A new Texas law will prevent the public from seeing the communications of state legislators as the state prepares for the next wave of redistricting, the Dallas Morning News reports.
This is how Putin does things in Russia, isn’t it?
Thanks, Yertle…
(kidding)
Some states have Sunshine Laws.
Some have Under Cover of Darkness and It’s None of Your Fucking Business Laws.
Some have Mushroom Laws*.
*Keep in the dark and cover with bullshit
How can I quote you if you keep editing!!! (insert grinning emoji here:grinning:)
Might this law, itself, be illegal under the FOIA?
Yes, the thanks in this instance deservedly go to Chief Justice “We don’t need no stinking voter rights” Roberts.
Republicans: Democracy seems like a nice idea but it just doesn’t work for us.
It’ll backfire. When racists think that their stuff will stay secret, they forget to use dog whistles and just say what they want to…
Seems to me if they’re discussing public policy, it should be open and available to the public. I would think the Courts would find this unconstitutional.
Why does TPM along with all other media continue to shill for this Republican hack Supreme Court.
From the article, “The Supreme Court ruled last week that federal courts had no business in policing partisan gerrymandering, while upholding a ban on racial gerrymanders.”
The last part of this sentence is total BS, the Roberts’s Court by allowing for partisan gerrymandering explicitly allowed for racial gerrymandering. That is because the parties are split to a great extent by race, any partisan gerrymandering will be racial gerrymandering. Therefore by permitting partisan gerrymandering the Roberts’ Court has clearly blessed racial gerrymandering both in fact and by law. And make no mistake this is exactly how every Republican legislators is interpreting the Roberts’ Court decision that you are free to racially gerrymander just so long as you do not say you are racially gerrymandering. Hence the gag order on communication because for certain dung kicker in Texas will say racial gerrymandering as it is exactly what they will be doing.
Did you see Michael Tomasky’s column in today’s NYT?
FOIA only applies to the Federal government.
The only relevant question here would be whether this law would violate Texas’s own Constitution. I’m guessing it wouldn’t.
If somebody wants to point out what US Constitutional issue is at play here, I’m all ears.
Discriminators gonna discriminate.
Just gonna do it behind closed doors this time.
Well…
The problem is that the courts have required states to create minority-majority districts. Republicans are not allowed to disenfranchise blacks, but they are allowed to pack them all into a small number of districts. And that’s exactly what’s happened in North Carolina. It’s a classic case of mistaking the forest and the trees.
Ultimately “race” is a variable relating to protected class while “partisan affiliation” is not. And it’s entirely possible to draw the map in a way the allows blacks proportionate representation while not allowing Democrats the same.
I hate these motherfuckers and this is why. This is how they are fighting this war and we don’t 'quite get yet that it is truly existential.
We have to obliterate the GOP. It’s us or them.
When NY was cursed with Sean Hannity before Sean Hannity, his name was Bob Grant. He was a racist scumbag. He was italian and had anglicized his last name. Every one of his hate filled Talk Radio call in shows (during Afternoon Commute/Rush Hour) began with him invoking Jeffersonian Democracy and the need for open debate of all ideas and policies.
The Texas Legislature has decided there is too much openness in debating legislation and policy for these Sons of the Confederacy. And their jackoff Lieutenant Gov and Attorney General.
As a native texan this reeks of backroom smoke-filled politics.
Also, I would love to hear an arguement why the public does not have a right to know the communications between the bipartisan legislators and in addition contractors (frickin’ private business) versus the public’s right to know.
Their maps have been credibly taken to court and they have lost, they only needed the cover of the 5 conservative justices at the SCOTUS to abdicate their responsibility as the GOP and conservative legislators draw maps that entrench power over the public will and vote.
It is a depressing thing that those in texas have to fight and are getting better year to year. I mean Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio have been blue for the last 4 election cycles, I believe. Fort Worth has been more fair weather but El Paso has been solid blue.