Texas GOP Vote

As I sit in the Capitol of Texas today, I am saddened to learn that The Texas Senate has completely blown an opportunity to tell the TSA and the Federal Government that Texans will not stand for their liberties to be suspended by bureaucratic administrators who seek to make the public feel safe by making them suspend their 4th Amendment rights to protection from unreasonable search.

On Wednesday, Sen. Dan Patrick pulled HB 1937, the TSA groping bill, from the floor of the Senate to keep it from being killed while he attempted to revive support for the bill after the US Attorney for Texas sent a letter threatening Texas

Update: The bill is dead in Senate. Call Gov. Perry (800-252-9600) and ask for a special session.

TSA agents harassed two Texas Wounded Veterans trying to get on a plane. Where were these two wounded warriors going? They were going to a ceremony to honor them for their courageous service in defending America. One of the wounded warriors, a friend of mine who personally told me what happened, has bullet fragments in his leg. The other wounded warrior has shrapnel in his face.

The TSA agents cornered them and bombarded them with repeated questions like, “What are you hiding in your face?”

In a move more reflective of cowardice than leadership, the Texas Senate yesterday, succumbed to the mere veiled threat of a letter from the almighty federal Department of Justice (DOJ) and pulled HB 1937 back from a scheduled vote.  Sen. Dan Patrick (R - Houston), the Senate sponsor for the bill, wisely pulled the bill back to keep it from being killed, after it lost the necessary votes to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. The bill's author, David Simpson (R- Longview) said, "Our office will not be intimidated by veiled threats from the DOJ".  "If they want to take away our freedoms, let them Come and Take It", he continued.     Read more »

The following came in from State Representative David Simpson (HD-7):

Yesterday, Tuesday the 24th, the Texas legislature was visited by federal agents from the TSA and the Dept. of Justice to lobby against HB 1937, my bill to stop the TSA from groping travelers without probable cause.

They delivered a letter from a US District Attorney that threatened to shut down Texas flights, if we didn't submit to the invasive pat-downs for which they have become so famous.   Read more »

(Austin) - A broad coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Texas, led by State Representative David Simpson (R-Longview), have introduced legislation to safeguard traveler dignity by restraining the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) use of abusive passenger screening procedures in Texas airports.   Read more »

Texas Representative David Simpson introduced two bills, HB 1937 and HB 1938, that will challenge the TSA's pat downs and body scanning equipment.

HB 1938 reads in part:
(b) An airport operator may not allow body imaging scanning equipment to be installed or operated in any airport in this state.
(c) An airport operator commits an offense if the operator fails to comply with Subsection (b).
(d) An airport operator who commits an offense

Soon after CNN journalist Drew Griffin began a series of investigative reports critical of the TSA in May 2008, he was placed on the terror watch list. When Griffin questioned why he was on the watch list, the TSA couldn't really give a straight answer. At first they said he had the same name as a suspected terrorist. Later the TSA denied he was even on the terror watch list and blamed the airline for messing up.   Read more »

Since when is accusing everyone of terrorism acceptable, much less equal to accusing no one?

“It is acceptable and encouraged that a TSA government official can do something to an American citizen that US military personnel cannot do to a member of the Taliban.” - Woman who accuses TSA

I’m a 50-something, overweight Grandma who, last December, was subjected to a search at Chicago’s O'Hare airport

Former Senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum went "On the Record" Monday night to discuss the TSA procedures and said:   Read more »

A college kid made a statement going through security Tuesday by stripping down to nothing but a speedo and writing "Screw Big Sis" on his back. The back story is explained:

My friend Jimmy successfully navigated a TSA security checkpoint in a speedo swimsuit at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 with the words, 'SCREW BIG SIS' written on his back.