety risk to the community.
Poff <a href="http://www.khou.com/mobile/article/news/crime/woman-accused-of-mailing-explosives-to-gov-abbott-pres-obama/494079350">was charged</a> last week with Injurious Articles as Nonmailable and Transportation of Explosives with the Intent to Kill and Injure.

Texas Governor Abbott Received Explosive Package. He Escaped Death Because He Opened It The Wrong Way.

On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence and Texas Governor Greg Abbott met with survivors of Hurricane Harvey in Rockport, Texas. Standing in front of what remained of the devastated First Baptist Church, both men gave words of encouragement to the 250 or so volunteers there to help the long process of rebuilding.
During the event, a reporter caught on video a moment which powerfully captured the faith and resolve of the Rockport residents:
&#8203;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockport?src=hash">#Rockport</a> residents sing Amazing Grace in front of destroyed First Baptist Church <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PenceInTX?src=hash">#PenceInTX</a> <a href="https://t.co/sNLpkgtSpR">pic.twitter.com/sNLpkgtSpR</a>
&#8212; Julie Garcia (@Caller_Jules) <a href="https://twitter.com/Caller_Jules/status/903297382829494272">August 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
Here&#8217;s a shot of the destroyed church:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Pence has arrived at First Baptist Church of Rockport, where choir chapel destroyed.
Crowd much bigger than expected for prayer service. <a href="https://t.co/H4OGdvwB5j">pic.twitter.com/H4OGdvwB5j</a>
&#8212; Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/903305814370385922">August 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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In his remarks to the people of Rockport, Pence promised that the Trump administration is &#8220;going to stay with you every step until we bring Southeast Texas back bigger and better than ever before.&#8221;
But Pence did not just show up, shake hands and give a speech &#8212; he got to work.
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Sweat dripped off Pence&#8217;s face as he helped Texas&#8217;s Greg Abbott haul tree debris, both in blue work gloves. No coastal breeze, roasting hot. <a href="https://t.co/OjhpoGza8b">pic.twitter.com/OjhpoGza8b</a>
&#8212; Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/903328543551221762">August 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Gov. Abbott likewise vowed to help Rockport rebuild and reminded residents that &#8220;the greatest power that exists is the power of God.&#8221;
&#8220;There is no storm that is as tough as the people of Texas. We will rise again and we will rebuild this town,&#8221; said Abbott, according to <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2017/08/31/vice-president-pence-headed-texas-thursday">The Dallas Morning News</a>. &#8220;It&#8217;s important that we remember that the greatest power that exists is the power of God. &#8230; It was the power of God that was able to pull people out of the water and literally to save them.&#8221;
Abbott also announced and signed at the event a state-wide &#8220;day of prayer&#8221; on Sunday, September 3. Here&#8217;s the full text of the <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-issues-a-proclamation-for-day-of-prayer-in-texas-after-hurr">proclamation</a>:
<blockquote>
WHEREAS, Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast on Friday, August 25, 2017, causing massive destruction along the Coastal Bend before moving up the Texas coast into Central and Southeast Texas resulting in unprecedented flooding and tragic loss of life; and
WHEREAS, Texans have remained strong throughout this ordeal, with neighbor helping neighbor by wading into the flood waters or sorting through wind damage to rescue fellow Texans; and
WHEREAS, the people of Texas are grateful for the outpouring of support and resources from around the country and around the world that have been sent to Texas to assist with the damage as we begin the process of healing and rebuilding; and
WHEREAS, throughout our history, Texans have been strengthened, assured and lifted up through prayer; and
WHEREAS, it is right and fitting that the people of Texas should join with their fellow residents and with others from across the country and around the world to seek God&#8217;s wisdom for ourselves and our leaders and ask for His merciful intervention and healing in this time of crisis;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GREG ABBOTT, Governor of Texas, pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim Sunday, September 3, 2017, as a Day of Prayer in Texas. I urge Texans of all faiths and religious traditions and backgrounds to offer prayers on that day for the safety of our first responders, public safety officers, and military personnel, healing of individuals, rebuilding of communities and the restoration of the entire region struck by this disaster.
</blockquote>

WATCH: Texans Sing &#8216;Amazing Grace&#8217; In Front Of Destroyed Baptist Church

