Chad’s Morning Brief: Sanctuary Cities and In-State Tuition Legislation Back as Time Winds Down, Boy Scouts Ban Water Gun Fights, and Other Top Stories
Here is your Morning Brief for May 20, 2015.
Controversial Bills Alive
Two controversial bills are still alive in the Texas Senate but time is winding down. According to the Texas Tribune, both in-state tuition for illegal immigrants and Sanctuary City legislation are back on the calendar.
After sitting idle in the Senate for more than a month, a controversial bill to eliminate in-state tuition rates for undocumented immigrants is back on the upper chamber’s calendar.
But it remains unclear whether the Senate has the votes to bring the measure up for debate.
Senate Bill 1819 by state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, would do away with what has been standard policy in Texas since 2001: allowing non-citizens, including undocumented students, to pay discounted in-state tuition rates if they have lived in Texas for three or more years.
The proposal was originally placed on the Senate’s intent calendar on April 15 after an hours-long and emotional committee hearing — but it was taken off that calendar next day. During the first 130 days of the session, Senate rules require a bill to stay on the calendar for two days before being brought up for debate.
On Tuesday, the bill was back on the calendar along with another controversial measure, Senate Bill 185 by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. That proposal seeks to give local law enforcement expanded immigration enforcement powers.
SB 185 has been on and off the intent calendar several times since passing out of committee on April 13, a sign that the measure didn’t have support from 19 senators — the threshold needed to bring it up for a debate. The upper chamber’s 11 Democrats have stood united in their opposition to both measures, and at least two Republicans are firm against it.
State Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, told The Texas Tribune on Monday that he still had “great reservations” about both measures.
“As a conservative I think both of those bills have some unintended consequences that could be dire,” he said.
And state Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, reiterated on Monday that he’s against both bills. That means one Democrat would have to join the Republicans.
Neither bill has a great chance of passing the Senate and even if they did, the prospects look even worse in the House. There just simply isn't the time nor the votes for either measure. However, no bill is dead until it's officially dead and these two bills deserve time to be debated.
Water Guns Are Now Bad
Are we raising a nation of wimps? It has been a reasonable question for a while now and the Boy Scouts of America just took a step that answers that question. According to the Washington Times, water balloon fights are allowed at events but the balloons shouldn't be larger than a ping pong ball. Want to have a water gun fight? Nope. Water guns are banned now too.
A blog for the organization’s leaders said May 6 that pointing simulated firearms at people is not allowed.
“Why the rule? A Scouter once told me this explanation I liked quite a bit: A Scout is kind. What part of pointing a firearm [simulated or otherwise] at someone is kind?” said Bryan Wendell on the scouting website.
The rule is clarified in the Boy Scouts of America National Shooting Manual, which says “For water balloons, use small, biodegradable balloons, and fill them no larger than a ping pong ball. […] Water guns and rubber band guns must only be used to shoot at targets, and eye protection must be worn.”
You have got to be kidding me. It's not nice to shoot each other with water guns? The reason for the rule I'm sure is because someone in the no-fun club believes that kids playing with water guns will one day lead them to playing with real guns with scary bullets.
Why can't we just let kids be kids? There is nothing wrong with water guns at all and most sane people understand that.
This is just sad.
Other Must Read Links:
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 on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.
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