Texas pastor says county's superintendent candidate isn't fit because of her ‘ungodly and immoral' lifestyle
Central Baptist Church Pastor Doug Harris made the controversial comments during a Sunday sermon on March 16 in Harris County.
According to Houston Public Media, Dr Tiffany Regan has been named as the only candidate for the superintendent position at Deer Park Independent School District, in the Houston metropolitan area.
Despite her 30 years of experience with the district, most recently as an assistant superintendent, Harris said Regan 'lives a lifestyle that is ungodly and immoral.'
'Truth be told, she has a lot of great experience and she is well-educated. The difficulty is in her morality,' he said, adding she would be a 'phenomenal superintendent' if she repents. Harris didn't offer examples of what he considered 'immoral' and what exactly Regan should repent for.
A Change.org petition calling on the pastor to apologize states he targeted her based on her sexual orientation. The petition has over 1,800 signatures.
The board nominated Regan on March 14, but she can't assume the position until the end of a public comment period, which expires on April 4.
Jason Cable, Deer Park ISD school board president, told the outlet the board's decision to name Regan the lone finalist was based on her proven leadership, experience in education and dedication to student success.
"I recognize that there are differing perspectives within our community, and the engagement and passion of those invested in our schools is appreciated. However, the Board will remain steadfast in our commitment to making decisions rooted in qualifications, integrity, and what is best for our students and district,' Cable said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘A Democrat bloodbath': With Kamala Harris out of CA governor's race, an intraparty battle begins
Kamala Harris' decision not to enter the governor's race is an immense victory for her would-be Democratic opponents, unlocking troves of donors who had been waiting for her announcement and voters who almost universally know the former vice president. From Katie Porter's big moment to the field-wide scramble for cash and Republicans losing their foil, here are five ways Harris' move is upending the contest: Porter's in command: No one is poised to benefit more than Porter, who shares an overlapping base of national benefactors and has performed better than all Democrats but Harris in public polling of the race. Porter's camp was quick on Wednesday to reup spring polling that suggests she has the support of 36 percent of likely primary voters. The survey, conducted by GBAO Strategies, found that Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tied as the second most popular Democrats — though they trail Porter by double digits. Other prominent Democrats in the race, including former state Senate leader Toni Atkins and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, were trailing in the lower single digits. Porter, a former representative from Orange County, could face a hurdle attracting support within the Democratic Party establishment. She's often cut against the grain within the party and had few close allies on Capitol Hill. But that might not be the biggest handicap in an election cycle where voters are eager for 'change' — provided Porter can seize the anti-status-quo label. The fundraising freeze thaws: Campaigns have already begun blowing up the phones of large-dollar donors who were waiting to contribute until Harris made a call. Former Controller Betty Yee, chatting with Playbook before donor meetings in Southern California, said Wednesday her campaign was reaching out to potential contributors in the Bay Area where she and Harris both share a base. 'We started to see some movement a couple weeks ago but, I think until she really made her definitive decision, it was still a lot of people on the fence just seeing how the field would solidify,' said Yee. 'We do have some donors in common that I think we're going to definitely see some movement now in California and nationally.' State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, who's from the East Bay, told Playbook people in his overlapping network will feel freer now to pick a horse in the race. He also said he was grateful that Harris made a decision before several labor unions — which supported his past runs for office — vote on primary endorsements this fall, even if it will be difficult for any one candidate to secure the majorities needed to get formal labor nods before next year's run-off. 'It's good that the vice president made her announcement now, rather than waiting any longer to give those organizations time to hear from the candidates and to vet the candidates,' he said. Republicans lost their foil: Republicans desperately wanted to run against Harris on the November 2026 ballot. Even if they faced long odds of defeating her, GOP insiders hoped the contest would provide the party with a fundraising and messaging vehicle. 'Barely anyone is less representative of change than Kamala Harris,' quipped Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host and Republican candidate for governor. 