Christianity

Hurricane Harvey

Mike Pence

Religion

Even in a red state like Texas, a transgender bathroom law, known as Senate Bill 6, has caused a tremendous amount of controversy in the capital city of Austin. The state senate, led by Lt. Dan Patrick, is working to vote on the bill during the last week of July as the 30-day special session moves closer to ending.
The issue has sparked emotional debate on both sides of the aisle. The Texas senate Democrats voted almost entirely against the bill, with only one voting in favor.
However, things seemed to have stalled in the state house, where establishment Republican speaker Dan Patrick is refusing to move the bill through committee according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/us/time-is-running-out-on-texas-bathroom-bill.html">The New York Times</a>.
The bill has become a somewhat sensitive topic in the Lone Star State. If passed, it would override city and county authority over the issue and require transgender individuals at public schools, government buildings, and public universities to use the restrooms of their biological sex after growing parental concerns about the nature of allowing anyone into a bathroom. 
With growing pressure from left-wing advocacy group and progressive businesses, even the Republican-controlled state legislature seems to be caving. 
The state house is considering a less-restrictive bill proposed by Representative Jonathan Stickland, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, but he doubts it will even get to a debate. 
Rep. Strickland placed the blame on the bill&#8217;s demise on the House speaker saying, &#8220;I think the Straus team has already decided that they are not going to let it out. He added, &#8220;This is clearly part of a national agenda that is being pushed by the progressive left, and I think that that is just all coming to a head here.&#8221;
For months, Straus refused to meet with Patrick over moving the bill forward, according to the <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/07/straus-and-patrick-meet-special-session-dwindles/">Texas Tribune</a>. 
In July, the Lt. Governor expressed his frustration over the cold shoulder. He said during a press conference, &#8220;I&#8217;ve never had a one-on-one meeting with the speaker the entire session or since the session.&#8221; Patrick continued, &#8220;If he&#8217;s serious, because I&#8217;m serious and the governor&#8217;s serious, then you have to sit down and discuss it and work it out.&#8221;
That same day, Patrick announced his continued support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a staunch supporter of Senate Bill 6. 
Straus finally agreed to a one-on-one meeting with Patrick on Monday. Afterwards, neither verified if the bathroom bill or the house version would move forward, though the Lt. Governor assured constituents that he and the speaker were still communicating in an emailed statement. &#8220;The Speaker and I had a substantive meeting today where we discussed a lot of issues,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We are still talking.&#8221;
While opponents claim that the bill unjustly discriminates against transgendered people, supporters say it will provide an extra layer of protection for children and women from anyone who wants to do them harm by taking advantage of &#8220;pro-transgender&#8221; policies.

TEXAS Having A Tough Time Passing Bathroom Bill To Protect Biological Women

Democratic Party

House Republicans

Republican Party

Transgender

Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are dead serious about restoring the right of religious leaders to express their political preferences without fearing the loss of their tax-exempt status.
That right has been denied to religious leaders since 1954, when the Johnson Amendment was passed, barring religious organizations from contributing to or endorsing political campaigns. 
Abbott and Paxton <a href="http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-governor-greg-abbott-and-attorney-general-ken-paxton-dont-like-the-separation-of-church-and-state-9341852">wrote</a> Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, asserting: 
<blockquote>
Since the Johnson Amendment, however, churches have been kept on the sidelines of political debate. The Free Speech Fairness Act will ensure that churches may once again freely participate in government. Religious liberty is a cornerstone of our republic. From the birth of the nation until passage of the Johnson Amendment, churches and pastors played a vital role in bringing a faith perspective to the pressing political issues of the day.
</blockquote>
The two men said Lyndon B. Johnson, who wrote the amendment, did so to protect his seat in the United States Senate.
Pastor Robert Jeffress has argued that the Johnson Amendment should be repealed because because liberals could use it to silence conservative pastors. He said, &#8220;I want to say this very clearly, I am for repealing the Johnson Amendment not because I want to go around endorsing political candidates, I have no interest in doing that from my church. The Johnson Amendment and the IRS code has been abused by liberals, used by liberals to intimidate pastors.&#8221;
Abbott and Paxton&#8217;s letter was sent one day after a group of 99 religious organizations sent a letter arguing the reverse, stating:
<blockquote>
Houses of worship are spaces for members of religious communities to come together, not be divided along political lines; faith ought to be a source of connection and community, not division and discord. Indeed, the vast majority of Americans do not want houses of worship to issue political endorsements. Particularly in today&#8217;s political climate, such endorsements would be highly divisive and would have a detrimental impact on civil discourse.
</blockquote>
In February, President Trump <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/02/03/513187940/the-johnson-amendment-in-five-questions-and-answers">ripped the Johnson Amendment</a> at the National Prayer Breakfast, saying he would &#8220;get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution.&#8221;

