TEXAS: State Rep. Cecil Bell Calls On State Agencies To Defy Obergefell

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell is at it again:

At a press conference in Magnolia, Bell released his “PACT for the Constitutional Restoration of State Sovereignty,” essentially a manifesto listing broad ways for citizens and state and federal officials to come together and defy the Supreme Court ruling. Citizens should pressure elected officials to stop enforcing the ruling, and Congress should take action to impeach the five justices who voted to end state bans on gay marriage, Bell said. “Our governors should join together in rejecting the striking down of state sovereignty,” Bell said in the announcement, “and should form a coalition standing between an overreaching federal government and the citizens of the separate states.” Bell's initiative didn’t include any specific actions for how state officials should resist court rulings, saying that would be determined by state agencies. States resisting Supreme Court rulings — and even the impeachment of justices — have precedent in U.S. history, Bell said, noting Justice Samuel Chase who was impeached in 1804 because some in the U.S. House of Representatives felt his political views were influencing his decisions. He was acquitted by the Senate the following year.

His nutjob pact is here.

TEXAS: Gov. Greg Abbott Rejects Special Session To Continue Marriage Battle

Via San Antonio's WOAI:

Social conservative groups, including the Texas Eagle Forum, Texas Values, and a group called Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, specifically want Abbott to recall lawmakers to consider a bill that would prohibit county clerks from issuing same sex marriage licenses. A 1980 U.S. Supreme Court case, Harris v. McRae, held that states cannot be required to spend state money enforcing a federal mandate, in that case abortion. But Abbott says it won't happen. "I do not anticipate any special session," he told News Radio 1200 WOAI. "They got their job done on time, and don't require any overtime." Under Texas law, only the governor can call the Legislature into special session, and only to discuss the items the governor specifically places on the agenda.

Jonathan Saenz will be ever so pissed.

TEXAS: GOP Effort To Defy SCOTUS On Gay Marriage Dies For Current Session

Via the Associated Press:

Divisive efforts by Texas Republicans to defy the U.S. Supreme Court if same-sex marriage is legalized ended Wednesday night with conservative finger-pointing and opponents feeling relieved. The first session under Republican Gov. Greg Abbott will end next week without a measure that gay rights activists considered one of the harshest in any U.S. statehouse: restrictions that would prohibit government officials from giving marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The Senate deadline for passing bills was midnight Wednesday. But with less than four hours to go — likely enough time for Democrats to run out the clock if the bill came up — the proposal was dropped. Republicans instead only passed a resolution that reaffirmed their belief of marriage being between a man and a woman. "Good legislation was sacrificed, but appropriately so to see this language fail," said Democratic state Rep. Garnet Coleman, whose unrelated bill was used by the Senate to carry the marriage-license amendment. "It is offensive to my constituents, it's offensive to me, and it's offensive to our constitution."

Texas Values has the sadz.

TEXAS: Lawmaker Vows To Kill His Own Bill Rather Than Allow Anti-Gay "Defy SCOTUS" Marriage Amendment

From the Houston Chronicle:

A Democratic state senator has dredged up anti-gay marriage legislation that advocates thought was dead this session, attaching the language to an uncontroversial county affairs bill under the noses of his fellow Democrats. While gay rights advocates decried the move, the bill's original sponsor in the House said he would never let his legislation pass with the anti-same-sex marriage language in-tact. "I'm the author of the bill. I will resolve the bill," said Rep. Garnet Coleman, D- Houston, a staunch gay marriage advocate.

House Bill 2977, as Coleman originally filed it, was an uncontroversial county affairs placeholder bill, meant to act as a vehicle for lawmakers to ensure important local issues can be passed late in the session. As the bill was headed to the Senate committee for approval this week, however, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. attached a number of other bills to Coleman's legislation, including one that would seek to block a Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage.

If the bill passes in the GOP-dominated Senate, which Coleman expects it to, it would need to return to the House, where the lower chamber's members would have to concur with the changes. Coleman said if he can't strip the anti-gay marriage off his legislation, then he would withdraw it completely. "If I can't get it off, then the bill goes to bill heaven," Coleman said. "I don't support that legislation or that language."

BOOM. (Tipped by JMG reader American Putz)

TEXAS: Hate Group Celebrates Democrat Who Revived "Defy SCOTUS" Bill

Earlier today Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell's bill to super-triple-extra ban same-sex marriage was revived when it was attached as an amendment by Democratic state Sen. Eddie Lucio. Texas Values is so pleased that they've photoshopped Lucio into the photo of Bell cutting the "celebration" cake marking the tenth anniversary of the Texas ban on same-sex marriage. That anniversary doesn't actually occur until late this year, but Texas Values figured they'd celebrate before SCOTUS hands down its ruling. Not incidentally, Lucio's Wikipedia entry reads very much like he wrote it himself.

