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88th Texas Legislature


atomheartbevo

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5 hours ago, YGIFS said:

Didn't realize it until just now, today is 1 year since Uvalde massacre/massive display of cowardice.  Wonder how the Legislature will mark the anniversary.  

I think Abbott will ignore it, Phelan will drink through it, and Dan Patrick will commemorate it with a new pants suit from Lane Bryant.  

Fucking disgrace.  It's my two daughters' second to last day of school.  And I don't think of what they accomplished and learned this year, or what we'll do this summer, all I can do is hope and pray that make it a little longer without being murdered at school.  What a time to be a Texan. 

abbott is requiring extreme T&Ps today by fiat.

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7 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

In the long term, they are fucking the state by driving people away.

I don't have the demographic data in front of me, but my feeling is they are driving MAGA into the state and driving progressives out. In my immediate family, my daughter has moved to DC and the only reason we are locked in is because my grandson is going to live in Texas - parents are locked into an established local business. 

They are riding a nice economic wave and doing exactly what they want.  This is the plan.

I'm all for democracy but this is what comes from voting in assholes, and that is what Texas does well.  

 

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One more thing - it's wild to me how quickly the business wing of the Republican party just folded. What a bunch of cowards. Don't they have an interest in a well-educated workforce? Not a peep during this session.

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5 minutes ago, tokamak said:

One more thing - it's wild to me how quickly the business wing of the Republican party just folded. What a bunch of cowards. Don't they have an interest in a well-educated workforce? Not a peep during this session.

A well educated workforce is a problem for 5-10 years in the future. Just think of all the sweet profits to be reaped next quarter from school vouchers!

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11 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Fully expecting the legislature to go after these books, because how dare a school district assume that something bad could happen because the legislature is doing everything necessary to protect kids!

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Screen-Shot-2023-05-21-at-12.48.15-PM.jp

This is about the book in question

https://oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2023/05/winnie-pooh-run-hide-fight/

Screen-Shot-2023-05-21-at-12.32.07-PM.jp

Screen-Shot-2023-05-21-at-12.57.05-PM.jp

Is Winnie the Pooh not protected by copyright?

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9 hours ago, YChang said:

I think the non Disney version is public domain now. So hooray let Pooh bear and friends teach kids how to survive. 

Dang it.  This thread moves fast.

9 hours ago, sidis said:

 

Correct, as demonstrated by this (which is topical because it makes me think of living in this dumbfuck state now)…

 

https://news.temple.edu/news/2022-01-24/winnie-pooh-and-hundreds-other-works-are-now-public-domain

Edited by DDD Dad
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1 hour ago, tokamak said:

I'm a straight, white, cis male. I own property. That's a shitload of privileges. I've always figured that if anyone needs to stick around and keep voting, it's me.

But fuck, I have school-age kids. It's plain as day that the state government is openly hostile to secular education at this point, and actively seeking to undermine it. I've got to do what's best for my family first above all else, right?

Of course, that's the point. I'm sure that state leaders are more than happy for any voter that doesn't agree with them to pack up and leave.

Long term they're fucking Texas. Because educated people, reasonable people, will leave and take their families with them. College kids will go to college elsewhere, especially as they continue to fuck the university of Texas. The "cool" vibe of Austin, such as it is that is left, will become flat and uninteresting because all the artists and funky people will leave as well. And corporations will go where the talent is, or they'll fully allow working remotely. Because Gen Z doesn't compromise on shit in regards to their work/life balance and their demand of women's health coverage. Women will leave. Men will go where women are, to a certain degree. Shit, all tribes will go where other members congregate. You'll be left with a shitty wasteland of aggies and Montgomery County types. Have fun Texas. 

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47 minutes ago, tokamak said:

One more thing - it's wild to me how quickly the business wing of the Republican party just folded. What a bunch of cowards. Don't they have an interest in a well-educated workforce? Not a peep during this session.

You're assuming that the Chamber of Commerce Republicans, who are also all old Boomers, are immune to being infected by perpetual propaganda pushed onto them from conservative media. They're the same old stupid fucks who got old and can't handle change, except their spoiled generation act like a bunch of fucking children when things change in ways they don't prefer. I'm sure their "business priorities" go to the wayside when their stupid, smooth brained asses are suddenly convinced wholeheartedly that they're facing an existential cultural crisis. They're true believers, and they think they're at war for Christian civilization. Good business is secondary.