Texas Governor Abbott: Restore Religious Leaders&#8217; Right To Endorse Political Campaigns

Johnson Amendment

LGBT activists decided to stage an unusual protest in front of the Texas governor&#8217;s mansion where Governor Greg Abbott resides in order to show him how upset they are about the Texas bathroom bill. That bill, <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/02/02/dan-patricks-bathroom-bill-trouble-none-teeth?_ga=1.42037089.592981662.1470763671">Senate Bill 6</a>, would permit private businesses to enforce their own bathroom policies but require public schools, state and local government buildings to have people use the facility that corresponds to their biological sex. 
The protest, called the &#8220;Queer Dance Freakout,&#8221; looked like this:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
AUSTIN &#8212; About 75 people are participating in a &#8220;queer dance freakout&#8221; in front of the governor&#8217;s mansion to protest bathroom bill. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txlege?src=hash">#txlege</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qwkz3dZCNy">pic.twitter.com/Qwkz3dZCNy</a>
&#8212; Brian M. Rosenthal (@brianmrosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmrosenthal/status/834920392653438976">February 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The crowd at the &#8220;queer dance freakout&#8221; in front of the Texas governor&#8217;s mansion is growing&#8230; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txlege?src=hash">#txlege</a> <a href="https://t.co/phFoff51Q1">pic.twitter.com/phFoff51Q1</a>
&#8212; Brian M. Rosenthal (@brianmrosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmrosenthal/status/834924205502255104">February 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
It might have behooved the protesters to know this:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The resident of the mansion, Texas Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX">@GregAbbott_TX</a>, is not there. He&#8217;s at the Republican Governor&#8217;s Association meeting in DC. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/txlege?src=hash">#txlege</a>
&#8212; Brian M. Rosenthal (@brianmrosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmrosenthal/status/834926232244482048">February 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
The event&#8217;s Facebook page read:
<blockquote>
Everything is freakier in Tex@$$. Come move your body outside the governor&#8217;s mansion to show we are not going to take the transphobic and homophobic laws Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick and their adminstration have got in the pipeline.
We say NO to anti-transgender bathroom bills. We say NO to marriage equality limitations. We say NO to old men saying what we can and cannot do.
We say YES to shaking our asses. We say YES to the freedoms of the body. We say YES to sweating in the streets while we ride the beat.
We celebrate a queer identity that is INTERSECTIONAL AND TRANS INCLUSIVE
</blockquote>
Move over, Fred Astaire.

Transgender Advocates Protest In Texas With &#8216;Queer Dance Freakout&#8217;

Over the weekend, Governor Greg Abbott <a href="http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2017/02/13/gov-abbott-mocks-nfl-for-opposing-anti-trans-bill">fired back</a> at the NFL after NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy stated on Friday that the NFL would not hold Super Bowls in Texas if Abbott signed a transgender bill into law.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-warns-texas-over-bathroom-bill-no-super-bowl-for-you/">told the Associated Press</a> that <a href="http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2017/01/05/lt-gov-patrick-unleashes-anti-transgender-bill">Texas&#8217; proposed Senate Bill 6</a> would &#8220;certainly be a factor considered when thinking about awarding future events.&#8221; SB 6 states, &#8220;A school district or open-enrollment charter school shall adopt a policy requiring each multiple-occupancy bathroom or changing facility accessible to students that is located in a school or school facility to be designated for and used only by persons based on the person&#8217;s biological sex.&#8221;
On Saturday, Abbott blasted the NFL on Twitter:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
NFL decision makers also benched Tom Brady last season. It ended with NFL handing the Super Bowl trophy to Brady. <a href="https://t.co/Qg06jT9RDp">https://t.co/Qg06jT9RDp</a>
&#8212; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/830512709410123776">February 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
The NFL is imitating the NCAA, which told the state of North Carolina in 2016 it would not hold championship events in the state after North Carolina passed a similar transgender bill.
CBS News <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-warns-texas-over-bathroom-bill-no-super-bowl-for-you/">reported</a>, &#8220;Unlike the North Carolina law, the Texas proposal stops short of some provisions the NCAA singled out when defending its decision to relocate events last fall. That includes language that invalidates local equal-rights ordinances, although there is separate legislation in Texas that could have similar effects.&#8221;
Texas Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick has been leading the charge to get SB 6 passed; his spokesman Alejandro Garcia told AP, &#8220;Despite persistent misinformation in the media, under Senate Bill 6, all Texas teams will be able to set their own policies at the stadiums and arenas where they play and hold their events. There is no conflict with the NFL&#8217;s statement today and Senate Bill 6.&#8221;

