State politicians flee Texas to derail legislation on voting restrictions, abortion access

[laughing dog]

If it sounds that way to you, then I suppose you support the elimination of the filibuster, right? "a subversion of the democratic process" by which the minority usurps the majority power through protest.

That’s a non-sequitur. The filibuster is an agreed upon procedural mechanism addressed to specific legislation. Absconding in the night because things aren’t going your way, and thus stopping all legislation, is certainly undemocratic and petty. Or, should the GOP minority in other state houses take this as a cue to do the same with your approval?

Having a quorum rule is an agreed upon procedural mechanism for a deliberative body to legislate.

I have no problem with these actions or with actual filibusters - ones where someone(s) have to actually work. I would prefer the Senate eliminate the pseudo filibusters (just the threat of one).

 

[Keith&Co.]

If it sounds that way to you, then I suppose you support the elimination of the filibuster, right? "a subversion of the democratic process" by which the minority usurps the majority power through protest.

That’s a non-sequitur. The filibuster is an agreed upon procedural mechanism addressed to specific legislation. Absconding in the night because things aren’t going your way, and thus stopping all legislation, is certainly undemocratic and petty. Or, should the GOP minority in other state houses take this as a cue to do the same with your approval?

This is basically a form of filibuster. Either blocking the vote acceptable or it's not acceptable, whether it's done by talking or not being there doesn't really change the picture.

At least it's sort of a REAL filibuster. Not the trendy, 'we announce a filibuster' then sit down again bullshit.

ETA. Oh, LD best me to it....

 

[ZiprHead]

This is basically a form of filibuster. Either blocking the vote acceptable or it's not acceptable, whether it's done by talking or not being there doesn't really change the picture.

The filibuster is an accepted and agreed procedure. It’s a procedure the Senate made itself; used by both major parties when in the minority. Running away like a spoiled brat is not.

The filibuster was made by a mistake, never agreed upon knowingly by any party.

 

[Jarhyn]

This is basically a form of filibuster. Either blocking the vote acceptable or it's not acceptable, whether it's done by talking or not being there doesn't really change the picture.

The filibuster is an accepted and agreed procedure. It’s a procedure the Senate made itself; used by both major parties when in the minority. Running away like a spoiled brat is not.

The filibuster was made by a mistake, never agreed upon knowingly by any party.

Not to mention that Trausti conveniently leaves out the whole part where the republicans nuked the filibuster for judicial appointments...

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

I asked myself that when he first put it up. It contradicts obvious reality, like insisting on a flat earth, or an historical Noah’s menagerie. Perhaps its inent is to be deceptive, like saying that the KKK was originally the racist manifestation of 1880s southern democrats and trying to pretend they didn’t all leave the Democratic party when it supported the civil rights legislation and therefore trying to paint today’s Democrats with some bad image currently, even though it’s an obvious lie. I haven’t yet figured out whether he is lying to himself or trying to lie to us. But yes, it’s fundamentally stupid - not sure why Jason wants people to think that’s his intellectual level every time he posts - but here we are.

To be fair, to espouse Libertarianism you have to believe in some pretty nutty things.

Sometimes I even try to imagine that Democrats stop to ponder if their policies will have unintended consequences.

 

[ZiprHead]

I asked myself that when he first put it up. It contradicts obvious reality, like insisting on a flat earth, or an historical Noah’s menagerie. Perhaps its inent is to be deceptive, like saying that the KKK was originally the racist manifestation of 1880s southern democrats and trying to pretend they didn’t all leave the Democratic party when it supported the civil rights legislation and therefore trying to paint today’s Democrats with some bad image currently, even though it’s an obvious lie. I haven’t yet figured out whether he is lying to himself or trying to lie to us. But yes, it’s fundamentally stupid - not sure why Jason wants people to think that’s his intellectual level every time he posts - but here we are.

To be fair, to espouse Libertarianism you have to believe in some pretty nutty things.

Sometimes I even try to imagine that Democrats stop to ponder if their policies will have unintended consequences.

Funny, I do the same with libertarians.

 

[Patooka]

Sometimes I even try to imagine that Democrats stop to ponder if their policies will have unintended consequences.

Funny, I do the same with libertarians.

That's not fair. Libertarians think very hard about unintended consequences. That's why they do fuck all and represent fuck all. You can't be accountable if you have zero policies.

 

[Derec]

You know what, fuck the Texas Democrats! A bunch of illiberal authoritarians.
Texas is first state to make paying for sex a felony

They are no better than the Texas Republicans. In fact, they are worse, as this draconian law was written by a Democrat - one Senfronia Thompson, who is now grandstanding about fleeing to DC.
It's hypocritical that Democrats are on one hand demanding the end of mass incarceration, but on the other are writing laws to incarcerate people for wanting to have consensual sex with a professional.

 

[Swammerdami]

You know what, fuck the Texas Democrats! A bunch of illiberal authoritarians.
Texas is first state to make paying for sex a felony

They are no better than the Texas Republicans. In fact, they are worse, as this draconian law was written by a Democrat - one Senfronia Thompson, who is now grandstanding about fleeing to DC.
It's hypocritical that Democrats are on one hand demanding the end of mass incarceration, but on the other are writing laws to incarcerate people for wanting to have consensual sex with a professional.

The very first sentence in the article tells us that "the state Senate passed HB1540 unanimously". But you do you.

 

[Swammerdami]

Sure it is.

Again. Not the same. The Senate literally has a rule governing use of the filibuster.

Again. Same-same. Legislatures literally have rules governing use of the quorum.

As I'm 100% certain you'd be gleefully proclaiming were the partisan alignment reversed.

 

[Derec]

The very first sentence in the article tells us that "the state Senate passed HB1540 unanimously". But you do you.

What part of "They are no better than the Texas Republicans" denies that Republicans are guilty of this travesty as well?

But Republicans are not pretending they are "liberal". They are not pretending to be in favor of individual sexual autonomy. They do not claim to want to reduce mass incarceration while creating new felony crimes for no good reason.

In other words, both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of this law, but Democrats are also guilty of rank hypocrisy. Plus, the law was written by a Democrat, Senfronia Thompson. That is also clearly in the article.