Action Paxton
Hey, we have an attorney general in Texas who is just one step ahead of the law. And by the law, I mean the damn police.
He’ll probably get indicted next month for violating the state security laws and he got caught stealing an expensive fountain pen.
But, holy smoked cow over the moon!, he has got himself some family values.
He has issued an attorney general’s opinion today that says county clerks who have religious beliefs don’t have to issue same-gender marriage licenses.
Now, he’s a sly little dude so he know that’s gonna get them sued, but he has a solution…
The clerks who balk at licensing gay marriage “may well face litigation and/or a fine,” Paxton warned.
“Importantly, the strength of any particular religious accommodation claim depends on the particular facts of each case,” he concluded.
“But,” he added in a press release, “numerous lawyers stand ready to assist clerks defending their religious beliefs, in many cases on a pro-bono basis, and I will do everything I can from this office to be a public voice for those standing in defense of their rights.”
He also said that judges and JPs who do not cotton to Adam marrying Steve instead of Eve did not have to perform the ceremony. He did not mention if they could refuse a black person, a muslim person, or anybody else. Just the gays.
Essentially, Paxton invited clerks, their employees and the judges and justices of the peace to defy the Supreme Court. But he didn’t promise they’ll win.
And then this sliceable of a man, who is going to prison for felony general slimeballness, ends by saying …
“Texas must speak with one voice against this lawlessness, and act on multiple levels to further protect religious liberties for all Texans …
Yeah, Paxton, let’s talk about lawlessness.
Thanks to Bubba for the heads up.
Do you have any idea at all what he means by “ALL Texans?” Is the word “all” confusing for him? I’m just asking.
1I, for one, am thrilled to learn that I can ignore the rules based on religious beliefs. As a firm opponent of religion (assumed atheist) I will no longer be bound by the laws created from xtian rules. I expect the state officials to uphold my rights to ignore any laws based on biblical rules. No more ten-commandment based laws, no more laws based on morals of anyone but me. Sounds like us atheists can do whatever the He^^ we want. Thank (fill in your imaginary friend) for our religious freedom from other peoples rights!
2Texans are those,and only those,with an R for wingnut behind their names.
3Wherever he states “religious liberties” or similar wording, replace it with discrimination.
4As I’ve said before, typical, just so typical. Thinking also that this is a lot of hat and no sign of cattle. As for their defiance of SCOTUS, where the hell were they when SCOTUS selected Bushlet as president? Apparently that didn’t bother them one damn bit. Discrimination is only going to get them in deep financial doo-doo with lawsuits. But what else do they have to do? These people are not productive as we know the word.
5Don’t Republicans cry about Sharia Law where religious dictates override civil law? Isn’t this the same thing?
6And does anyone doubt that these clerks with their “sincerely held religious beliefs” will get hung out to dry by this guy when they have to pay a fine or fight lawsuits with their maybe pro bono lawyers?
Also too, his public voice and a couple of bucks will get you a cup of coffee somewhere.
7After SCROTUS pivoted on Jebya’s vote theft in Floriduh to appoint Dubya, we later suffered a 2-3 trillion dollar ding and a whole bunch of crappola world wide.
SCOTUS upholds the 14th Amendment insuring marriage equality and I woke up to find my bank balance unchanged, my marriage intact, festive Gay Pride activities in many cities, and my wallet just slightly lighter. Jane did however leave a sweet note next to the wallet about needing the money for a good cause.
The battle of the sexes per women is that we guys cannot hang toilet paper or fill ice trays. In our defense I might say, but I won’t say anything about filling gas tanks or keeping cash on hand. I admit that I am in full capitulation mode ready to always fill ice trays, hang toilet paper, fill the gas tanks and supply the ready cash. Ahhhhh, the simple things. Please don’t tell Jane that you ladies let us off easy.
As for Paxton? How about a law change that says elected idiots pay a portion of the price for the cost of their idiocy. They claim to be all for the “free” market, so let them purchase their own insurance/bond for acts of official doofusness and/or malfeasance.
8My, very strongly held, religious beliefs direct me to consume marijuna on a regular basis. And yes, to grow and cultivate the same for personal consumption. So how is it that that many in Law Enforcement can so easily trample my rights and religious beliefs to do so? Oh my, I shall wring my hands, and wail loudly.
9Any of these clerks plan to refuse a marriage license to previously divorced people on the basis of their sincere religious beliefs? That’s what Jesus condemned, not the gays. Let one of them try it, and somebody tell me what happens. And I assume they didn’t have any crab puffs, oysters, or clothing of two different fabrics at their own weddings either.