Texas Governor Fires Back At NFL For Threats To Ban Super Bowl Because Of Transgender Law

Super Bowl

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has habitually been a thorn in President Obama&#8217;s side as he does not capitulate to the Administration&#8217;s bullying, had a pointed and amusing <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/17/texas-governor-jfk-sent-man-to-moon-obama-wants-to-send-man-to-ladies-room/?utm_campaign=atdailycaller&amp;utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=Social">response</a> to the Obama administration&#8217;s new <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/13/report-obama-administration-to-tell-public-schools-to-let-transgender-students-use-bathrooms-their-choice.html">directive</a> in which the administration threatened to withhold federal funds from schools that refused to allow transgender public school students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice.
<div class="media_embed">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
JFK wanted to send a man to the moon. Obama wants to send a man to the women&#8217;s restroom. We must get our country back on track. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tcot?src=hash">#tcot</a>
&#8212; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/732586745481547776">May 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>
On Monday, appearing on Fox News, Abbott slammed Obama, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/16/politics/greg-abbott-texas-constitution-transgender-bathroom/">stating</a>, &#8220;Understand this, there&#8217;s only one body of the three branches of government that can write the law and that is Congress &#8230; We have a president who decided, well, if Congress is not going to pass the law, he&#8217;s going to impose the law. And so the President is turning the Constitution on its head.&#8221; Noting that Obama only has a few months left so serve as president, Abbott continued, &#8220;He&#8217;s trying to cram down as many parts of his liberal agenda on the United States of America as he possibly can.&#8221;
Abbott had <a href="http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/05/16/texas-gov-greg-abbott-slams-president-obama-transgender-school-bathroom-policy">reacted quickly</a> to Obama&#8217;s directive, stating, &#8220;I announced today that Texas is fighting this. Obama can&#8217;t rewrite the Civil Rights Act. He&#8217;s not a king.&#8221;
<blockquote>
&#8220;He&#8217;s trying to cram down as many parts of his liberal agenda on the United States of America as he possibly can.&#8221;
Greg Abbot on Barack Obama
</blockquote>
Last December, Abbott joined Senator Ted Cruz in <a href="http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/12/cruz-and-abbott-join-forces-to-denounce-obama-on-syrian-refugees.html/">condemning</a> Obama&#8217;s actions to resettle Syrian refugees in Texas, saying, &#8220;America is a charitable nation, but we cannot allow charity for some to compromise the safety for all. Congress intended to give states a substantial role in the refugee resettlement process. The federal government and resettlement agencies have sidestepped that role.&#8221;
As far back as 2012, when Abbott served as his state&#8217;s attorney general, he was <a href="v">fighting Obamacare</a>, getting ready for legal challenges and stating, &#8220;I view this somewhat like the battle of the Alamo. It is a catastrophic loss for the United States and for individual liberty.&#8221;