TEXAS: Bill To Defy SCOTUS On Marriage Sees New Life As Senate Amendment

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell has followed through on his promise to attach his previously failed House bill as an amendment to a Senate bill. The deadline for new House bills passed last week before the chamber could get to Bell's item. HB2977 authorizes certain fees for Texas counties and presumably that was "germane" enough to gain today's committee approval. I'll post the live-stream of the proceedings tomorrow.

Signorile Interviews Texas Rep. Cecil Bell

Michelangelo Signorile interviewed notorious Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell this week, grilling him about his quixotic pursuit of legislation that Bell believes would allow his state to defy the US Supreme Court on same-sex marriage. Listen to the clips below in which Bell expounds on states rights and refuses to answer Signorile when asked if sodomy should still be illegal. Over at Huffington Post, Signorile make this observation:

Though it's not mentioned in any of his official biographical information, Bell's wife Jo Ann, described as his "high school sweetheart," is, according to public records, his second wife. Records show he divorced his first wife (to whom he was married in 1981) a little over a month before he married his second wife in October of 1991, who gave birth to their son, Cecil III, five and half months after they married. “Well, I think that would be an interesting conversation, but no one’s brought up that legislation,” he said about the issue of banning divorce, before quickly excusing himself to get back on the floor to vote.

TEXAS: "Defy SCOTUS" Bill Might See New Life Today In State House Vote

Via the Dallas Voice:

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell, R-Magnolia, intends to attach an amendment similar to his previous bill barring the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples to a bill protecting clergy from being forced to perform same-sex marriages during a House floor vote on Thursday, May 21. Bell filed HB 4105, also known as “The Preservation and Sovereignty of Marriage Act,” ahead of an anticipated summer Supreme Court ruling legalizing marriage equality. It would have withheld pay from county clerks issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. After its defeat last week, Bell told reporters he wasn’t giving up on it. Though an amendment must be considered germane to a bill, Equality Texas reports that Bell intends to attach HB 4105 to SB 2065, which passed the Senate last week on a 21-10 vote with all Republicans and one Democrat voting for it. While HB 4105 died before it could get a vote, it garnered support from the majority of the House HOP caucus.

Even if Bell's amendment is not attached to SB 2065 today, its passage could mean that clergy who also work for the state as justice of the peace or county clerk could refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses or officiate those weddings. Reporter Chuck Lindell will be covering the proceedings on Twitter and a live-stream of the voting will be here.

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Clip recap: "Texas is setting itself up for a showdown with the Supreme Court. A bill to defy the court's rulings died in the House last week, but anti-gay politicians could find a sneaky way to revive it. Meanwhile, the Attorney General of Texas refuses to say if he'll obey the Supreme Court's ruling in June."

Jonathan Saenz: People Have Moved To Texas Because It Bans Gay Marriage

Texas Values head Jonathan Saenz (above left) is ever so pissed that major corporations have come out in favor of same-sex marriage. Don't they know that people have moved to Texas because of its wonderful anti-gay laws?

BREAKING: Texas Bill To Defy SCOTUS Dies Without Vote As Deadline Hits

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell's bill to triple-super-extra ban same-sex marriage died tonight without a vote as the deadline passed without the bill coming up for a vote. The legislative session will continue until June 1st on other business, after which Gov. Greg Abbott could call them back for a special session. Major Texas-based corporations have denounced the bill, including BP, Dow Chemical, American Airlines, and Dell. As we've seen in other states, such pressure from big business can often turn the tide in our favor.

UPDATE: Bell says he's not done trying.

While the bill is now dead, Bell is not out of moves — he could still attempt to attach an amendment to a related Senate bill. "From my perspective, no bill is dead as long as there are are other bills in front. You just have to find something that's germane," Bell said after passage of the House deadline spawned hope among opponents that the measure is done with for this session. “The session still moves on.” Throughout the session, gay rights groups and legal scholars have criticized Bell's bills as unconstitutional and outlandish. “This end-run play to subvert a Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, to which the State of Texas would be constitutionally bound, makes Texas a laughingstock and flies in the face of Texas values,” said Terri Burke, executive director of American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

TEXAS: GOP House Reps Maneuver To Get Anti-Gay Marriage Bill Up For Vote UPDATE: Deadline For Passage Approaches

As you can see, GOP Texas House reps are pulling every dirty trick they can think of in order to get that triple-super-extra ban on same-sex marriage up for a vote before tonight's deadline.

UPDATE: As noted above it could be hours before the marriage bill comes up, if at all. But right now GOP reps are pulling their bills right and left. Three were pulled in the last five minutes. Here's the live stream in case you want to follow along.

UPDATE II: We're down to the last hour and the bill has not yet been heard. Hit the live stream.

All Eyes On Texas

Austin Statesman reporter Chuck Lindell is closely tracking #HB4105 and if there's any movement on the bill before tonight's deadline we'll hear it from him first. You can be sure that anti-gay lawmakers in other states are watching Texas very closely.