And now consider how many CEO's are these same people. For starters, all the aggy CEOs. The guy at Wayfair, or wherever. The guy at Clearlink. Elon Musk. These are all assholes with money and power who think there's a deep state, and George Soros and blah blah blah. 

The folding of the Chamber of Commerce wing is the least surprising thing to me I've considered today, honestly.  

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56 minutes ago, The Royal We said:

This and your other post about being fucked by the roots you put down hit a little too close to home for me this morning. With 3 kids under the age of 13, a nice house, and good work/life balance, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

My 7 year old daughter told me last week about a recurring nightmare she has as a result of "drills" they have to do at school. More than once she's had a dream that she is in the bathroom at school when the real thing they "drill" for starts and she doesn't know what to do. She said in her dream she ends up trying to be as quiet as she can and hopes the bad guy doesn't figure out she's in the bathroom by herself. Hearing it gave me a terrible mix of heartache and rage.

I don't know if moving to Colorado is far enough away from this shit, but I also know that deep down I probably don't have the guts to just pull up roots and get out of this shit show in Texas. Maddening.

Sorry man. Didn’t mean to add to your emotional burden. For what it’s worth, I’m in the same boat. I have a kid who is going into Kindergarten next year, and he goes to a tremendous school where my wife works, and I have a small business that is firmly entrenched in Texas. I don’t see how we can leave until he’s 18. 

30 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Texas House voted down the accessory dwelling unit senate bill by 2 votes. Dems voted 43-27 nay. What the fuck is that about?

What’s the law intended to do?

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1 hour ago, The Royal We said:

This and your other post about being fucked by the roots you put down hit a little too close to home for me this morning. With 3 kids under the age of 13, a nice house, and good work/life balance, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

My 7 year old daughter told me last week about a recurring nightmare she has as a result of "drills" they have to do at school. More than once she's had a dream that she is in the bathroom at school when the real thing they "drill" for starts and she doesn't know what to do. She said in her dream she ends up trying to be as quiet as she can and hopes the bad guy doesn't figure out she's in the bathroom by herself. Hearing it gave me a terrible mix of heartache and rage.

I don't know if moving to Colorado is far enough away from this shit, but I also know that deep down I probably don't have the guts to just pull up roots and get out of this shit show in Texas. Maddening.

 

4 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Sorry man. Didn’t mean to add to your emotional burden. For what it’s worth, I’m in the same boat. I have a kid who is going into Kindergarten next year, and he goes to a tremendous school where my wife works, and I have a small business that is firmly entrenched in Texas. I don’t see how we can leave until he’s 18. 

What’s the law intended to do?

Third. Business, kid, family... and tack on aging parents. 

I will say, if my kid told me about that nightmare, that might be enough for me to say "fuck it," move, and let the chips fall where they may. What's the point of all the good parts if the kid has that sort of thoughts/anxiety?

Also, Colorado seems like ground zero for these shootings except that Texas is making a strong run. Heavily considering Washington State, but damn that would be a major adjustment to everything I've known all my life.

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We just bought a house in WilCo and have a one year-old. Wife loves her job and signed a retention bonus. If things keep heading this way though (lol, as if there is an alternative in this state), I'd love to start looking to move elsewhere by the time he gets school-aged. As mentioned above, where the fuck do you go?

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7 minutes ago, tokamak said:

Ah, I see the Democrats will get murdered over this. Despite the fact that the way home builders currently build in Houston without regulation is a massive reason we keep having 100 and 500 year flood events every other fucking year at this point. So I get it. But they'll get murdered. 

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We think and talk this deeply once a week.  Moving within Texas, moving back to the Midwest where we're both from originally.  Moving to a more temperate climate with a lower cost of living.  Closer to family to help with the kids.  We realize that the only things that weigh more heavily on our oldest than finances and violence is change.  Changing schools for her at this age would be devastating to her.  So we game out shit on the regular, then always come back to, "Yeah, but she couldn't handle it."  We breached the topic of just selling the house for the insane amount of equity we have in it and moving, within the district, to something cheaper.  And she broke down massively.  So yeah, backing off this idea for awhile.  I don't know what the fuck to do anymore.  Austin is too expensive, Texas is too insane, I need the cash in my house for other purposes than just to pay property taxes on in this bullshit "Low tax state."  In the end, we all just want safe and happy kids more than safe and happy corporations.  But nobody seems to give a fuck about that priority anymore, even my fucking school board.  

