88th Texas Legislature

[South Austin 52475]

8 minutes ago, Captainant said:

The problem is the state doesn't give even one half of a fuck about children. They're a useful totem in the culture wars, but their protection, nurturing, and development into healthy adults is empirically NOT a priority for the state.

The State of Texas does not believe that children are our future.  It doesn't want to teach them well and let them lead the way, or show them all the beauty they possess inside.  Nor does it give them a sense of pride to make it easier, or let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be.

[hookemATL 11717]

[BearSchlong 8087]

Providing attorneys to all parents who have kids removed is actually a great idea, IMO.

With the anonymous reporting, I wonder if that information will still be redacted from court filings and reports? What I mean is, someone can no longer call in a report without providing that info, but that info is still protected, like it is now? I would hope so. Otherwise, that’s fucked.

The whole system is borked. I’ve worked a ton on CPS cases and I can tell you that a lot of stuff goes the opposite way than you describe. Parents getting railroaded by shit judges with no regard for the family code or rules of evidence, etc.

The problem is, to me, is that they are just so grossly underfunded, which causes carelessness and corner-cutting that consistently fucks up in either direction.

I agree with your first point.

Unsure about the anonymous reporting, I’ll try to find out more. I think it is to cut down on CPS being the go-to number to call during custody disputes. The calls rack up when it’s time for parents to legally hand over their kids and they don’t want to do they try to use the state as interference.

I tell my wife this legislation is a good thing, the first time they get blamed for a child death they can wave this paper around and say “not on us, parent was non-compliant, talk to the judge or your legislator.” My guess is that public defender’s budgets will get emptied and the courts clogged up, but CPS will be less involved in “social work” stuff. It absolves the agency, IMO.

To your point about parents being railroaded - it’s interesting because I don’t get to see that side, but I do not doubt it happens. I only get the amateur bystander’s look at the worst of the worst cases.

I do believe that this will increase the number of child deaths, though.

[DanRydell 799]

On 8/14/2023 at 2:38 PM, hornmpa96 said:

Yep - The Rural Rs in the House haven’t gotten onboard yet. Hopefully they continue holding out.

They still don't have the votes but it's a fairly thing margin. Assuming this next special goes nowhere, Abbott is going to call them back after the new year in the middle of primaries to really try to put the screws to the holdouts.

[scottsins 1966]

I agree with your first point.

Unsure about the anonymous reporting, I’ll try to find out more. I think it is to cut down on CPS being the go-to number to call during custody disputes. The calls rack up when it’s time for parents to legally hand over their kids and they don’t want to do they try to use the state as interference.

I tell my wife this legislation is a good thing, the first time they get blamed for a child death they can wave this paper around and say “not on us, parent was non-compliant, talk to the judge or your legislator.” My guess is that public defender’s budgets will get emptied and the courts clogged up, but CPS will be less involved in “social work” stuff. It absolves the agency, IMO.

To your point about parents being railroaded - it’s interesting because I don’t get to see that side, but I do not doubt it happens. I only get the amateur bystander’s look at the worst of the worst cases.

I do believe that this will increase the number of child deaths, though.

I did a little digging. The reports of abuse are still confidential, so the identity of reporters is not disclosed. The new change is that the report can not be made anonymously.

As far as the provision for parents’ legal representation, my understanding is that there will be lawyers contracted for a reduced rate for low income families. These would be parents who do not fit the usual indigency standard who currently get a free court appointed lawyer.

[BearSchlong 8087]

Thanks for that.

The fact that this wasn’t a political issue makes me thinks the agency asked for the legislation, because it removes a lot of the decision making and puts it on the courts.

What do you think?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13511]

On 8/22/2023 at 12:14 PM, demos said:

https://www.currentrevolt.com/p/texas-sen-charles-schwertners-arrest

What a dumbass

Love the poll at the bottom of the story. Does someone here run this site?

 

 

[softlynow 1814]

6 hours ago, scottsins said:

I did a little digging. The reports of abuse are still confidential, so the identity of reporters is not disclosed. The new change is that the report can not be made anonymously.