'I've always thought that (she) would be extremely beatable in the general election.' Now, the challenge for Hilton and the other major Republican in the race — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — isn't beating up on Harris, but convincing voters that they are the best candidates to fix California's biggest problems, from the soaring cost of living to the state's repeated budget deficits. Bianco, who had previously said he'd love for Harris to run due to her weaknesses, told Playbook on Wednesday that his comments were simply an exercise in 'reverse psychology.' 'It was like, yeah, I'll try and convince her that she's going to be the worst thing for California,' said Bianco, 'but the reality is, I'm very happy that she's no longer in it.' Democrats with lower name identification than Harris, he argued, 'are all going to have to fight with each other to say who's responsible for putting us where we are, and this is going to be, I believe, a Democrat bloodbath.' Richard Grenell, a special envoy to President Donald Trump, previously said he was considering running if Harris got in, but didn't respond to a text message inquiring about his plans following the former vice president's announcement. And Stephen Cloobeck, a Democratic entrepreneur who is running but has sharply criticized Harris, remarked to Playbook that he 'won't have the pleasure' of debating her. Caruso is the biggest unknown: Billionaire mall magnate Rick Caruso has considered running for the office since losing the last Los Angeles mayoral election to Karen Bass. But his team declined to comment on whether Harris' decision would affect his calculations. A Republican-turned-Democrat, Caruso has been floated as a moderate, business-aligned candidate who could capture angst at the political establishment and old guard Democrats. Insiders are watching to see whether he challenges Bass, again, runs for governor or does something else entirely. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate Democrat who has been floated for the job, said he's focused on being mayor — though he didn't exactly slam the door shut on running. 'My thinking hasn't changed,' Mahan said. 'Our next governor needs to be laser-focused on holding every city and county accountable for building shelter and in-patient treatment beds, and requiring that people use them when available.' Eleni's productive day: Democrats in the race were quick to seize on Wednesday's opening. But Kounalakis had an especially good day. She received an apparent off-the-cuff endorsement from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a fellow San Franciscan. And a person close to Kounalakis' campaign, granted anonymity to describe internal conversations, told Playbook she received a call from Harris before the former vice president made her announcement. Harris hasn't said if she intends to endorse, but Kounalakis' allies were quick to tout the call as a testament to their yearslong friendship. Moreover, Kounalakis' camp emphasized her fundraising edge, with $9 million cash on hand. This reporting first appeared in California Playbook. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every weekday.
Politico
2 days ago
- Politico
The unusual GOP alliance pushing earmarks in this fall's funding fight
Conversations around government funding are ongoing. But so far, signs point to earmarks being one of the most viable pathways for breaking the impasse. It's a sweetener leaders can use to satisfy holdouts who want to be able to deliver wins for their districts — and represents a compromise for hard-liners like Harris who think this arrangement might present the best possible outcome for members who want to spend as little money as possible. Harris, who is also chair of the appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Department of Agriculture and FDA, has floated the year-long, flat-funded spending bill that contains earmarks — but paired with the guarantee that Congress will also pass several more rescissions packages to claw back funds already appropriated by Congress. He also wants the White House to send over a major package of pocket rescissions that would unilaterally cancel tens of billions of dollars. Unlike with a typical rescissions bill, where Congress has 45 days to pass it before the administration is forced to spend the money as lawmakers originally intended, a pocket rescissions measure is transmitted to Capitol Hill with 45 or fewer days left until the end of the current fiscal year — and if Congress doesn't take any action by that deadline, the money is considered revoked. There's no certainty Congress can even pass a second rescissions request, while legal experts and the federal government's top watchdog have questioned the legality of the pocket rescissions process. But the pitch could be appealing to even the likes of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who is chair of a House Oversight subcommittee tasked with identifying government waste. She said in a social media post earlier this month she was uninterested in 'another CR that will leave out much needed appropriation requests that benefit our districts.' 'Funding to support critical infrastructure projects like water, roads, and community projects will AGAIN be left not funded,' she said of a government spending bill without earmarks. Greene's position signals a critical opening for proponents of earmarks — and something of a change of tune for Republicans.
