79th LEGISLATURE
Lawmakers fail to reach key goals
1,370 measures OK’d, but school finance and property tax relief not among them.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
One hundred forty days ago, Texas lawmakers came to Austin promising to find a fair and legal way to pay for public education and to lower school property taxes.
During the next five months, they passed a two-year state budget that’s more than 10 percent larger than the current budget. They garnered national attention by trying to ban sexy cheerleading in high schools. And they sent 1,370 bills to Gov. Rick Perry, including overhauls of the state’s workers’ compensation and Child Protective Services systems.
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So the legislature couldn’t pass the basic legislation needed to run the state, but managed to pass a discriminitory gay marriage constitutional amendment. Great. 
I wonder if they’re still happy they voted for him…
via Americablog.
I am so sick of getting these lame-ass responses from Kay Hutchison and Rick Perry and their ilk on why they oppose Gay Marriage. Bottom line is, they are all homophobic bigots.
Check out what Senfronia Thompson, a black representative from Houston has to say:
“Members, this bill is about hate and fear and discrimination… When I was a small girl, white folks used to talk about ‘protecting the institution of marriage’ as well. What they meant was if people of my color tried to marry people of Mr. Chisum’s color, you’d often find the people of my color hanging from a tree… Fifty years ago, white folks thought interracial marriages were ‘a threat to the institution of marriage.’
“Members, I’m a Christian and a proud Christian. I read the good book and do my best to live by it. I have never read the verse where it says, ‘Gay people can’t marry.’ I have never read the verse where it says, ‘Thou shalt discriminate against those not like me.’ I have never read the verse where it says, ‘Let’s base our public policy on hate and fear and discrimination.’ Christianity to me is love and hope and faith and forgiveness — not hate and discrimination.”
…and of course there’s more.
N.C. church stands by sign saying Quran “should be flushed”
By PAUL NOWELL, Associated Press Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The pastor of a small Baptist church has refused calls to take down a sign posted in front of his church reading “The Koran needs to be flushed,” saying Tuesday he has nothing to apologize for.
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…and I’m sure there’s a lot more wailing and gnashing of teeth going on out there…
Anti-Gay Texas Marriage Amendment Passes Senate
Hurtful Legislation Will Weaken Legal Agreements in Texas
May 21, 2005 Contact: Heath Riddles
For Immediate Release 512.474.5475
AUSTIN, TX- A historically dangerous and discriminatory constitutional amendment is headed to Texas voters. The Anti-Gay Texas Marriage Amendment (HJR 6) passed the Texas Senate this afernoon. The amendment was approved by a vote of 21 to 8, narrowly meeting the two-thirds majority required.
Upon approval by the Senate, the amendment is now cleared to appear on a statewide ballot this November. This will mark the first time in history that a minority group would be singled out in the Texas Constitution to be denied equal treatment. Constitutions are historically treated as sacred documents, designed to preserve rights and ensure equality for all.
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By Mindy B. Hagen : The Herald-Sun
mhagen@heraldsun.com
May 17, 2005 : 9:03 pm ET
DURHAM — With a critical shortage of Information Technology workers projected in the coming years, it’s crucial that university computer science departments do all they can to attract top students to the field, a local IBM official said Tuesday.
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The Extreme Blue™ internship program—IBM’s incubator for talent, technology, and business innovation—challenges project teams of technical and MBA interns (along with their technical and business mentors) to start something BIG by developing new high-growth businesses. What began in 1999 with 25 summer interns in Cambridge, Mass., now serves more than 200 students in 12 worldwide labs year-round.
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From Media Matters: The Top 10 filibuster falsehoods
Simply an outstanding piece countering all the BS spewed by the Right Wing. Bookmark it!
http://mediamatters.org/items/200505180004
IBM is encouraging its employees to use Firefox, aiding the open-source Web browser’s quest to chip away at Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.
Firefox is already used by about 10 percent of IBM’s staff, or about 30,000 people. Starting Friday, IBM workers can download the browser from internal servers and get support from the company’s help desk staff.
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A state constitutional amendment banning marriage for same-sex couples was introduced in the Texas legislature November 8, 2004.
On November 22, 2004, a second state constitutional amendment was introduced, with language even harsher than the first.
The Anti-Gay Texas Marriage Amendment hurts Texas families. It would permanently write unequal treatment for gay and lesbian Texans into our Constitution.
BREAKING ALERT! In a sneak attack on the LGBT community, the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs scheduled a last-minute public hearing on HJR 6 for Monday, May 16 at 8:30am.
Contact the Senate! Now that HJR 6 has passed the Texas House of Representatives, our Texas Senators have to power to halt this discriminatory amendment.
I think we know now that the room upstairs is going to be a game room, rather than a media room… We bought a pool table today. 
There’s a store in town here that’s closing, so we got a pretty good deal on an oak table. Plus balls, cues, rack, etc… Delivery and setup on Friday.