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3 hours ago, Michael Knight said:

Or as I like to say MAGA is pissed that he is only half as crazy as they are. 
 

I have children who are currently at UT. It’s been interesting to me that without any prompting, they are dead set on getting jobs outside of Texas. They tell me that people here are nuts and that as women they feel threatened.  Funny to me that they have some exposure to children of some of these GOP crazies in power and they say all the time that their children are embarrassed by their positions. In fact, the first place my kids learned about pot was from the daughter of they guy who rolls through life when she was a camp counselor. 
I’ve made the decision to leave as soon as they do.  I feel for you who have younger kids and don’t know what to do.  Texas public school curriculum is terrible and even the rich districts are underfunded due to shipping funds out under Robin Hood. Now they seem to be interested in indoctrination and values that run counter to those I’ve tried to instill. Tolerance and basic decency are definitely on the down turn here. 

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2 hours ago, HRSchenker said:

Texas House voted down the accessory dwelling unit senate bill by 2 votes. Dems voted 43-27 nay. What the fuck is that about?

The short version is that Gina Hinojosa and Donna Howard didn't quite catch the message from the last Austin City Council election. Glad to see Sheryl Cole got it, for what it's worth. 
The defense they are offering is that they voted against all the pre-emption bills because they believe in local control, but they're getting dragged and rightfully so. 

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1 hour ago, hookem2010 said:

We just bought a house in WilCo and have a one year-old. Wife loves her job and signed a retention bonus. If things keep heading this way though (lol, as if there is an alternative in this state), I'd love to start looking to move elsewhere by the time he gets school-aged. As mentioned above, where the fuck do you go?

Yep we bought our dream home (NW Hills) at a phenomenal interest rate in 2021. Not at the peak of the market but I’m doubtful we’ll be able to sell for that price again for a few years with the rate increases. We have a 3 month old, so we’re likely planning an escape by the time she’s school aged unless the crazy ramps up exponentially in which case we will just cut our losses and move up the timeline. We’ve been looking at CT, Chicago (north shore burbs), Seattle and Boulder, but they all would be pretty $$$ and probably quite the adjustment on weather. The direction of the state is so depressing.

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3 minutes ago, Evil Bill Obrien said:

Not permanently rooted here by any real means except its where I've always lived and its where my aging parents live but every time I think about moving out to escape the lunacy of what has become the State of Texas government, I keep coming back to something that I believe has been discussed on this forum before: They are the assholes so why should I have to leave? Maybe I'm foolishly optimistic on the chances of the state moderating politically in the near future and rolling back some of the more cruel/insane laws passed recently. Don't fault anyone for doing what they think is best for their family, but I guess I'm gonna fight the good fight for a little while longer...

I'd like to specifically answer your question. Because, you will attempt to speak out about reform, and vote, and appeal to sense. They'll attempt to indoctrinate your children, and if that doesn't work they'll weaponize CPS to throw them into foster care and you in jail. If you don't have any kids, then they'll just find a way to steal your property after they throw you in jail. Probably for voter fraud. 

Our best chance is a lot, and I mean a lot, of boomers die. 

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11 minutes ago, Evil Bill Obrien said:

Not permanently rooted here by any real means except its where I've always lived and its where my aging parents live but every time I think about moving out to escape the lunacy of what has become the State of Texas government, I keep coming back to something that I believe has been discussed on this forum before: They are the assholes so why should I have to leave? Maybe I'm foolishly optimistic on the chances of the state moderating politically in the near future and rolling back some of the more cruel/insane laws passed recently. Don't fault anyone for doing what they think is best for their family, but I guess I'm gonna fight the good fight for a little while longer...

I appreciate this argument but as I age I realize I don’t want to waste any more of my life living under all this. Everyone who I know that has left views it as a positive change in their life.  Too old to tilt at windmills of change. It’s like swimming upstream. 