And I’m with TruelyTexan. If my sincere nonreligious belief is that someone else’s sincere religious belief is a load of crapola, I don’t have to pay them any mind. Whoopee!
10“Lets you and him fight!” is a time-honored way for dishonest people to get other folks to do their dirty work for them while escaping the consequences. I hope that the clerks and JP’s who might be tempted to refuse service to gay people recognize that he’s a scumbucket who is suggesting that they break the law and suffer the penalties, rather than offering to help them. And I hope he goes to jail.
11I have a deeply held religious believe that guns on campus are immoral (not to mention dangerous). Does that mean I can make my office and classrooms no gun zones?
12Sam. Dude, you just made me think of something. If a county clerk who is Muslim refuses to issue a license to a gay couple due to religious beliefs, then Ken Paxton would be the first AG in American to enforce Sharia Law. Very cool.
13I share some of the deeply held religious beliefs alluded to above, and inspired by “our” Attorney General, Ken Paxton, I proffer some additional religious positions which may prove somewhat unpopular.
For example, my religious belief in velocity when operating motor cars and motorcycles. I can only worship properly when my motorcycle touches 100mph. How dare THP repeatedly interrupt my worship with their red lights and sirens.
Sometimes my supply of sparking white wines, gins, vermouths and bourbons diminishes after 9pm. How dare TABC prevent the sale of such products. Oh the outrage…
Oh why oh why must I travel from my home county into the nether regions of … Oklahoma or Louisiana in order to wager the mortgage payment. My worship rhythms requires regular genuflexion at the blackjack tables. I am outraged. Again. Why does the State deny me????
And I wont even mention the repeated trips as a young single man to Nevada.
Surely I can just ignore these laws because the so deny my expression of my religion.
14I think when individual county clerks, JPs, and county attorneys are individually sued…and they will be…it will quickly be revealed that “pro bono” will evaporate quickly, and they will be stuck with large and egregious legal bills for their defiance. Small county funds to assist such legal fights will quickly dry up. This litigation will escalate to much higher and much more expensive levels. When a $40,000 county clerk is hit with a $50,000 legal tab (to start), suddenly “religion” may become something secondary. What?? Really??
Let’s do this thing!!!
15I like Juanita Jean’s point above – hopefully a Muslim court clerk will claim a religious exemption, making Mr. Paxton the first AG to implement Sharia Law. It’s almost the 4th, so the exploding heads can be part of the festivities.
16“Yeah, Paxton, let’s talk about lawlessness.”
it certainly sounds as though he has significant, personal first-hand experience of the subject. would he be able to retain his public office, if he must carry out his duties from behind bars? will they pay him for his prison work in small, unmarked bills, or prison scrip?
17RepubAnon, I’d love to see that — pretty rainbow sparks from exploding wingnut heads. Our city and county are heavily Dem, so not much chance of that spectacle here, but someone please take video.
18So, it’s a non-binding “legal opinion.” Meh. It ranks right up there with the lege passing “John Wayne Day” and “Salad Day” and carries just about as much weight legally.
Why doesn’t Paxton just hold his breath until he turns blue, like any good toddler would do when he can’t have his way?
19This cartoon is actually about the ACA, but in many ways it works well for practically any Repub obstructionism: https://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/31/1288715/-The-Revolution-Will-Not-Be-Televised-The-Obamacare-Surge-the-MSM-Doesn-t-Want-You-to-See?detail=emailclassic
20I have many deeply held religious beliefs. I believe that fracking is immoral and harmful to children and fetuses. I believe that poisoning our water and food supply is wrong, that closing women’s health clinics, cutting budgets for food stamps, and the way Texas handles housing assistance are all in violation of my beliefs.
He doesn’t dare say what religion is sincere. So, please join me in the Church of the Living POOL. We’ll get tax-free status. We can have “sincerely held beliefs.”. Just don’t tell anyone that POOL stands for Pissed Off Old Ladies, OK?
21I’m the Muslim y’all (or should I say y’Allah) are looking for. And I ran for JP in 2006. I’ll bring in Sharia Law to ban heterosexual marriage amongst Republicans due to the Bush administrations wars on Muslim countries. My logic for such Sharia law is that Republicans are too stupid to procreate and raise children. And I would place Bristol Palin, unwed mother, and her mother Sarah Palin, the biggest media whore, in the town center for public lashings.
22For Paxton to describe a Supreme Court ruling as lawless, makes me excited for his next announcement, when he will no doubt upgrade his title as attorney general to a full 5 star attorney general and supreme commander of Texas county clerks. Now who’s in charge?