Texas Governor Drops EPIC Line About Obama’s Transgender Bathroom Plan

Barack Obama

This article has been updated.
On Friday, the Obama administration issued a <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/5713/obama-admin-just-ordered-all-public-schools-let-james-barrett">sweeping edict to all public schools</a>, from kindergarten up, that they must allow children who identify as another sex to use the bathroom and changing room in which they feel most comfortable. After initialing punting <a href="https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/731090049492652032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">saying</a>, &#8220;Right now, I just don&#8217;t have an opinion,&#8221; Republican frontrunner Donald Trump appeared on some mainstream media outlets Friday to make clear that he believed the Obama administration had overreached. 
&#8220;I believe it should be states&#8217; rights and I think the states should make the decision. They&#8217;re more capable of making the decision,&#8221; Trump <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/05/13/3866991-transgender-bathroom-gender-federalism-trump/">told</a> ABC&#8217;s Good Morning America Friday, adding later, &#8220;I think many things actually should be states&#8217; rights, but this is a perfect example of it.&#8221;
On NBC&#8217;s Today Show, Trump made similar remarks, saying he thinks &#8220;this should be a states&#8217; issue&#8221; and suggesting that the whole issue has been blown out of proportion. Transgenders make up &#8220;a tiny, tiny portion of the population,&#8221; he said, but he also stated that &#8220;everybody has to be protected.&#8221;
<blockquote>
&#8220;I believe it should be states&#8217; rights and I think the states should make the decision.&#8221;
Donald Trump
</blockquote>
Trump has signaled in the past that he leans toward the LGBT side of the &#8220;transgender bathroom&#8221; debate, announcing that former male Olympian Caitlyn Jenner could use the women&#8217;s bathroom at Trump Tower (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/28/politics/caitlyn-jenner-bathroom-trump-tower-donald-trump/">which Jenner took him up on</a>) and openly <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/trump-transgender-bathroom-north-carolina/479316/">criticizing</a> North Carolina&#8217;s bathroom bill at a rally in April for being too &#8220;strong,&#8221; though he walked back his criticism a day later by emphasizing states&#8217; rights.
&#8220;One of the best answers I heard was from a commentator yesterday, saying, &#8216;Leave it the way it is!'&#8221; Trump <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/trump-transgender-bathroom-north-carolina/479316/">said</a> of the North Carolina law at an April 21 rally. &#8220;North Carolina, what they&#8217;re going through with all the business that&#8217;s leave and all the strife, and that&#8217;s on both sides. You leave it the way it is&#8230; There have been very few complaints the way it is. People go, they use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate. There has been so little trouble. And the problem with what happened in North Carolina is the strife and economic punishment that they&#8217;re taking.&#8221;
On Fox News the next day, he walked back the comments a little and approached the issue from the angle of states&#8217; rights.
&#8220;I love North Carolina, and they have a law, and it&#8217;s a law that, you know, unfortunately is causing them some problems. And I fully understand that they want to go through, but they are losing business, and they are having people come out against [the law],&#8221; Trump <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-north-carolina-transgender-bathroom-law-election-2016/">told</a> Sean Hannity, adding, &#8220;I think that local communities and states should make the decision. And I feel very strongly about that. The federal government should not be involved.&#8221;
As for other Republicans&#8217; reactions to the Obama administration&#8217;s massive overreach of executive authority: several have already responded, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who announced Thursday that he will be suing the Department of Education over the issue:

<div class="media_embed">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I announced today that Texas is fighting this. Obama can&#8217;t rewrite the Civil Rights Act. He&#8217;s not a King. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tcot?src=hash">#tcot</a> <a href="https://t.co/vDgfQPZXjR">https://t.co/vDgfQPZXjR</a>
&#8212; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/730968042281144320">May 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>

