Texas GOP Vote

Monday evening, Texas Governor Rick Perry stepped up and drew a line in the sand challenging the TSA's authority to conduct invasive and unwarrented searches of Texans by issuing a proclamation granting the Texas Legislature the authorization to consider and approve legislatio   Read more »

Update: Gov. Perry Adds Legislation to Special Session Call Related to Security Procedures

The following is a letter from State Rep. David Simpson (HD-7):

Dear Governor Perry:

If you are willing, there is still time to enact legislation to protect the dignity of travelers in Texas. Egregious intrusive searches without probable cause continue every day by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Texans and indeed Americans around this nation are fed up with this out of control federal bureaucracy that has promulgated practices that violate the 4th Amendment and that treat grandmothers, the handicapped, Iraqi war veterans with prosthetic limbs, boys, girls and infants as criminal suspects—touching their private parts as a condition of travel.   Read more »

Texas Governor Rick Perry has held the Texas Legislature in place by calling for a Special Session to deal with a school finance plan blocked by Democrats in the regular session. The session will also deal with Medicaid cost savings.

The Special Session can last up to 30 days and can only deal with issues brought forward by the Governor.  Certain rules, like the Senate "Blocker Bill" rule, are also not in effect, making it more difficult for Democrats to block Conservative legislation.   Read more »

(Austin) – Despite overwhelming support from the public for HB 1937, a bill to protect the Fourth Amendment rights of Texas citizens, the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) succeeded in intimidating the Texas Senate into submission with a threatening letter full of misleading statements. The bill was brought up again for discussion by its Senate sponsor Dan Patrick (R-Houston) late Wednesday night, but after the DOJ’s bullying tactics several Senators were unwilling to sign back on to the bill. Rep. David Simpson’s (R-Longview) office is currently

As I sit in the Capitol of Texas today, I am saddened to learn that The Texas Senate has completely blown an opportunity to tell the TSA and the Federal Government that Texans will not stand for their liberties to be suspended by bureaucratic administrators who seek to make the public feel safe by making them suspend their 4th Amendment rights to protection from unreasonable search.

On Wednesday, Sen. Dan Patrick pulled HB 1937, the TSA groping bill, from the floor of the Senate to keep it from being killed while he attempted to revive support for the bill after the US Attorney for Texas sent a letter threatening Texas

Update: The bill is dead in Senate. Call Gov. Perry (800-252-9600) and ask for a special session.

TSA agents harassed two Texas Wounded Veterans trying to get on a plane. Where were these two wounded warriors going? They were going to a ceremony to honor them for their courageous service in defending America. One of the wounded warriors, a friend of mine who personally told me what happened, has bullet fragments in his leg. The other wounded warrior has shrapnel in his face.

The TSA agents cornered them and bombarded them with repeated questions like, “What are you hiding in your face?”

In a move more reflective of cowardice than leadership, the Texas Senate yesterday, succumbed to the mere veiled threat of a letter from the almighty federal Department of Justice (DOJ) and pulled HB 1937 back from a scheduled vote.  Sen. Dan Patrick (R - Houston), the Senate sponsor for the bill, wisely pulled the bill back to keep it from being killed, after it lost the necessary votes to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. The bill's author, David Simpson (R- Longview) said, "Our office will not be intimidated by veiled threats from the DOJ".  "If they want to take away our freedoms, let them Come and Take It", he continued.     Read more »

The following came in from State Representative David Simpson (HD-7):

Yesterday, Tuesday the 24th, the Texas legislature was visited by federal agents from the TSA and the Dept. of Justice to lobby against HB 1937, my bill to stop the TSA from groping travelers without probable cause.

They delivered a letter from a US District Attorney that threatened to shut down Texas flights, if we didn't submit to the invasive pat-downs for which they have become so famous.   Read more »

(Austin) - A broad coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Texas, led by State Representative David Simpson (R-Longview), have introduced legislation to safeguard traveler dignity by restraining the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) use of abusive passenger screening procedures in Texas airports.   Read more »

Texas Representative David Simpson introduced two bills, HB 1937 and HB 1938, that will challenge the TSA's pat downs and body scanning equipment.

HB 1938 reads in part:
(b) An airport operator may not allow body imaging scanning equipment to be installed or operated in any airport in this state.
(c) An airport operator commits an offense if the operator fails to comply with Subsection (b).
(d) An airport operator who commits an offense