As far as the provision for parents’ legal representation, my understanding is that there will be lawyers contracted for a reduced rate for low income families. These would be parents who do not fit the usual indigency standard who currently get a free court appointed lawyer.

 

2 hours ago, BearSchlong said:

Thanks for that.

The fact that this wasn’t a political issue makes me thinks the agency asked for the legislation, because it removes a lot of the decision making and puts it on the courts.

What do you think?

Where I practice every one of those cases already has a court-appointed attorney for every parent and an ad litem attorney for the child(ren). This may be a way to help poorer counties get attorneys on the appointment wheels who are actually somewhat competent to be on that wheel. I've witnessed opening statements in a CPS trial where a parent's attorney couldn't remember his client's name, did not know he was actually emplolyed, and whose grasp of the facts of the case seemed to stop with the general understanding that children tend to have parents.

The changes for Sept. 1 seem simply be "Miranda for CPS," (which isn't a substantive change, just a notice/procedure change) and the requirement to report your name when calling in to CPS (which I think was correctly stated above as more to help keep CPS out of high-conflict, non-abuse/neglect custody matters). Which is to say that I don't see huge changes here.

Y'all need to remember that the crazies that run this state still see CPS as an enemy because of CPS playing it straight in the Younger case (case worker testifying that the child ID'd as a girl, tesifying that the child was afraid of the father). Even though Abbott turned around and tried to weaponize CPS against families who listen to their children and follow the advice of medical professionals, the whackjobs do not see CPS as an agency that needs funding. In 2021 the legislature made it slightly harder to remove children from their parents. That bill was a mixed bag, and part of it was getting rid of marijuana as an almost instant neglect finding, part was because the foster system is overloaded and the last thing people want to do is spend money on things that matter, but the train was driven by CPS getting put in the crosshairs by the Texas GOPs brain-dead base.

Phelan, I do believe, is trying to hold back the nutters from gutting CPS completely (unless you're kid is trans and you're acting appropriately).

[BearSchlong 8087]

^

Knows his shit.

[Guest]

Back for Session #3.

In one corner, Dan "Million Dollar Dan" Patrick who has lashed out at the House and told the speaker to resign for bringing impeachment while also pocketing $3 million from a group that just met with Nick Fuentes. In the other, Dade "California Dade" Phelan who may or may not have been under the influence at one point and called out Patrick to return the $3 million and to denounce "Hitler Apologists."

Sitting on the sidelines and seemingly not good at bringing anyone together to get what he wants passed is Greg "It Could of Been Worse" Abbott. Abbott, who has long been a champion of school vouchers -- or at least since a couple of months ago when it became the cause du jour among donors. Just ignore the weird way he pronounces the name of the state.

Let's get it on!

[Guest]

Rep. Tinderholt mixing it up with Phelan on Day 1. 

[Beau Vine 54213]

24 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Back for Session #3.

In one corner, Dan "Million Dollar Dan" Patrick who has lashed out at the House and told the speaker to resign for bringing impeachment while also pocketing $3 million from a group that just met with Nick Fuentes. In the other, Dade "California Dade" Phelan who may or may not have been under the influence at one point and called out Patrick to return the $3 million and to denounce "Hitler Apologists."

Sitting on the sidelines and seemingly not good at bringing anyone together to get what he wants passed is Greg "It Could of Been Worse" Abbott. Abbott, who has long been a champion of school vouchers -- or at least since a couple of months ago when it became the cause du jour among donors. Just ignore the weird way he pronounces the name of the state.

Let's get it on!

[tx 3 putt 76911]

Can humus fire a missile at the capitol ?

[Guest]

First the gossip:
 

Then the real news:
 

 

[Voldemort86 2259]

On 8/3/2023 at 12:15 PM, StassneyHorn said:

Some nice demographic info out of the latest registration numbers. Show yourself Derek

 

Need more rural to die quicker please.

[atomheartbevo 89656]

This is the kind of infighting in the Texas GOP I wanted to see.