Trump Responds To Obama&#8217;s Transgender Bathroom Decree

Donald Trump

Gender

LGBT

Obama Administration

Sexuality

A Houston grand jury has decided to indict the creators of the <a href="http://www.centerformedicalprogress.org/cmp/investigative-footage/">videos</a> exposing the seedy underbelly of Planned Parenthood&#8217;s baby parts business. 
The Center for Medical Progress&#8217;s David Daleiden and another anti-abortion activist, Sandra Merritt, are facing the indictment from a <a href="http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Harris-grand-jury-indicts-pair-behind-Planned-6782865.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop">Harris County grand jury</a>. According to <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/266958-creator-of-planned-parenthood-videos-indicted-in-texas">The Hill</a>, while jurors concluded that they did not find evidence of illegal activity by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, they did say they believed Daleiden was guilty of foul play:
<blockquote>
&#8230;Daleiden was indicted for &#8220;prohibition of the purchase and sale of human organs.&#8221; He and Merritt were both indicted for &#8220;tampering with a governmental record.&#8221;
&#8220;It is an affirming day for Planned Parenthood,&#8221; Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast spokeswoman Rochelle Tafolla said, according to the Houston Chronicle. &#8220;We feel vindicated.&#8221;
Planned Parenthood has repeatedly accused Daleiden of breaking the law to create his videos, including falsifying government IDs to enter restricted areas like conferences for abortion providers.
Earlier this month, the national organization went on the offensive against Daleiden by filing a lawsuit in federal court accusing the Center for Medical Progress of unlawful behavior ranging from secret taping to trespassing.
</blockquote>
Some political observers have pointed out that the indictment is ironic and seems to be self-contradictory:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m a little confused here. If PP wasn&#8217;t selling anything, how could CMP possibly be buying something? <a href="https://t.co/4DRhBxX4tg">https://t.co/4DRhBxX4tg</a>
&#8212; Sean Davis (@seanmdav) <a href="https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/691759488282542080">January 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m a bit baffled as to how you indict the buyer, but not the seller, of a product that allegedly doesn&#8217;t even exist <a href="https://t.co/4DRhBxX4tg">https://t.co/4DRhBxX4tg</a>
&#8212; Sean Davis (@seanmdav) <a href="https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/691759652908974081">January 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
RedState&#8217;s Jay Caruso <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/266958-creator-of-planned-parenthood-videos-indicted-in-texas">writes,</a> &#8220;Can you believe the irony here? Planned Parenthood was selling organs. A practice they stopped despite all claims they were doing absolutely nothing wrong and yet is David Daleiden and his associate who are indicted.&#8221;
The Federalist <a href="http://thefederalist.com/2016/01/25/houston-grand-indicts-david-daleiden-for-organ-trafficking-issues-no-charges-against-planned-parenthood/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=011216-news&amp;utm_campaign=benshapiro">points out</a> that one of the prosecutors in the Harris County District Attorney&#8217;s office, Lauren Reeder, served as a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood in 2009 and has been a board member of the organization since 2013.
<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2016/01/25/grand-jury-ignores-planned-parenthood-selling-aborted-babies-indicts-man-behind-videos-instead/">LifeNews</a> provides a brief summary of one of the videos which shows that Planned Parenthood may have violated the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which &#8220;requires abortion clinics, hospitals and other places that do abortions to provide appropriate medical care for a baby born alive after a failed abortion or purposefully birthed to &#8216;let die'&#8221;: (emphasis bolded)
<blockquote>
[Director of Research for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast Melissa] Farrell finally summarizes her affiliate&#8217;s approach to fetal tissue payments: &#8220;If we alter our process, and we are able to obtain intact fetal cadavers, we can make it part of the budget that any dissections are this, and splitting the specimens into different shipments is this. It&#8217;s all just a matter of line items.&#8221;
Farrell also indicates to the investigators over lunch that the specimen sales from her department contribute significantly to Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast&#8217;s overall finances: &#8220;I think everyone realizes, especially because my department contributes so much to the bottom line of our organization here, you know we&#8217;re one of the largest affiliates, our Research Department is the largest in the United States. Larger than any the other affiliates&#8217; combined.&#8221;
At one point in the video, Planned Parenthood staff show off the body of a 20-week old twin baby aborted and sold for parts.
</blockquote>
Texas Gov. Greg Abbot (R)&#8212;who has been aggressively going after Planned Parenthood since the videos were first released&#8212;issued a <a href="http://www.redstate.com/2016/01/25/texas-grand-jury-indicts-center-medical-progress-planned-parenthood-sale-fetal-organs/">statement</a>. 
&#8220;The Health and Human Service Commission&#8217;s Inspector General and the Attorney General&#8217;s office have an ongoing investigation into Planned Parenthood&#8217;s actions,&#8221; wrote Abbot. &#8220;Nothing about today&#8217;s announcement in Harris County impacts the state&#8217;s ongoing investigation. The State of Texas will continue to protect life, and I will continue to support legislation prohibiting the sale or transfer of fetal tissue.&#8221;

