Texas Pastor Protection Bill

[Irate Canadian]

Update...

http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/...-gay-marriage/

Source: TexasTribune.Org

After a brief debate in which several Democrats questioned the necessity of the measure, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 2065 along nearly party lines with a 21-10 vote. State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, sided with the chamber's 20 Republicans. Final passage is expected Tuesday.

© Copyright Original Source

at the Twitter comments against this bill.

Most of them haven't even read the bill and assume it's a bill like RFRA, when in reality, it's just telling people that no, you cannot tell a pastor that he has to do something or else face jail.

[Cow Poke]

at the Twitter comments against this bill.

Most of them haven't even read the bill and assume it's a bill like RFRA, when in reality, it's just telling people that no, you cannot tell a pastor that he has to do something or else face jail.

Exactly, it simply tells the State that their "compelling interests" with regard to a protected class do not trump the Religious Liberties of Churches or Pastors. I have sat in on three debates (one in the House and two in the Senate) and I have been amazed at some of the "logic" against this bill.

[Cow Poke]

This from the Houston Chronicle....

Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, tried to block consideration of the bill on a parliamentary point of order. After a huddle at the podium among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and senators, Garcia withdrew it.

And

Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, then unsuccessfully attempted to amend the bill to require that churches and ministers that would not perform same-sex marriages to install a sign saying so. It was defeated 21-10 -- and the bill then passed.

So, he would have me put a sign in front of our Church building declaring we won't do same sex marriages.

[Irate Canadian]

This from the Houston Chronicle....

Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, tried to block consideration of the bill on a parliamentary point of order. After a huddle at the podium among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and senators, Garcia withdrew it.

And

Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, then unsuccessfully attempted to amend the bill to require that churches and ministers that would not perform same-sex marriages to install a sign saying so. It was defeated 21-10 -- and the bill then passed.

So, he would have me put a sign in front of our Church building declaring we won't do same sex marriages.

[Starlight]

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[Mountain Man]

Rush Limbaugh had an interesting suggestion recently that instead of saying, for example, "We won't bake a cake for your gay wedding because it's against our core religious values," perhaps they should say, "We won't bake a cake for your gay wedding because we don't want to offend Muslims." How would the left respond to that considering the way they villified Pamela Geller for offending Muslims with her "Draw Muhammad" art exhibit?

[Teallaura]

[Leonhard]

[Cow Poke]

This just in.....

Source: Email I Received from TexasPastorCouncil

Houston, TX - The statewide coalition of pastors that mobilized hundreds of pastors, including some of the largest mega churches in the state, behind religious liberty legislation in the last month, applauded the passage of SB 2065 on a 141-2 vote in the Texas House of Representatives. Texas Pastor Council Action helped lead the effort that organized statewide pastor conference calls with Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, brought pastors from around the state to the Capitol to testify in both House and Senate for the Clergy Protection bills.

"This bill is a small step of protection in a much larger war against religious freedom raging across America and well underway in Texas," said Dave Welch, President of Texas Pastor Council Action, an ethnically and denominationally diverse coalition involving pastors in all major cities in Texas. "We are very pleased that SB 2065 survived efforts to weaken its scope that does nothing more than puts in Texas law protections for pastors to do what we have been doing since the birth of this nation - exercise our faith in obedience to God and with the support of our Constitution and laws."

Welch said they plan to revisit other bills that died during the session, particularly if the U.S. Supreme Court "goes rogue" and overturns Article 1, Section 32 of the Texas Constitution defining marriage as a union only of one man and one woman. "We will not yield on inch of the rights given us by God, the freedoms purchased by the blood of patriots and part of our national DNA to those attempting to recreate our moral laws, culture and laws according to those with a deviant sexual lifestyle or gender confused."

He concluded by expressing great optimism in the light of the quantity and quality of pastors uniting across the state and nation. "We have truly just begun to fight for our faith, our families and our freedom."

© Copyright Original Source

My understanding is that, because bill received 100 or more votes, it becomes effective immediately upon signature by Governor Abbott, instead of waiting for Sept 1 effective date.