Politico
2 days ago
- Politico
The GOP shift on earmarks
IN TODAY'S EDITION:— GOP eyes earmarks in shutdown talks— Schumer: Dems all in on energy cost attacks— Emergency alerts in peril post-rescissions Vulnerable Republican incumbents and GOP fiscal hawks are teaming up over a historically contentious issue: earmarks. Our Meredith Lee Hill reports that Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris and his allies are supporting the inclusion of so-called community project funding in a continuing resolution — as long as that short-term, shutdown-averting bill keeps other spending 'at least flat.' Moreover, says Meredith, House GOP leaders are seriously considering this compromise as they stare down an end-of-September deadline to avoid a federal lapse in funding. It's a change of tune for many Republicans who have long shunned the practice of steering federal dollars to pet projects back home as wasteful. In March, leadership nixed billions in previously-approved community project funding in the seven-month stopgap bill to appease fiscal conservatives. But deficit hard-liners now want to avoid having to vote for a larger, full-year package at higher spending levels, and they think earmarks could be what convinces other House Republicans to let a scaled-back measure go through. 'Allowing earmarks on a CR is a hell of a lot cheaper than an omnibus,' said one Republican with direct knowledge of the ongoing conversations. Rep. Mike Flood, who chairs the Republican Main Street Caucus, said in a recent interview he's promoting earmarks as a way to boost GOP incumbents in tough races next fall. His 83-member coalition is stacked with business-friendly lawmakers and front-liners who could use an opportunity to brag about delivering money for key investments back home. Speaker Mike Johnson's team is listening, says Flood, as leadership looks to hold onto its fragile majority in 2026. But Harris, who is also a top appropriator, isn't stopping with his demand for a flat-funded-CR sweetened with earmarks: He's pushing for a guarantee that Congress will pass more rescissions packages to claw back funding lawmakers have already approved. In addition, Harris wants the White House to send over a pocket rescissions package between now and the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30, which would have the effect of revoking billions of dollars in appropriated money on Oct. 1 if Congress doesn't act on the request. That could run afoul with many congressional Republicans who worry about the administration's steady encroachment on their 'power of the purse,' and are still sore from the last grueling round of clawback negotiations. The legality of pocket rescissions also remains in question. GOOD MONDAY MORNING. Email us: cdumay@ and crazor@ THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Schumer's August marching orders Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer thinks Democrats are hitting their stride this August break on one of his top priorities: slamming Republicans on rising energy costs. 'We will make sure people know why the electric bills are going up,' Schumer told Cassandra in an exclusive interview of the messaging strategy he's reinforcing inside his caucus. 'We're on the same page.' During constituent events this month, congressional Democrats have been highlighting the cuts to clean energy incentives which Republicans baked into their massive, party-line tax and spending package. Those tax credits were established in the Democrats' 2022 climate law, which turned three years old over the weekend. The incentives led to major green investments in red states and districts, but they continue to be politically polarizing, and Republicans rolled back and weakened many of them as part of the newly enacted megabill. Schumer told Cassandra that Democrats are sounding the alarm that these actions will lead to job losses and more expensive utilities. He also pointed to the millions of dollars environmental groups have already spent on ads to bolster this message, which he predicts will be 'one of the [Republicans'] weakest' points ahead of the midterms. 'We are letting people know they're losing their jobs because Trump and Senate Republicans repealed the energy tax credits,' Schumer said. POLICY RUNDOWN RUSSIA SANCTIONS BLEAKER BY THE DAY — Democrats are increasingly doubtful they'll get to vote to put sanctions on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine when the Senate returns from recess next month. 'This next set of sanctions could be more impactful,' Sen. Chris Murphy told NBC's Meet the Press Sunday. 'The problem is, in the Senate, the Republican leader won't even bring up a vote, a debate on this bill because Donald Trump doesn't even want a discussion about these sanctions because he's so worried that it might upset his great friend Vladimir Putin.' Murphy's pessimism comes as Trump left his Alaska summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin this past Friday without securing a ceasefire agreement, his long-stated goal for the confab. Instead, Trump said he would pursue a broader peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, around which there continues to be enormous skepticism about a successful outcome. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has so far been mum. However, Sen. Lindsey Graham — who has been leading the Russian sanctions effort on Capitol Hill but is also one of Trump's most loyal allies — said following the Alaska meeting he is now feeling hopeful and will defer to the president on next steps for a legislative response to force Putin's hand. Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House this afternoon. LAWMAKERS TEE UP ACTION ON DC — Competing measures are in the works on Capitol Hill to either end or extend Trump's federal takeover of the District of Columbia's police force. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna introduced a resolution Friday that would grant Trump the authority to maintain federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department 'for as long as necessary to restore law and order' — a measure also backed by Rep. Andy Ogles, a member of the House Freedom Caucus. That same day, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton rolled out a joint resolution with fellow Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia that would terminate Trump's action, with Sen. Chris Van Hollen prepared to offer a companion resolution in his chamber. There's little chance Democrats make headway on their proposal, while Trump could put pressure on GOP leaders to take up the Luna measure — though it would likely have difficulty getting the votes to clear a necessary procedural hurdle in the Senate. FALLOUT FROM RESCISSIONS 1.0 — Public radio and TV stations are scrambling to keep disaster-warning systems alive following Congress' vote to nix $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Kylie Williams and Avril Silva report. The impact is widespread. Station managers in Alaska — where news stations serve rural communities and tribal villages — say funding has already dried up. PBS outlets in Northern California towns that send alerts during earthquakes are facing shutdowns. And stations in Oklahoma are unable to replace aging transmitters that provide warnings for emergencies. Craig Fugate, who led the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the Obama administration, said lawmakers may not realize how much certain communities rely on public broadcasting: 'It's important that a lot of senators and a lot of representatives start to hear from folks and start to realize the ramifications at the local level.' The CPB, which provided over 500 grants to more than 1,500 public radio and TV stations, is winding down operations with plans to fully shutter after January. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: THE BEST OF THE REST Midterm Fight Over Trump Bill, Tariffs Starts Early at Iowa Fair, from Erik Wasson at Bloomberg Georgia GOP fears bruising primary in race to unseat Ossoff, from Caroline Vakil, Al Weaver and Brett Samuels at The Hill The Democrats' biggest Senate recruits have one thing in common, from Russell Berman at The Atlantic CAMPAIGN STOP DEMS ADVANCE REDISTRICTING FIGHT IN CA — The Democrats who serve in the Texas legislature but left town to block the GOP majority's ability to approve new congressional maps are returning home to expected defeat — but their counterparts in the blue state of California are preparing to pick up the fight. California Democrats will circulate a long-awaited redistricting proposal among members of their own state legislature this week — and lawmakers are expected to approve the maps and related legislation by Thursday, Melanie Mason, Blake Jones and Dustin Gardiner report. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a Nov. 4 special election for voters to green light the mid-decade redistricting effort. In the plan released Friday, Democrats have drawn themselves hefty advantages in districts currently held by GOP Reps. Doug LaMalfa, Kevin Kiley, David Valadao, Ken Calvert and Darrell Issa. At the same time, the new maps would provide some protection to other vulnerable Democrats, deepening the advantage for Reps. Adam Gray in the Central Valley, Derek Tran and Dave Min in Orange County and George Whitesides in Los Angeles County. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rep. Jay Obernolte … former Reps. Toby Moffett and Louie Gohmert … Erik Wemple … WSJ's Sadie Gurman … Scott Haber-Katris … Megan Scully … H.R. Bert Peña … POLITICO's Lee Hudson … CNN's Simone Pathe … Bryan Greene of the National Association of Realtors … Roger Zakheim … Elizabeth Letter … Jordan Baugh … former Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner … Bob Woodruff … Jules Polonetsky (6-0) … Ben Wermund … Robert Lynch TRIVIA FRIDAY'S ANSWER: Nikki Bannister correctly answered that New Hampshire and Vermont are the two states where governors serve two-year terms. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Cassandra: Who was the first painter to depict an African American in a Capitol mural? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