Published Thursday
May 12, 2005
Same-sex marriage ban axed
BY ROBYNN TYSVER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A judge’s decision to throw out Nebraska’s ban on gay marriage was barely an hour old before the cry went up for a national prohibition on same-sex marriage.
The decision Thursday to overturn Nebraska’s same-sex marriage ban – adopted overwhelmingly by voters in 2000 – was a first in the nation by a federal judge.
U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon of Omaha said the ban went far beyond gay marriage and deprived gays and lesbians of basic rights, including the right to participate in the political process.
He also said the ban known as Initiative 416 was motivated, in part, by an “irrational fear” of and “animus” toward homosexuals.
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Finally got a response from Cornyn, and it’s filled with the same stupidity and half-truths as Hutchison’s responses. Maybe they share a dimwitted intern who writes this drivel.
See the TOP 10 filibuster falsehoods at Media Matters.
What’s New 1.0.4
Firefox 1.0.4 is a security update that is part of our ongoing program to provide a safe Internet experience for our customers. We recommend that all users upgrade to this latest version.
Here’s what’s new in Firefox 1.0.4:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/releases/1.0.4.html
THE NUCLEAR OPTION
Democrats open fire, citing numerous GOP senators who have blocked nominees
According to Raw Story, Some senators filibustered more than 10.
KAY HUTCHINSON (TX)
Hutchinson blocked two Circuit Court nominees to the 5th Circuit, leaving open the seat Republicans are now trying to hand to Priscilla Owen. Hutchinson blocked Jorge Rangel and Enrique Moreno, both of whom were nominated for the 5th Circuit. [Fulton County Daily Report, (Georgia) 2/5/02]
SENATOR HUTCHINSON’S RECORD:
Voted to filibuster 11 Clinton executive nominees: Walter Dellinger, Janet Napolitano, Sam W. Brown (twice), Derek Shearer, Ricki Tigert, Henry Foster (twice), and 5 State Dept nominees en bloc.
John Cornyn (TX)
SENATOR CONRYN’S RECORD:
• Senator Cornyn has never voted against cloture on a nomination. (newbie)
US tourism ‘losing billions because of image’
By Amy Yee in New York
Published: May 8 2005 18:53 | Last updated: May 8 2005 18:53
ImageThe US is losing billions of dollars as international tourists are deterred from visiting the US because of a tarnished image overseas and more bureaucratic visa policies, travel industry leaders have warned.
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May 9, 2005
Chicken Ticketed for Crossing the Road
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:21 a.m. ET
RIDGECREST, Calif. (AP) — Linc and Helena Moore may have finally learned the answer to that age-old question: Why did the chicken cross the road? Because the chicken doesn’t know jaywalking is illegal.
Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy J. Nicholson does know, however. The deputy issued a ticket on March 26 to one of the couple’s chickens for impeding traffic on a road in Johannesburg, a rural mining community southeast of Ridgecrest.
The Moores arrived in Superior Court on Friday to plead not guilty to their chicken’s alleged transgression. A trial was scheduled for May 16.
Nicholson has declined to discuss the matter, but sheriff’s Sgt. Francis Moore said chickens on the roadway have been a problem in the community of 50 residents. Officials didn’t believe it could be resolved by simply issuing the couple a warning.
”Sometimes you have to let people talk to the judge,” Moore said.
The chicken’s owners say they believe they were cited because they were among several people who complained that sheriff’s deputies haven’t done enough to control off-road vehicle riders who damage roads and create dust and noise in their neighborhood.
Sheriff’s officials say that isn’t so, adding they are doing what they can to keep off-roaders away from the area’s homes.
”The chicken thing has nothing to do with the motorcycle thing,” Moore said.
Text of Steve Ballmer E-Mail to U.S. Microsoft Employees Regarding Public Policy Engagement
REDMOND, Wash. — May 6, 2005 — In response to widespread public interest in the company’s position on anti-discrimination legislation, Microsoft Corp. today released the following text of an e-mail sent today from Steve Ballmer, CEO, to all Microsoft employees in the United States:
Date: May 6, 2005
To: All U.S. Microsoft Employees
Subject: Microsoft’s principles for public policy engagement
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/misc/05-06-05StevebPublicPolicy.asp
Accordingly, Microsoft will continue to join other leading companies in supporting federal legislation that would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation — adding sexual orientation to the existing law that already covers race, sex, national origin, religion, age and disability. Given the importance of diversity to our business, it is appropriate for the company to endorse legislation that prohibits employment discrimination on all of these grounds. Obviously, the Washington State legislative session has concluded for this year, but if legislation similar to HB 1515 is introduced in future sessions, we will support it.
Blasts at UK Consulate in NYC
Thursday, May 5, 2005 Posted: 9:01 AM EDT (1301 GMT)
NEW YORK (CNN) — Two “improvised explosive devices” made from “novelty-type grenades” have exploded in front of the building that houses the British Consulate in New York City, police and officials said.