Grand Jury Indicts Creator of Planned Parenthood Videos

Planned Parenthood

On Thursday, the FBI arrested two Muslim men on terrorism charges in California and Texas. Both suspects are Muslim refugees from Iraq.
&#8220;A <a href="http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/811696/download">criminal complaint unsealed Thursday</a> accuses Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, 23, of traveling to Syria to fight alongside terrorist organizations and lying to investigators about it,&#8221; <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/01/07/two-arrested-including-refugee-from-iraq-on-terrorism-related-charges/">reports</a> The Blaze. &#8220;The complaint said Al-Jayab, a Palestinian born in Iraq who came to the United States as an Iraqi refugee in October 2012, communicated on social media about his intent to return to Syria to fight for terrorist organizations, discussing his previous experience fighting against the regime in Syria. When he was interviewed by citizenship officials, he lied about his travels and ties, the complaint alleges.&#8221;
Al-Jayab resided in California. Federal law enforcement authorities detained the suspect on Thursday morning in Sacramento. Later Thursday, federal officials confirmed that they had <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/01/08/iraq-born-refugees-arrested-on-terror-charges-in-california-texas.html">arrested three of al-Jayab&#8217;s relatives</a> in Milwaukee, though they said the cause was not national security-related. 
<blockquote>
&#8220;This is precisely why I called for a halt to refugees entering the U.S. from countries substantially controlled by terrorists.&#8221;
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
</blockquote>
The second suspect, Omar Faraj Saeed al-Hardan, 24, was arrested under similar circumstances in Texas. Al-Hardan is accused of providing material support to Islamic State, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sacramento-security-idUSKBN0UM02W20160108">reports</a> Reuters. He gained entrance into the U.S. as a refugee in November 2009, becoming a legal resident in 2011. According to a court document, Al-Hardan was living Houston.
The indictment <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/01/08/iraq-born-refugees-arrested-on-terror-charges-in-california-texas.html">accuses</a> al-Hardan of &#8220;unlawfully and knowingly attempt[ing] to provide material support and resources &#8230; training, expert advice and assistance, to a foreign terrorist organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq.&#8221; Al-Hardan is accused of hiding his association with ISIS on his citizenship application and lying to immigration authorities about receiving machine gun training.
The latest developments lend credence to the theory that Muslim refugees from war-torn and terror-ridden Islamic countries pose a threat to national security.
In the wake of the arrests, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott reiterated his opposition tp the Obama administration&#8217;s proposal to resettle around 10,000 Syrian refugees in the American heartland against the wishes of many governors across the country. 

&#8220;This is precisely why I called for a halt to refugees entering the U.S. from countries substantially controlled by terrorists,&#8221; <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/01/08/iraq-born-refugees-arrested-on-terror-charges-in-california-texas.html">said</a> Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. &#8220;I once again urge the President to halt the resettlement of these refugees in the United States until there is an effective vetting process that will ensure refugees do not compromise the safety of Americans and Texans.&#8221;
For months now, Republican governors, and even a few Democrats, from coast to coast vocalized grave concerns about the potential threats that Muslim refugees may pose to American citizens. 
Image (AP): &#8220;Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, left, is escorted by U.S. Marshals from the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse on Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, in Houston. Al Hardan made his initial appearance in federal court in Houston Friday morning after he was indicted Wednesday on three charges related to accusations he tried to provide material support to the Islamic State group.&#8221;

Two Arrested on Terrorism Charges in California and Texas. They Were Muslim &#8216;Refugees.&#8217;

California

Islam

Islamic State (ISIS)

National Security

Terrorism

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a fierce defender of states&#8217; rights, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-constitution-idUSKBN0UM2CG20160108">wants nine new amendments</a> to the Constitution that would protect the states.
On Friday, Abbott, who was formerly the Texas attorney general, called for a &#8220;Convention of States to fix the cracks in our Constitution.&#8221; <a href="http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2016/01/gov-greg-abbott-calls-for-constitutional-convention-to-take-back-states-rights.html/">Speaking</a> at the Texas Public Policy Foundation&#8217;s Policy Orientation, he explained, &#8220;If we are going to fight for, protect and hand on to the next generation, the freedom that [President] Reagan spoke of &#8230; then we have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in America,&#8221; adding, &#8220;The irony for our generation is that the threat to our Republic doesn&#8217;t come just from foreign enemies, it comes, in part, from our very own leaders.&#8221;
The Dallas Morning News reported that the changes Abbott he would like to implement through amendments include:
<ol>
<li>Prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one state.</li>
<li>Require Congress to balance its budget.</li>
<li>Prohibit administrative agencies from creating federal law.</li>
<li>Prohibit administrative agencies from pre-empting state law.</li>
<li>Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.</li>
<li>Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law.</li>
<li>Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.</li>
<li>Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds.</li>
<li>Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a federal law or regulation.</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
&#8220;If we are going to fight for, protect and hand on to the next generation, the freedom that [President] Reagan spoke of &#8230; then we have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in America.&#8221;
Texas Governor Greg Abbott
</blockquote>
Passing an amendment to the Constitution requires the approval of three-fourths of the states for a change, but Abbott is undaunted, He asserted, &#8220;The cure to these problems will not come from Washington D.C. Instead, the states must lead the way. The Texas plan fixes this government run amok.&#8221;

Abbott has been <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/11/09/texas-gov-greg-abbott-has-message-for-obama-after-court-rules-against-executive-immigration-action/">leading the charge</a> against the Obama Administration, heading the fight in court to block Obama&#8217;s executive order on immigration.