[Bozo_Casanova 26447]

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

A $75 per student increase comes out to... 1.2%

[tx 3 putt 76911]

Let them fight, hopefully the all kill one another 

[CooterBrown 18006]

Wait until they add home schoolers to the voucher program. It’s coming.

[TexEx15 17510]

In a normal state people like this would be leading. Unfortunately we are stuck with people like Dan Patrick…

[scottsins 1966]

Wait until they add home schoolers to the voucher program. It’s coming.

They already get the coat of homeschooling programs/software subsidized by the state, so we already pay for people to homeschool their kids. So yeah, of course they will just dump some more of our tax dollars to pay Cletus to “teach” his kids.

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13584]

The Texas Tribune piece on the Texas GOP and white nationalist Nick Fuentes 

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/09/dade-phelan-speaker-nick-fuentes-dan-patrick-defend-texas-liberty/

Quote

Acting on a tip, a Tribune reporter and photographer on Friday observed Fuentes and others — including Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of homicide after killing two men at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020 — enter the one-story office of Pale Horse Strategies outside of Fort Worth. Pale Horse Strategies is a consulting firm owned by Stickland to advise far-right candidates; it has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Defend Texas Liberty PAC, where he also serves as president.

.Republican Party of Texas Chair Matt Rinaldi also was also observed visiting the office for about 45 minutes while Fuentes was there, though Rinaldi told the Tribune on Sunday that he had no idea that Fuentes was inside, condemned him and said he wouldn’t meet with him “in a million years.”

 

[Captainant 27656]

2 hours ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

The Texas Tribune piece on the Texas GOP and white nationalist Nick Fuentes 

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/09/dade-phelan-speaker-nick-fuentes-dan-patrick-defend-texas-liberty/

 

What the actual fuck why is shittinhouse giving republicans strategy tips?? Are they planning on going out looking for "looters" to do a vigilante on?

[Neonmoon 38129]

Republicans are nazis 

Duh 

[CooterBrown 18006]

4 hours ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

Pale Horse Strategies is a consulting firm owned by Stickland to advise far-right candidates

 

 

Two options for the name of that firm:

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

or the government conspiracy book:

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13584]

Oh yeah, it's maximum edgelord-ism and a perfect fit for giggle dork Fuentes.

[Pescado_Rojo 19416]

12 hours ago, TexEx15 said:

In a normal state people like this would be leading. Unfortunately we are stuck with people like Dan Patrick…

Talarico was my state rep before redistricting. Very smart guy who would have a bright future in a purple or blue state. 

[Guest]

 

[Texas73 420]

I'd rather have a drunk Dade Phelan than a sober Ken Paxton.

[Satchel 6938]

11 minutes ago, Texas73 said:

I'd rather have a drunk Dade Phelan than a sober Ken Paxton.

This is tee shirt and bumper sticker worthy.

[pacman 7355]

On 10/9/2023 at 3:58 PM, FirstTimeCaller said:

A $75 per student increase comes out to... 1.2%

School choice went as expected..

 

 

[Texas Jeff 1945]

On 10/9/2023 at 3:58 PM, FirstTimeCaller said:

A $75 per student increase comes out to... 1.2%

Texas has about 5.2 million kids enrolled in K-12.  Providing $5.2 billion for 5.2 million is easy math ... $1000 per kid.  How does that end up being only $75 per kid?

Even a $3000 one time bonus adds maybe $200 per kid, and it's a one-time thing.

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

Texas has about 5.2 million kids enrolled in K-12.  Providing $5.2 billion for 5.2 million is easy math ... $1000 per kid.  How does that end up being only $75 per kid?

Even a $3000 one time bonus adds maybe $200 per kid, and it's a one-time thing.

I assume the rest goes to the other factors.

[tokamak 6422]

34 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

Texas has about 5.2 million kids enrolled in K-12.  Providing $5.2 billion for 5.2 million is easy math ... $1000 per kid.  How does that end up being only $75 per kid?

Even a $3000 one time bonus adds maybe $200 per kid, and it's a one-time thing.