[rogue06]

This just in.....

Source: Email I Received from TexasPastorCouncil

Houston, TX - The statewide coalition of pastors that mobilized hundreds of pastors, including some of the largest mega churches in the state, behind religious liberty legislation in the last month, applauded the passage of SB 2065 on a 141-2 vote in the Texas House of Representatives. Texas Pastor Council Action helped lead the effort that organized statewide pastor conference calls with Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, brought pastors from around the state to the Capitol to testify in both House and Senate for the Clergy Protection bills.

"This bill is a small step of protection in a much larger war against religious freedom raging across America and well underway in Texas," said Dave Welch, President of Texas Pastor Council Action, an ethnically and denominationally diverse coalition involving pastors in all major cities in Texas. "We are very pleased that SB 2065 survived efforts to weaken its scope that does nothing more than puts in Texas law protections for pastors to do what we have been doing since the birth of this nation - exercise our faith in obedience to God and with the support of our Constitution and laws."

Welch said they plan to revisit other bills that died during the session, particularly if the U.S. Supreme Court "goes rogue" and overturns Article 1, Section 32 of the Texas Constitution defining marriage as a union only of one man and one woman. "We will not yield on inch of the rights given us by God, the freedoms purchased by the blood of patriots and part of our national DNA to those attempting to recreate our moral laws, culture and laws according to those with a deviant sexual lifestyle or gender confused."

He concluded by expressing great optimism in the light of the quantity and quality of pastors uniting across the state and nation. "We have truly just begun to fight for our faith, our families and our freedom."

© Copyright Original Source

My understanding is that, because bill received 100 or more votes, it becomes effective immediately upon signature by Governor Abbott, instead of waiting for Sept 1 effective date.

You were behind that weren't you

[Cow Poke]

You were behind that weren't you

Testified at both the house and senate hearings.

And, yes, especially the "rogue" part!

[rogue06]

Testified at both the house and senate hearings.

And, yes, especially the "rogue" part!

Don't blame me when you wake up tomorrow with nibbled on ankles.

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[Paprika]

"This bill is a small step of protection in a much larger war against religious freedom raging across America and well underway in Texas," said Dave Welch, President of Texas Pastor Council Action, an ethnically and denominationally diverse coalition involving pastors in all major cities in Texas. "We are very pleased that SB 2065 survived efforts to weaken its scope that does nothing more than puts in Texas law protections for pastors to do what we have been doing since the birth of this nation - exercise our faith in obedience to God and with the support of our Constitution and laws."

He concluded by expressing great optimism in the light of the quantity and quality of pastors uniting across the state and nation. "We have truly just begun to fight for our faith, our families and our freedom."

It will be great to see this actually happen.

But as of now, the bill is merely reactive, narrow, legally redundant self-defense efforts by Texan pastors after some of them were threatened by the Mayor of Houston.

Even beasts strike back when wounded, so I will be very interested if this will amount to anything more than such self-defense.

[Sparko]

It will be great to see this actually happen.

But as of now, the bill is merely reactive, narrow, legally redundant self-defense efforts by Texan pastors after some of them were threatened by the Mayor of Houston.

Even beasts strike back when wounded, so I will be very interested if this will amount to anything more than such self-defense.

You want to see reactive? Just wait till the gay activists start going nuts like they did about the Indiana law.

[Cow Poke]

You want to see reactive? Just wait till the gay activists start going nuts like they did about the Indiana law.

It is definitely reactive, but also preemptive - the existing law didn't keep an activist liberal judge from granting some wacko legal action against pastors or churches. The Pastor Protection bill makes it clear that the government's "compelling interest" in acting on behalf of a "protected class" does not trump the religious liberties of pastors or churches.

Also, the extent to which this bill passed is a pretty clear signal to the "big money" that worked against it.

And, yeah, it will be interesting, though I noted SOME of the gay-friendly legal entities actually dropped their objections to the bill at the last moment.