Defiant Texas Governor Has Plan For States To Take Back Power From Feds

Constitution

Immigration

<div>
President Obama says he&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2016-01-03-03-37-16">fired up</a>&#8221; for his final year in office, which he plans to use to aggressively push forward his progressive agenda. First on the list: <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/2252/report-obama-unveil-gun-control-executive-orders-james-barrett">executive orders on gun control</a>, which though not as ambitious as what he&#8217;d called for after Sandy Hook, will still move the country a little closer to the Left&#8217;s ultimate goal of <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/463/hillary-calls-total-gun-confiscation-just-ben-shapiro">Australia-esque gun confiscation</a>. But one particularly vocal advocate for Second Amendment rights, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, has indicated that he won&#8217;t stand idly by while Obama changes federal gun laws by executive fiat.
&#8220;Obama wants to impose more gun control. My response? COME &amp; TAKE IT,&#8221; Abbott <a href="http://www.infowars.com/texas-governor-challenges-obama-on-gun-control-come-and-take-it/">tweeted</a> New Year&#8217;s Day. 

<div class="media_embed">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Obama wants to impose more gun control. My response.#? COME &amp; TAKE IT <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA">@NRA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tcot?src=hash">#tcot</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PJNET?src=hash">#PJNET</a> <a href="https://t.co/RUPbcev5jY">https://t.co/RUPbcev5jY</a> <a href="https://t.co/8VNwisj966">pic.twitter.com/8VNwisj966</a>
&#8212; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/682996849981046784">January 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
As <a href="http://www.infowars.com/texas-governor-challenges-obama-on-gun-control-come-and-take-it/">InfoWars</a> points out, Abbott hasn&#8217;t been shy in the past about expressing his pro-Second Amendment stance:

<div class="media_embed">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m EMBARRASSED: Texas #2 in nation for new gun purchases, behind CALIFORNIA. Let&#8217;s pick up the pace Texans. <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA">@NRA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ry2GInbS1g">https://t.co/Ry2GInbS1g</a>
&#8212; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/659427797853536256">October 28, 2015</a></blockquote>
</div>
While President Obama <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2016-01-03-03-37-16">huddles</a> with his fellow social justice progressive Attorney General Loretta Lynch to &#8220;discuss a three-month review of what steps he could take to reduce gun violence,&#8221; Abbott is pursuing his own conservative agenda. The day Abbott tweeted <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_and_take_it">the famous phrase</a>, a <a href="http://abc13.com/news/question-and-answers-about-texas-open-carry-law/1143312/">new open carry law</a> came into effect in Texas, which allows citizens with licenses to openly carry holstered handguns. 
According to reports, Obama&#8217;s <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/2252/report-obama-unveil-gun-control-executive-orders-james-barrett">executive orders on gun control</a> will likely include requiring some small-scale gun sellers (those who do not primarily make a living off gun sales) to be licensed, which will require them to perform background checks, tightening rules for buyers and sellers in reporting lost or stolen guns, and potentially banning people on the no-fly list from purchasing guns.

After crushing far-left Democrat Wendy Davis (who recently <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/1733/wendy-davis-explains-why-shes-unprincipled-hack-amanda-prestigiacomo">admitted to lying</a> about her stance on gun rights) <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2014/governor/tx/texas_governor_abbott_vs_davis-3596.html">by 20 points</a> in the Texas 2014 gubernatorial election, Abbott has enjoyed high <a href="http://www.tribtalk.org/2015/06/25/5-takeaways-from-the-new-uttt-poll/">approval ratings</a> in the state, particularly among the Republican base. 
Image (AP): Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at his inauguration ceremony, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, in Austin, Texas. Abbott is the first Texas wheelchair-bound governor.

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