Who Needs Democracy When You Have A Culture War [View all]

Texas Republicans spend the final days of session attacking books, the unhoused, and your wallet.

https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/who-needs-democracy-when-you-have



Yesterday, the Texas House met for over 16 hours, adjourning after 2:00 am, and then gaveling back in this morning at 10:00 am. With only six days left, it’s all about how much damage they can do to Texans before the clock winds down. As a lifelong Texan and self-proclaimed TX-Lege nerd, I can tell you a whole bunch. But you have to remember, while the Legislature is passing all kinds of unconstitutional bullshit, half of it won’t even stand up in court.

To give you an idea of how often their authoritarian laws get thrown out, let’s take a look back:

In 2021, a federal court invalidated a provision in SB1, the voter oppression bill, that restricted compensated canvassers from engaging in voter advocacy near mail-in ballots.

Last session, Republicans banned drag shows. A federal judge ruled this law unconstitutional.

The “Death Star Bill” from 2023 was thrown out, deemed unconstitutional. However, I think this one is still making its way through appeals courts.

Jared Patterson’s (R-HD106) book-burning bill was struck down in the 5th Circuit for being unconstitutional.

So, when you see some of the laws Republicans are passing this session, it’s easy to feel deflated and discouraged, but even if these laws pass, it’s vital to remember that the fight isn’t over. When Abbott signs them into law, that’s when groups like the ACLU and LULAC take them to court.

I bring this up because one of the bills that passed yesterday was the GOP’s latest book-burning iteration. SB13, also known as the “Book Ban 3.0” for those of us keeping count, passed the second reading in the House with an 87-57 vote.