Ep. 20 - Texas Goddamn

Episode 19- Texas Goddamn – Show Notes

In this episode attorney, Mary Whiteside breaks down the tyranny emerging in Texas caused by the Republican controlled state legislature, which has enacted laws written by Dark Money funded political operatives like ALEC and SNP, groups designed to write right wing laws to benefit Dark Money donors and religious zealots .This unholy alliance has seemingly unlimited funding, which has been used to capture a large part of the Federal Judiciary including the Supreme Court.

What is happening in Texas is the plan for the rest of the country. This is the all hands on deck moment for democracy and the rights of the majority of its citizens.

MAIN POINTS: 

1. The Texas 6 week abotion ban was passed to please the religious zealot voting block (aka the pro-life voters). The specifics of the far right agenda is deeply unpopular with voters because it hurts everyone who is not extremely rich. Therefore, they needed to build a coalition of voters. The religious zealot voting block only focuses on overturning Roe v. Wade leaving the Koch politicians free to enact other policies without scrutiny. The Captured Supreme Court was installed to make sure Roe is overturned or gutted to the point of practical irrelevance. The Robert’s Court is fulfilling their promise to the Dark Money 
2. Texas enacts the Koch operatives’ long term strategy by passing the most restrictive voter suppression/restrictions, which is the key to permanently installing an autocratic Christian Nationalist minority. 
3. Part 3 looks at all the other laws Texas passed this year to advance the Koch project to make America hospitable for corporations and the ultra wealthy. 

CONCLUSION: We need to pressure the Democratically controlled Congress and President Biden to pass these laws. 

• The Women’s Health Protection Act - This bill would establish a statutory right for health care professionals to provide abortion care and the right for their patients to receive care, free from bans and medically unnecessary restrictions that single out abortion care.
• The Judicial Ads Act would require identification of donors who fund advocacy campaigns aimed at confirming their favored nominees. 
• The Disclose Act
• The For the People Act, The
• Freedom to Vote Act

We also need to make our voices loud, especially with our state, local and national representatives. We need to spend our money strategically and stop giving money to fossil fuel and businesses that are using their wealth to undermine and weaken democracy.

Resources

• https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/31/new-texas-laws-september-2021/
• https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/new-texas-laws-2021/285-d5170afe-e39c-401f-a575-bf110bba780b
• https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/texass-proposed-voter-suppression-law
• https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Captured%20Courts%20-%20Reproductive%20Rights.pdf 
• https://www.npr.org/2021/07/09/1014579306/texas-republic