Groups Call on Texas Senate to Reject HB 12

NALEO REJECTS HB 12

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, a nonpartisan organization that facilitates the full participation of Latinos in the political process, has joined many organizations in calling on the Texas Senate to reject HB 12, the bill to ban non-existent sanctuary cities.

“HB 12 is an unconstitutional and very costly measure that will
jeopardize the public safety of all Texans,” said NALEO President and former Harris County Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia.  “This legislation
will violate their civil rights and subject the state’s Latinos and newcomers to discrimination.”

HB 12 would not allow counties and cities to approve measures blocking law enforcement from asking the legal status of detained persons.

“This bill makes it harder for localities to set their own policies on keeping their neighborhoods safe,” said NALEO Educational Fund Chairman Juan C. Zapata. “In these times of pressing economic challenges, HB 12 does nothing but place significant burdens on local governments when limited resources are sorely needed elsewhere.”

Meanwhile, check out my recent post and action alert at Somos Tejanos:

As SomosTejanos predicted earlier this week, the conservatives in the Texas Legislature were not about to disappoint Governor Rick Perry by denying him his“emergency” measure targeting nonexistent sanctuary cities.

Soon after the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security added onto and voted out of committee Texas Senator Tommy Williams’ (R-The Woodlands) Senate Bill 9, the Secure Communities bill, The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security returned the favor and reconsidered and voted out of committeee House Bill 12, the sanctuary cities bill.

[Continue reading here]

Senate Dems Vow to Block HB 12

Off the Kuff has the report on Texas Senators vowing to block HB 12, the bill to ban nonexistent sanctuary cities.

The best outcome is that both of these bills die. Whatever does happen, at least the Democrats will have gone down fighting. Sometimes, that’s all you can hope for.

Stay tuned!