There's a bunch of other stuff in that $5.2bn. Teachers either get a $3k or $10k one-time bonus, depending on district size. It also doubles the amount each school gets from the state for "safety upgrades" and adds some money to the state's fund for teacher incentive pay.

Here's the Trib's breakdown: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/09/special-session-school-vouchers-dan-patrick-dade-phelan/

Spoiler

SB 2 would raise the basic allotment — the base amount of money schools get per student — from $6,160 to $6,235. This money is used to pay for the day-to-day operations of a district and can be used to increase teacher salaries.

The bill also includes a one-time pay bonus for teachers. Those in districts with less than 5,000 students would receive a $10,000 payment while those in districts with more than 5,000 students would receive a $3,000 payment.

This provision is similar to legislation that Creighton tried to pass during the regular session. Creighton said he wanted to give teachers in small districts more because they are usually paid less.

A Texas Tribune analysis shows that teachers in major suburban and urban school districts get paid an average of about $61,432, almost $10,000 more than those teaching in rural areas.

However, teachers and unions have criticized the use of districts’ student enrollment to decide which educators get the bigger bonus, saying it’s a less-than-ideal way to determine who needs the money the most. Costs of living are usually higher in larger metropolitan areas.

SB 2 would also expand and increase funding to the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that promises to pay teachers up to six-figure salaries if they meet certain performance requirements. About 13,000 teachers, or about 4% of the state’s educators, are currently part of the program.

And finally, the bill increases funding that goes to school for safety upgrades. Under House Bill 3, the flagship school safety law passed in May, schools received $15,000 per campus for security upgrades and an additional $10 per student attendance. SB 2 would amend those amounts and instead give schools $30,000 per campus and $20 per student attendance.

 

[Guest]

 

[Js1 85313]

40 minutes ago, tokamak said:

There's a bunch of other stuff in that $5.2bn. Teachers either get a $3k or $10k one-time bonus, depending on district size. It also doubles the amount each school gets from the state for "safety upgrades" and adds some money to the state's fund for teacher incentive pay.

Here's the Trib's breakdown: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/09/special-session-school-vouchers-dan-patrick-dade-phelan/

  Reveal hidden contents

SB 2 would raise the basic allotment — the base amount of money schools get per student — from $6,160 to $6,235. This money is used to pay for the day-to-day operations of a district and can be used to increase teacher salaries.

The bill also includes a one-time pay bonus for teachers. Those in districts with less than 5,000 students would receive a $10,000 payment while those in districts with more than 5,000 students would receive a $3,000 payment.

This provision is similar to legislation that Creighton tried to pass during the regular session. Creighton said he wanted to give teachers in small districts more because they are usually paid less.

A Texas Tribune analysis shows that teachers in major suburban and urban school districts get paid an average of about $61,432, almost $10,000 more than those teaching in rural areas.

However, teachers and unions have criticized the use of districts’ student enrollment to decide which educators get the bigger bonus, saying it’s a less-than-ideal way to determine who needs the money the most. Costs of living are usually higher in larger metropolitan areas.

SB 2 would also expand and increase funding to the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that promises to pay teachers up to six-figure salaries if they meet certain performance requirements. About 13,000 teachers, or about 4% of the state’s educators, are currently part of the program.

And finally, the bill increases funding that goes to school for safety upgrades. Under House Bill 3, the flagship school safety law passed in May, schools received $15,000 per campus for security upgrades and an additional $10 per student attendance. SB 2 would amend those amounts and instead give schools $30,000 per campus and $20 per student attendance.

 

Somewhere, there's a teeny tiny little footnote that exempts HISD from those bonuses bc it is under TEA control.  "Oops, sorry. Those 11,000 teachers get diddly.  But we did manage to find enough for a $3million bonus for Mike Miles! 

[Texas Jeff 1945]

Also, the increased money for security is not going to teachers. The state is mandating that schools have someone at each campus ready to blast away, but did not provide enough money to fund the blasters.

