Texas House Speaker Joe Straus Has No Backbone: Anti TSA Groping Bill is Dead

What is up with Texas republicans? Do they not have a back bone to stand up to federal tyranny anymore?

First it was the lieutenant governor that killed the anti TSA groping bill. Then Governor Gardasil Rick Perry revived it, only to have Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus to kill it again. And you think Republicans are the solution to the federal tyranny problem?

Straus's excuse? He feared Texas would be the laughing stock of the country if they passed the bill. Meanwhile, 95 year old women are getting groped while the TSA asks for their diaper to be removed because they fear this woman in a wheelchair is a threat to national security. God help us!

It flew through the House with nary a word against it in the regular session.

But today Speaker Joe Straus called the anti-TSA-groping bill "ill-advised" and a "not well-researched" publicity stunt, after quickly gaveling in and out a five-minute floor session this morning.

The possible lack of quorum may have been the official reason that bill did not get a floor debate this morning (see footnote below). But behind the scenes there was a debate over the legality of Rep. David Simpson's (R-Longview) HB 41, which criminalizes the touching of certain body parts by Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) workers.

"I think the philospohy is right, I think it's the challengability in court that's the issue," said House Calendars Committee Chairman Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi).

Hunter did not comment on why such a meeting of the minds did not occur during the regular session. HB 1937, HB 41's predecessor, passed without objection on the House floor May 13, before hitting a bump in the Senate on May 24.

Maybe this time Simpson's opponents were afraid the bill would actually become law, whereas in the regular session it seemed more of a longshot.

Straus said HB 41, as worded, would have made Texas the "laughingstock" of the country.

Mr. Straus, Texas, whose known for it's independent spirit noted in the words "don't mess with Texas" is now the laughingstock once again for bowing down to the federal tyranny. Please remove the "don't mess with Texas" bumper stickers from all cars in Texas immediately.