Time to Duck and Cover: The TX Lege is Back

 I stole my headline from the late, great Molly Ivins who called the Texas Legislature the Lege and said it only comes into session every two years so that Texans are protected from it half the time.  I dearly wish she were here today to comment on the session about to begin.  In the last session, Dems were resurgent and almost captured the House.  In 2010, many good men and women were wiped out by Teabaggers and Republicans are now close to a super majority.  Guess what they're up to?  First day bill filings include:

A bill to require voters to present photo ID, despite the fact that the Attorney General spent millions in taxpayer funds investigating voter fraud in Texas and found a handful of cases.  Facts are irrelevant.

An Arizona-style immigration bill, because that has worked out so well for Arizona.  Wait a minute, Jan Brewer got re-elected by a wide margin.  I guess it has worked out well for Arizona.

A bill to make English the official state language (because Texans speak it so well) and mandate that all state documents be printed in English only.

A bill to allow concealed handguns on public university campuses because what we really need are hormonal 18 year olds packing heat.

An Oklahoma-style abortion bill that would require doctors to offer a sonogram prior to the procedure and would prohibit public hospitals, without exception, from performing  abortions.  That 14 year-old raped by her daddy better have the bucks to go to a private hospital.

A bill to eliminate straight-ticket voting.  These folks love anything that makes voting more difficult.

Meanwhile, Texas has a budget gap that is, percentage-wise, bigger than California's and leads the nation in uninsured children.  What is Rep. Warren Chisum's answer to the budget gap?  Secede from Medicaid, of course!  Don't Tread on Me!  Unless I'm poor, then walk all over me.