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We’re kind of stuck too but I’ve got one kid about to be a senior and another who is a sophomore. In a couple of years, that will no longer be our excuse. My parents live in SA and my wife’s parents are about 10 mins from us in Farmers Branch. They’re getting into their late 70’s and pretty sure my wife isn’t keen on leaving while they’re still with us. But Texas is getting just crazy enough that if we could pull it off, she might be game.

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3 hours ago, The Royal We said:

This and your other post about being fucked by the roots you put down hit a little too close to home for me this morning. With 3 kids under the age of 13, a nice house, and good work/life balance, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

My 7 year old daughter told me last week about a recurring nightmare she has as a result of "drills" they have to do at school. More than once she's had a dream that she is in the bathroom at school when the real thing they "drill" for starts and she doesn't know what to do. She said in her dream she ends up trying to be as quiet as she can and hopes the bad guy doesn't figure out she's in the bathroom by herself. Hearing it gave me a terrible mix of heartache and rage.

I don't know if moving to Colorado is far enough away from this shit, but I also know that deep down I probably don't have the guts to just pull up roots and get out of this shit show in Texas. Maddening.

Yes, Royal, you have the guts.  Plenty.  

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Just now, SydneyCarton said:

Congrats. Do you think your calculus would change if your kids were just hitting school age?

It might, sure. Otoh, my wife’s family is one of the first families (German) to settle Bexar County. She and I share a deep sense of home in this state. 
 

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4 hours ago, The Royal We said:

This and your other post about being fucked by the roots you put down hit a little too close to home for me this morning. With 3 kids under the age of 13, a nice house, and good work/life balance, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

My 7 year old daughter told me last week about a recurring nightmare she has as a result of "drills" they have to do at school. More than once she's had a dream that she is in the bathroom at school when the real thing they "drill" for starts and she doesn't know what to do. She said in her dream she ends up trying to be as quiet as she can and hopes the bad guy doesn't figure out she's in the bathroom by herself. Hearing it gave me a terrible mix of heartache and rage.

I don't know if moving to Colorado is far enough away from this shit, but I also know that deep down I probably don't have the guts to just pull up roots and get out of this shit show in Texas. Maddening.

Our youngest had nightmares in elementary school, but, though there were active shooter drills, it was the fire drills that caused her the most anxiety. After we spoke with the principal, he was professional enough to double down on reinforcing the message that practicing was meant to keep everyone safe in a very unlikely event.

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3 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

Sorry man. Didn’t mean to add to your emotional burden. For what it’s worth, I’m in the same boat. I have a kid who is going into Kindergarten next year, and he goes to a tremendous school where my wife works, and I have a small business that is firmly entrenched in Texas. I don’t see how we can leave until he’s 18. 

What’s the law intended to do?

My oldest is the same age.  Between the politics and the weather, I'd leave in a heartbeat if the wife would agree.  But she won't go anywhere unless her family comes too, which ain't happening.  So I guess we're stuck at least until our 2 year old gets to college, which is a horrifying thought.

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1 hour ago, ChuckNorrisActionJeans said:

In contemplating moving from this shithole and leaving behind my elderly mother, I console myself with the fact that her shitty voting record and continued swallowing of the propaganda has helped create this mess.

how is that comforting? 

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1 hour ago, kevwun said:

That case is going to end up in front of the Supreme Court.  I'm sure they'll be reasonable.

I don't think it'll reach that far.  It's pretty clear the Republicans are out to take him down - they made sure and aired all of the major dirty laundry tied to their investigation, and that had to have been carefully scripted.  Paxton will have to avoid the media now.

Oh, and he can't trust anybody around him since he's in this mess because the people around him ratted him out.

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7 hours ago, The Royal We said:

This and your other post about being fucked by the roots you put down hit a little too close to home for me this morning. With 3 kids under the age of 13, a nice house, and good work/life balance, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

My 7 year old daughter told me last week about a recurring nightmare she has as a result of "drills" they have to do at school. More than once she's had a dream that she is in the bathroom at school when the real thing they "drill" for starts and she doesn't know what to do. She said in her dream she ends up trying to be as quiet as she can and hopes the bad guy doesn't figure out she's in the bathroom by herself. Hearing it gave me a terrible mix of heartache and rage.

