Texas Democratic Party: Moving Texas Forward

Varios Legisladores Republicanos de Texas, incluyendo al Diputado Leo Berman, quien abandono su campaña en las elecciones primarias en contra del Gobernador Rick Perry por la promesa de Rick Perry que actuaria en contra de la inmigración ilegal ha indicado que presentara una propuesta de ley similar a la de Arizona durante la sesión legislativa del 2011.

(Austin, TX) - “La ley de Arizona es una violación de los derechos y las libertades garantizadas en este país,” dijo el Presidente del Partido Demócrata de Texas Boyd Richie.

“Por generaciones, los Hispanos han contribuido a nuestro estado y han peleado para proteger las libertades que como Americanos apreciamos,” dijo Richie. “Todos los Americanos deberían sentir que es un insulto que esta ley requiera que ciudadanos carguen sus acta de nacimiento cuando salen de sus casas en caso de que se vean forzados a comprobar su ciudadanía, solo por su apariencia y por su forma de hablar.”

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Texas Republican legislators, including Rep. Leo Berman, who abandoned his primary race against Governor Perry based on Perry’s promise to crack down on illegal immigration have indicated they will introduce legislation similar to the recently enacted Arizona law in the 2011 legislative session.

(Austin, TX) – “The Arizona law violates basic American rights and freedoms,” said Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie.

“For generations, Hispanic Texans have made great contributions to our state and fought to protect the freedom all Americans cherish,” Richie observed. “Every American should be insulted by a law that would require fellow citizens to carry a birth certificate when they leave home in case they are forced to prove their citizenship because of the way they look or speak.”

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(Austin, TX) – The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) has shed light on the extent of their Party’s desperation to cling to power, in a press release mocking an important hearing held by hardworking Texas legislators – calling it a “pretend hearing”. Yesterday, the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus was joined by members of the House Black Caucus, the Senate Hispanic Caucus and the Legislative Study Group to hear testimony on the Texas State Board of Education, which has made national headlines recently for its proposed controversial curriculum changes.

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WASHINGTON — A Republican fundraising drive touted as the “2010 Congressional District Census” has landed in Texans’ mailboxes even though its confusing Census references prompted a new law this month.

Big Country Congressman Mac Thornberry said he registered his objections with the Republican National Committee about its direct mail campaign.

“I had gotten complaints at home about getting this thing in the mail that looked like a Census form that wasn’t,” Thornberry, a Republican from Clarendon, said.

Residents in Abilene, Midland and the Wichita Falls area received the mailers recently, but the RNC’s direct mail campaign has been kicking up controversy since late last year. (more…)

The State Board of Education (SBOE) does not want to face the public, especially not the SBOE Chairwoman, Gail Lowe. Here’s what happened:

• The Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Legislative Study Group, the House Black Caucus, and Senate Hispanic Caucus invited numerous SBOE and education officials to a hearing

• SBOE Chairwoman Gail Lowe declined, saying she couldn’t afford to make the trip

• MALC made transportation arrangements, housing arrangements, and were going to pay for Lowe’s gas to attend the short trip from Lampasas to Austin — a commute that is hardly beyond the realm of possibility.

• Lowe still refused to attend.

From the press release I received from MALC: (more…)

(Austin, TX) – Esto es una declaración por parte del Presidente del Partido Demócrata de Texas Boyd Richie, acerca de la Comisión de Ciencias Forenses de Texas que se juntara el Viernes, 23 de Abril. Para más información visita nuestro sitio: aquí y aquí.
“La Comisión de Ciencias Forenses de Texas debe operar libre de juegos políticos para asegurar la integridad de nuestro sistema de justicia. Desafortunadamente, con Rick Perry todo es político y en 2009 se deshizo de muchos de los miembros de la Comisión para eludir una revisión independiente y profesional de los métodos investigativos de la Comisión.

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Below is a statement from Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie, regarding the Texas Forensic Science Commission meeting scheduled for Friday, April 23^rd.  For background information, visit the TDP website: here and here.

(Austin, TX) – “The Forensic Science Commission must operate above the political fray to ensure the integrity of our criminal justice system.  Unfortunately, with Rick Perry, nothing is above politics, and Perry gutted the Commission in 2009 in a politically-motivated cover-up to avoid an open and independent professional review of investigation methods.

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The question got a lot of play on Fox News after Perry gave a rousing speech to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans on Friday. On Fox, Perry said, “My name is not on the straw poll. I have no interest in the presidential election personally.” This was a tactical — and tactful — response, since Perry still has to get through a competitive governor’s race before he can focus on a spot on the national ticket. (more…)

Bettencourt Dismisses the Facts to Hide GOP Bias

(Houston, TX) – If there’s one thing that’s clear heading into today’s primary runoff election it’s that the Republican Party in Texas is hostile to the Hispanic community, with nearly every Latino Republican candidate already having lost their primary race.  But now Republican leaders are trying to erase the writing on the wall by simply dismissing facts.  On local television show “Red, White and Blue” last weekend, Texas Republican leader and former Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt sought to shift the blame for his party’s bias by simply making up numbers and claiming both parties had “problems” in their primary when it came to Hispanics.  However, a look at the facts shows that in addition to the resounding defeat of incumbent Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Leo Vasquez and Railroad Commissioner Victor Carillo by virtually unknown and underfunded opponents, all but two Hispanic Republicans running against an Anglo in the March primary lost.  Bettencourt also ignores the fact that Democrats had well over twice as many Hispanic candidates than Republicans on their primary ballot in Harris County. **see table below**

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Politicians running for re-election are generally afforded some leeway on accuracy.

After all, similar to drinking while driving, speaking while stumping has been associated with any number of side-effects, from impaired judgment to short-term memory loss to feelings of grandiosity. (more…)