TEXAS: Dems Believe Anti-Gay Marriage Bill Might Be Stopped On Final Day

Via the Austin Statesman:

With the Texas House moving at a glacial pace, Democrats became increasingly confident Wednesday that they can run out the legislative clock, killing a bill designed to make it difficult, if not impossible, for same-sex Texans to wed — even if the U.S. Supreme Court rules otherwise. If Democrats can keep House Bill 4105 from receiving a floor vote before a midnight Thursday deadline, the anti-gay-marriage legislation would die — along with about 200 other bills scheduled for action behind it. With no similar bill filed in the Senate, and with limited opportunity to add HB 4105 as an amendment to other legislation, the Republican measure would likely be done for the legislative session that ends June 1. “At this point, there are a lot more bad bills than good ones. A lot of us are in no hurry to get to them,” said state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie.

There is always the chance that the governor could call the House back for a special session. You can follow today's action at the #HB4105 hashtag.

TEXAS: Still No Action On Marriage Bill

Editorial Of The Day

From the San Antonio Express-News:

Texas’ resistance to civil rights is part of history. So, fortunately, is the state’s eventual embrace, with some noticeable lapses — exemplified most recently by voter ID and gerrymandering. The state is there again on the issue of gay marriage and gay rights generally. How about being on the right side of history this time? A bill by Rep. Cecil Bell, R-Magnolia, would effectively close the courthouse door to gay marriage even if the U.S. Supreme Court outlaws state bans on such unions. The high court heard arguments in a consolidated gay marriage case last month. Texas voters approved the state’s ban in 2005.

“The intent is to assert the sovereign rights of Texas and of the citizens of Texas,” Bell said of his bill. “I believe it is a bipartisan issue — our social rights and our traditional values.” Social rights. Traditional values. Sovereign rights. These words could have come from any anti-civil rights playbook of the 1960s. In any case, Bell should recognize that the plural personal pronoun, our, means all of us. Bell’s bill was voted out of the House State Affairs Committee, 7-3, on April 22. It should go no farther if, this time, Texas wants to be on the right side of history — and justice. State government has no business telling Texans who they can love and marry.

TEXAS: Marriage Ban Vote Delayed

Texas state Rep. Cecil Bell's bill to triple-super-extra ban same-sex marriage will likely not be heard today. The Texas House has until midnight on Thursday to pass bills that originate in their chamber. The legislative session ends on June 1st.

TOMORROW: Texas House To Vote On Bill To Super Extra Ban Gay Marriage

Texas already bans same-sex marriage by statute and in its state constitution. Tomorrow the Texas House will vote on triple-extra-super banning it.

House Bill 4105 would prohibit state or local tax money from being spent to “issue, enforce or recognize” a same-sex marriage. It also would ban any government employee in Texas from issuing a same-sex marriage license or recognizing such a marriage legally performed in another state. State agencies and county officials also would be barred from spending money to enforce a court order requiring gay marriage. Opponents have questioned the proposed law’s constitutionality and say its passage would allow state-sanctioned discrimination, destroying Texas’ reputation as an open and welcoming site for businesses looking to expand or relocate. The bill’s Republican author, Rep. Cecil Bell of Magnolia, has said the change is needed to counter a wave of federal court rulings that have redefined traditional marriage, leaving Texas among only 13 states where marriage is limited to opposite-sex couples.

Over half of the 150-member Texas House have signed on as co-sponsors of Bell's bill. As Matt Baume noted in today's installment of Marriage News Watch, should the bill be enacted it could mean that marriages would be tied up in lengthy court battles no matter how the Supreme Court rules.

LIVE VIDEO: Texas House Committee Debates Anti-Gay Marriage Bill

Watch it live.

Texas HB 3567:

A religious organization, an organization supervised or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization, an individual employed by a religious organization while acting in the scope of that employment, or a clergy or minister may not be required to solemnize any marriage, provide services, accommodations, facilities, goods, or privileges for a purpose related to the solemnization, formation, or celebration of any marriage, or treat any marriage as valid for any purpose if the action would cause the organization or individual to violate a sincerely held religious belief.

A refusal to provide services, accommodations, facilities, goods, or privileges under Section 2.601 is not the basis for a civil or criminal cause of action or any other action by this state or a political subdivision of this state to penalize or withhold benefits or privileges, including tax exemptions or governmental contracts, grants, or licenses, from any protected organization or individual.

TEXAS: House Committee Advances Bill Banning Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Via the Texas Tribune:

A Texas House committee on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to prohibit same-sex marriages, even though the state already bans such unions. The measure is one of several proposals at the Texas Capitol targeting same-sex marriage and the first one that has cleared a legislative committee this session, according to the Texas Freedom Network, which describes itself as fighting initiatives backed by the state's religious right. The State Affairs Committee passed House Bill 4105, which forbids the use of state or local funds for issuing same-sex marriage licenses. The 7-3 vote was along party lines, with only Republicans supporting the measure. The proposal now heads to a committee that schedules legislation for debate by the full House.

Texas already bans the issuing of same-sex marriage licenses by state statute and in the state constitution. HB 4105 is meant to thwart the Supreme Court.