23First, the ‘Muslim court clerk’ must file an employment discrimination lawsuit after the county refuses to hire a Muslim court clerk.
24@ Sweet Crabby 21 – EXACTLY what I was thinking. I’m in!!! Where do I send for my membership bona fides?
@ Faarhan Shamsi 22 – Welcome to The Salon!! Great ideas. This recovered Southern Baptist will back you all they way.
25Great to see people with no principles. They are for states rights until they disagree with the state and you have an attorney general who’s sole job is to uphold the law who now doesn’t want to uphold the law. I think the toddler comparison is the best one. They are the annoying kid on the playground that wants to change the rules of tag every time they’re it.
26Can’t wait for the suing to start as the clerks pay the price for putting their beliefs in an imaginary fiend ahead of the laws.
27So, TX state employees can NOT do their jobs because of their ‘beliefs’ and still get a paycheck.
Interesting.
Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross for his beliefs but they won’t sacrifice themselves on the unemployment line for theirs?
Wimps.
28Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi are the 3 states openly defying the SCOTUS ruling, so all federal aid should immediately be cut off. Perhaps they will immediately see the light.
29My first concern was whether or not Paxton was a lawyer, even though I assumed that was a requirement of the office. Checking him out, I am proud to report that he did not graduate from any Texas law school. Paxton is a University of Virginia law grad. His state bar bio. lists his areas of practice to include “business, real estate, wills-trusts-probate.” Obviously, he has little skill as a legal advocate. His advice to the county clerks would be legal malpractice if offered by an attorney in private practice.
30I think that it’s okay for Republicans to get married, but please let’s not let them reproduce.
31Absolutely. Let’s take all the divorcees out in the street and stone ’em to death. Paxton getting all the Christians into martyr mode.
32Sweet Crabby, I’m not much on organized religion, but the Church of the Living POOL could change all that. So much to be PO’d about these days, one hardly knows where to begin. Increasing income inequality, restricting voting rights, shredding the social safety net, trying to criminalize feeding the homeless, destroying our public schools…sheesh!
33Who asked the religious folks anyhow? They have sent this high-pitched, querulous whine to heaven every time a new civil right has been granted to another segment of the population. That amendment ought to be changed to read that all civil rights are granted to all people. Period. Everybody.
34This same, almost to the word, howl has screeched heavenward over Social Security, the WPA, integration, the ADA, the ERA, Roe vs Wade, the Great Society, Medicare, food stamps, the Affordable Care Act, legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, asylum for children from points south, mixed race marriages, single parent adoptions, and on and on ad nauseum.
I don’t think anyone is really paying any attention to them anymore except insofar as the newspapers keep using them to sell papers because most people like to read the rants. This is not a reason for the rest of the population to be angry or afraid. Life goes on. Change comes about. The only lives that will be impacted are the lives of those who will, for the first time, be given their civil rights under the law. I think I’m going to get a rainbow flat to hang on my front porch ! My husband and I ( male and female) are delighted to know that our friends in the LGBT community can now legally parent their children, care for each other in sickness and in health legally, partner with each other in financial affairs, claim spousal benefits from employers, etc.
What a wonderful world !!!
Oops ! Meant to say rainbow FLAG.
35Being a small detail person, it took my breath away to read how he recognized and stole the pens. This is actual behavior one can point to to know his values and lack of integrity. and he forgot there are cameras! he’s mean and not bright. good luck with this guy.
36Does anyone have a list of the pro bono attorneys who will be defending these poor clerks?
37No sense getting all upset over a writing instrument in Paxton’s possession. After all, it’s just a little penprick.
38I have a deeply held religious belief that I should get to boss people around and they have to do what I say, particularly when sex is involved in any form (and for right-wingers it seems it’s always involved, even in teddy bear cakes).
Dang. I must be a secret Republican.
39It violates my religious doctrine to pay property taxes in the State of Texas. Yahooooo!
40Cloaking bigotry behind freedom of religion is beyond despicable…
A few hours after Paxton released his opinion, Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview) called for a special session to end marriage licensing in Texas altogether. “I think what the Attorney General is trying to do here, is to show that the people of Texas are against this ruling, and are therefore going to resist it in any way they possibly can,” attorney Dennis Hunsberger said, “in hopes that this might change future rulings by the Supreme Court.”
41Oh, I am so in for membership in the Church of the Living POOL…..the only time I ever go to church is for a wedding of a friend or the death of family, and even my own Happy Christian Mom, who died last August, refused a service…. I still laugh thinking about her myriad of reasons. And I am ALL OVER tagging Paxton with enforcing Sharia Law.
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