So districts are creating or expanding police forces, at a cost higher than what the state is providing, leaving even less money for teachers.

I know this is a crazy counter proposal but perhaps we could not sell guns to young people and instead provide them with more mental health resources.

[Doc Sam Beckett 5792]

Million Dollar Dan versus California Dade is fucking hilarious. 

I generally tend to side with the ladies on the board in condemning the bullshit that Dan Patrick is a lesbian from Vermont.....but......maybe

[WithoutAClue 15351]

[Guest]

Phelan shutting down Tinderholt on the House floor. Lol.

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

Bob Hall just equated Covid vaccines with human experiments in Nazi Germany. And then he called it "the Covid".

 

[TexEx15 17510]

This is fucking bullshit and unconstitutional in Texas. 
 

Article 7, Section 1.

“Sec. 1. SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF SYSTEM OF PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS. A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.”

[Chad Fuck 17672]

This is fucking bullshit and unconstitutional in Texas. 
 
Article 7, Section 1.
“Sec. 1. SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE OF SYSTEM OF PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS. A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.”

I guess you didn’t get the memo that the Constitution doesn’t matter to the GQP anymore. And apparently, based on the arguments in CO, there are questions about whether executives need to uphold it.*

*Yes I know that is an Cheeto Benito IS Constitutional argument, but does it really matter at this point?

[CooterBrown 18006]

On 10/11/2023 at 11:08 AM, Texas Jeff said:

Also, the increased money for security is not going to teachers. The state is mandating that schools have someone at each campus ready to blast away, but did not provide enough money to fund the blasters.

So districts are creating or expanding police forces, at a cost higher than what the state is providing, leaving even less money for teachers.

I know this is a crazy counter proposal but perhaps we could not sell guns to young people and instead provide them with more mental health resources.

Hey now. Our elementary is currently getting a security fence. It is an 8 foot tall cyclone fence. It won't stop a bullet but it will slow down someone for about the 10 seconds it takes to walk down to one of the entrances since they don't have any doors. Or, I guess you could just come in on the parking lot side since they didn't put a fence there since there's no room for it.

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by CooterBrown

[YGIFS 19450]

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parent-empowerment-rally-austin-tx-tickets-727548756917?aff=oddtdtcreator

School bill rally by TPPF on Monday.  I've got to be at the Capitol that morning anyway, and TPPF usually gets good catering for lunch.  So come on by, don't bother with the mouth-breathing protest and address  by Gov. Abbott afterwards.  But the part that caught my eye was the "sign making activity" beforehand.  I have a number of ideas.  I know you sick bastards do too as well.  

"I went through 91 counties with no private schools to get to the Texas Capitol this morning.  And all I got was this stupid sign."  If nothing else, come hear what these dipshits say behind "closed" doors.  Maybe we can hit up Chili Parlor afterwards.  

[Ghost of LL 15531]

4 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parent-empowerment-rally-austin-tx-tickets-727548756917?aff=oddtdtcreator

School bill rally by TPPF on Monday.  I've got to be at the Capitol that morning anyway, and TPPF usually gets good catering for lunch.  So come on by, don't bother with the mouth-breathing protest and address  by Gov. Abbott afterwards.  But the part that caught my eye was the "sign making activity" beforehand.  I have a number of ideas.  I know you sick bastards do too as well.  

"I went through 91 counties with no private schools to get to the Texas Capitol this morning.  And all I got was this stupid sign."  If nothing else, come hear what these dipshits say behind "closed" doors.  Maybe we can hit up Chili Parlor afterwards.  

"Box lunches"?  No, thank you.

[YGIFS 19450]

"Boxed" then?  I dunno, just wanna hear these nutbags in close quarters.  How about you don't eat, we make signs, hear Abbott, and then retire to Chili Parlor, Waffle House, or more appropriate environs?  They're pulling out every fucking stop to turn the same 20-30 reps on this.  And it's not working.  TPPF has raised $2mm in the last month on this issue alone to supplement what's already gone on for the last 9 fucking months.  I like watching people get "boxed" into a corner.