NYT Editorial on the Texas Abortion Law Legal Challenge;
Cruz & Gillibrand Team up to Fight Military Sexual Abuse;
Abbott’s Privacy Rights Proposals are Gaining Attention;
New Dewhurst TV ad: “Stop Obamacare”;
Staples Rolls Out Finance Team;
Flores Fracking Bill to Pass Congress Today;
MRT Email Sponsorship Available for Rest of Year
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Good morning from Austin.
Here’s the (short) brief:
NYT EDITORIAL BOARD WEIGHS IN ON LEGAL CHALLENGE TO TEXAS ABORTION LAW
Here’s The New York Times editorial:
In an alarming 5-to-4 ruling, the Supreme Court turned away an emergency application to block a new Texas law that is impeding access to safe and legal abortion care in the state. The ruling leaves in place an order by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that allowed the law go into effect while it considers an appeal.
The Texas law requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. A federal district judge, Lee Yeakel, ruled last month that this provision serves no medical purpose and improperly infringes on women’s reproductive rights. The requirement forces a third of Texas’ abortion doctors to stop offering the procedure. Judge Yeakel issued an injunction blocking the provision, which a three-judge panel of the appellate court promptly lifted.
The justices should have blocked the law as the appeal proceeds. The court’s 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey forbids state regulations that have “the purpose or effect of placing a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable fetus” — a principle this provision clearly violates.
Justice Antonin Scalia, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito Jr. (Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justice Anthony Kennedy did not join in the majority opinion but presumably voted to allow the law to go into effect), wrote that the plaintiffs had not met the “heavy” procedural burden of showing that the appeals court ruling was “a clear violation of accepted legal standards.” But as Justice Stephen Breyer rightly noted in his dissent, “The longer a given facility remains closed, the less likely it is ever to reopen even if the admitting privileges requirement is ultimately held unconstitutional.”
The Supreme Court’s procedural decision will affect thousands of women who would have sought abortions at the clinics no longer offering that service. The justices should follow their own precedent and strike down the admitting privileges rule if and when they are asked to directly consider its constitutionality.
SENS. CRUZ AND GILLIBRAND TEAM UP TO FIGHT MILITARY SEXUAL ABUSE
In a bipartisan move, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has teamed up with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to fight military sexual abuse.
Here’s their joint USA Today op ed.
Here the DMN ed board praises their effort.
Your absolute must clicks:
> TT’s Alexa Ura reports on the attention that gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Greg Abbott’s (R-TX) privacy rights proposals are receiving.
> The Dewhurst campaign has released its 2nd TV ad, this time a 0:30 called “Stop Obamacare.”
> DMN’s Bob Garrett reports on the Staples campaign rolling out its Finance Team, which includes several heavy hitters. TM’s Paul Burka believes this finance announcement breathes “new life” into Staples campaign.
> A bill authored by U.S. Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX) to strip federal government authority over fracking is expected to pass Congress today.
MRT ON TV
Politico’s David Nather, MRT co-founder Jason Stanford and yours truly appeared on KTBC Fox Austin last night to discuss the current state of Obamacare and the political options that are being considered.
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#txlege
– The House and Senate education chairmen are urging the SBOE to drop Algebra II.
– The fight over changes to evolution in Texas texbooks is back.
2013 / 2014 / 2016:
– Houston attorney Sam Houston has filed for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General.
– At the RGA Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) said he expects a strengthening Mexican economy to make the need for immigration reform “passe.”
Other stories of interest:
– 3.4M Texans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving.
– A Houston nonprofit CEO, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) jointlyauthored a Chron op ed on fighting human trafficking.
– One of the last two shake JFK’s hand was a boy who is now a Texas Congressman.
Lighter clicks:
– Get well soon, Lindsey Vonn.
– Mike Francesa interviews Alex Rodriguez (38 min, audio).
– The Texas Rangers have acquired Prince Fielder.
– Freshman Duke PF Jabari Parker is living up to the hype.
– Here’s the 2014 Texas A&M football schedule (road games at Alabama and Auburn!).
– Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin says Texas A&M would play Texas “anytime, anywhere.” (Cotton Bowl, 2014?)
– Finally, the Cleveland Browns are #1.
– The “Michael J. Fox show” has planned a “Back to the Future” reunion.
Your Daily Source of Inspiration:
– I don’t even have kids and I think this is so great.