I don't know if moving to Colorado is far enough away from this shit, but I also know that deep down I probably don't have the guts to just pull up roots and get out of this shit show in Texas. Maddening.

First my heart goes out to your daughter. My sons had a similar fear and now we are biding our time hoping we make it out of school.  nothing but compassion for you man it’s awful. 
 

someone talked about Texana propaganda that made them proud to be a Texan. That’s the shit that keeps me here. I LOVE Texas. It’s in my blood and my economics are so deeply tied to Austin. But it’s the hope and optimism, the friendliness and willingness to take risks and know even the worst case isn’t so bad because you can just try again that makes native Texan culture my culture. 

But then the world is there for the adventure. We may move to Portugal eventually, maybe Colorado and fish the alpine streams, maybe buy a sailboat and cruise the islands, maybe nomad around the country but officially stay connected to here. If we are willing to one day leave we can make it whatever we want.

And in the end, that’s the power of being a cultural iconoclast. The greatest gift coming out gave me was knowing I have the power to make it anything I want. I think that scares the shit out of them, hell most of us. I’ll tell you though we all have that power. We just have to dare to dream.

besides, you can take the girl out of Texas but you can never take Texas out of the girl. I’m a Texan and there’s no corner of the earth I can call home and change that and there damn sure isn’t a place they can send me that will change it either.


 

 

Edited by troph
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On 5/23/2023 at 1:02 PM, HRSchenker said:

Looks good on paper but pharmacies won't be allowed to follow this law if they expect PBM reimbursement. Plus I'm not sure if this complies with the federal drug supply chain act so that's another barrier to this law having any effect. 

FDA has not approved any of the other similar state plans. There are like 6 or so hung up in DC. And to the point raised earlier, Canada will be forced to restrict exports. A further issue that I have not seen laid out is the impact that this would have on state Medicaid programs wrt the rebate schemes they collect on from pharma when they negotiate their formulary structures. IIRC in a state like Texas those funds feed right into the general fund. Haven’t seen an accounting of how those impacts out wrt state revenues. So there are hurdles and impacts to clear ex-us, federal, and state level. Looks and sounds good on paper, but the reality in terms of implementation is complex. Worth a go at it though imo. Bunch requires action from Washington before anything HHSC drafts gets close to implementation. 

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1 hour ago, troph said:

First my heart goes out to your daughter. My sons had a similar fear and now we are biding our time hoping we make it out of school.  nothing but compassion for you man it’s awful. 
 

someone talked about Texana propaganda that made them proud to be a Texan. That’s the shit that keeps me here. I LOVE Texas. It’s in my blood and my economics are so deeply tied to Austin. But it’s the hope and optimism, the friendliness and willingness to take risks and know even the worst case isn’t so bad because you can just try again that makes native Texan culture my culture. 

But then the world is there for the adventure. We may move to Portugal eventually, maybe Colorado and fish the alpine streams, maybe buy a sailboat and cruise the islands, maybe nomad around the country but officially stay connected to here. If we are willing to one day leave we can make it whatever we want.

And in the end, that’s the power of being a cultural iconoclast. The greatest gift coming out gave me was knowing I have the power to make it anything I want. I think that scares the shit out of them, hell most of us. I’ll tell you though we all have that power. We just have to dare to dream.

besides, you can take the girl out of Texas but you can never take Texas out of the girl. I’m a Texan and there’s no corner of the earth I can call home and change that and there damn sure isn’t a place they can send me that will change it either.


 

 

Nice post. For me, those Texas stories are just myths. The reality is that this what Texas is despite the mythology. 
 

 

IMG_8518.jpeg

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5 minutes ago, CTC2 said:

Nice post. For me, those Texas stories are just myths. The reality is that this what Texas is despite the mythology. 
 

 

IMG_8518.jpeg

That’s what it’s becoming. That’s not what Texans are historically. Shit man, Beto “take your guns” O’Rourke won the native Texan vote. The Texan spirit is amazing and friendly and hopeful and optimistic, it’s how Austin became what it was. That puto isn’t one of us. 

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