Chad’s Morning Brief: Lubbock City Council, Thoughts on Expressions of Faith In Schools, & More
Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of June 14, 2013. Give me your feedback below and tune in to The Chad Hasty Show for these and many more topics from 8:30 to 11am.
1. Lubbock City Council (link)
Even before things really got going yesterday at Lubbock City Hall, there was some drama. Councilwoman Karen Bloomberg decided to pull the texting while driving ban from the agenda. According to reports, she wanted more time to do research on the issue. Plus she has had some concerns over the fact that people would still be allowed to use their GPS units.
Don't worry folks, she didn't pull the ordinance because she magically became a fan of small government or because she realized it would be impossible to enforce. It will be back. The Bloomberg is strong in her.
The council took action on other issues last night including forming a task force to look at tornado sirens in Lubbock. The council also voted to expand the animal shelter according to KFYO News.
The City’s animal shelter will also grow, following initial action from the Council.
The Council approved the engineering services of Stiles, Wallace & Associates for an animal shelter extension at a cost of just over $56,500.
The engineering services, which will provide the design, plans, specifications, and construction estimates for the extension, will be approximately 4,530 square feet slated to be added to the northwest corner of the existing facility at 3323 South East Loop 289.
The City has allotted a total of $750,000 for the animal shelter expansion, which will likely result in the closing of the City’s older animal shelter facility.
The measure passed 6-0.
We will talk about the council meeting today from 8:30-11am.
2. Merry Christmas Bill Signed by Perry (link)
It's now legal in Texas to say Merry Christmas inside schools. According to the Texas Tribune, Governor Perry signed the bill into law yesterday.
Flanked by high school cheerleaders who recently fought a legal battle to carry banners with Bible verses on them at athletic events, Gov. Rick Perryceremonially signed legislation Thursday clarifying that school districts can acknowledge traditional winter celebrations.
"The holidays are coming early this year," for students of all faiths "who want to freely express the simplest of appropriate greetings during holy days," said Perry, who was also joined by an off-duty Santa Claus and an orthodox rabbi.
Under the new law, as long as displays include more than one religious symbol — or at least one secular symbol — and don't encourage adherence to a particular religious belief, districts can put up decorations like Nativity scenes, Christmas trees and menorahs on school property. Public school staff and students can also offer each other seasonal greetings like Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.
House Bill 308 was intended to help protect school districts from lawsuits, said state Rep.Dwayne Bohac, the Spring Branch Republican who carried the legislation, adding that it would "restore some sanity" to "political correctness run amuck." He said he hoped the bill, which passed overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate, would become a model for other states.
I hate this legislation. Not because I want kids to be banned from saying Merry Christmas, but because we have to have legislation that says it's okay to say it.
When I was a kid we would have Christmas parties in school. The moms would come up and decorate and all the kids would get cookies and treats. Then, the no fun club moved it and decided it wasn't PC to have Christmas in schools. The militant atheists launched lawsuits and schools got scared.
What does it say about our country that we have to have a law to tell us it's okay to say Merry Christmas in school? How long until we have to have a law that grants us permission to express faith in public? No one has ever been hurt by hearing the words Christmas or Hanukkah. Those who have a problem with it should get a life and stop being offended at every little thing.
I'm sure this law will be challenged in court by the militant atheists who have nothing else better to do than try to bring people down to their level.
3. Image of the Depot (link)
Do you feel safe in the Depot District? If you are like most people, the answer is probably no. According to KAMC, bar owners know this and are trying to change the image.
After several shootings in the past year, the Depot District has developed a reputation for trouble.
"People could get the idea that if there is that many police there, there must be something wrong," Biggers said. "And it's really not."
But that is something local bar owners would like to change.
"We've taken the step to invite the police to be here," Biggers said. "They are here because we've asked them to be here. We have a lot of bars in a small area and we'd like them to be here in case anything does happen."
Rob Biggers is the head of Security for Melt.
He said owners are doing what they can to help change the image of the Depot District-including making a change themselves.
"We're remodeling the club to change the image and the atmosphere of it to invite a different crowd down to the depot district," Biggers said.
Biggers said they are also working with the local police department.
"He brought in a new crew of police officers to work down here," Biggers said. "Officers that have the patience to deal with people that are out to have a good time and officers that are understanding of that fact that that's what people are here to do."
Biggers is hoping these changes will be a good start to revamping the depot district, and it seems their efforts are not going unnoticed.
We will see what happens, but it's good to see the bar owners recognize that the Depot is becoming a problem area.
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These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.
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