Latest news with #DanielAlders
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas reps rally against Senate amendment pruning medical marijuana expansion
The Brief The Texas Senate has passed an amendment that narrows the scope of a bill expanding medical marijuana use, reducing eligible patients. The Senate's version cuts conditions like chronic pain and traumatic brain injury, which were included in the House-passed bill. Texas House representatives are expressing strong disapproval, vowing to fight for the original, broader expansion. AUSTIN - An amendment passed by the Texas Senate to a bill defining medical marijuana use in the state greatly reduces applicable patients compared to the version passed by the House. Some Texas representatives are less than happy about the change. The backstory HB 46, or the Compassionate-Use Program (TCUP) bill, would expand Texas' limited medical marijuana program for applicable users. The House on May 13 passed a version of the bill that would have included in the expansion honorably discharged veterans who would benefit from use, those experiencing chronic pain, glaucoma, traumatic brain injury, spinal neuropathy, Crohn's disease or other inflammatory bowel diseases, degenerative disc disease and patients with a terminal illness or condition for which a patient is receiving hospice of palliative care. The House passed the bill 122-21. What's Changed On Friday night, the Senate Committee on State Affairs added a new amendment to the proposed legislation that would reduce the new list of applicable users. The amended version would cut chronic pain, TBI and other conditions from those included in the new parameters. It also dramatically cuts the number of new licenses to be issued. What they're saying Rep. Daniel Alders (R-Tyler) began the House's outcry on X by expanding on a post explaining the changes to the bill. "One of the main reasons why many representatives voted yes on SB3 was because the Texas House passed legislation specifically expanding TCUP," Alders said on the social media platform. "At minimum the Senate needs to expand the program to include: - Chronic pain and TBI traumatic brain injury - More license holders - Prescription by mail. We must get this right." Rep. Katrina Pierson (R-Rockwall) said on X that she agrees "100%" with Alders' statement. Rep. Tim Oliverson (R-Cypress), one of the authors of HB 46, also expressed displeasure at the altering of the proposal. "I am deeply disappointed in the removal of chronic pain and TBI from the Senate version of HB46. I am working tirelessly to get it back in the bill," Oliverson said on X. "Without these qualifying conditions and more access than what is currently contemplated, I am concerned about the effect of SB3 on Texans with legitimate medical conditions." Rep. Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth) also spoke out on X. "Last week I voted to expand TCUP, the Texas Compassionate Use Program," Schatzline said. "I hope & believe that the Senate will keep the expansion for: - Chronic pain and TBI traumatic brain injury - More license holders - Prescription by mail." Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock), the current Speaker of the House, reposed each of these statements on his X account. Burrows has yet to post a statement of his own. At the time of the statements, Burrows was presiding over a House hearing. Dig deeper A sweeping bill equating to a near-total ban on THC products is currently nearing the governor's approval. SB 3 would prohibit the sale or use of THC products that were legalized via a loophole created in a 2019 expansion of the hemp industry in Texas. SB 3 was passed by the Senate before being amended in the House, and was passed to its third and final reading this week. Small business owners are leading the pack in opposition of the bill. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a major proponent of the proposal, believes the thousands of businesses peddling the products are a detriment to the state. Owners and employees of those smoke and vape stores, on the other hand, are concerned about the loss of business, revenue and a fortune in tax dollars. What's next Now that an amended substitute to HB 46 has passed out of committee, it must next be heard before the full Senate. If passed, the bill would then be sent back to the House, where it may be either passed in its new form or reverted to the original text. If the House and Senate cannot come to an agreement on the provisions in the bill, the proposed legislation will not make it to the governor's desk. The Source Information in this article comes from Texas Legislature Online and public X accounts for Texas elected officials.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas House OKs bill to limit minors' access to sexually explicit books in public libraries
After banning books with sexually explicit content in schools in 2023, Texas Republicans are setting their sights on a new target: municipal public libraries. The party is hoping to make books that "describe, depict or portray" sexual conduct off-limits to underage library visitors with House Bill 3225, which the Texas House advanced to the Senate with an 82-53 vote Friday. The bill would require that librarians remove all "sexually explicit" materials from the children's and young adult sections, and mandate that they verify patrons' ages during checkouts of those materials. Three Democratic House members from South Texas voted with Republicans in support of the proposal. State Rep. Daniel Alders filed the bill to make parents 'feel comfortable allowing their children to freely explore the books' in public libraries, he said in an April 14 hearing in the House State Affairs Committee. The Republican House member from Tyler said he worries about his tween daughters, who are voracious readers, accessing sexually explicit books that are available in the 'young adults' section of his local library. In a heated floor debate Friday, Democratic members argued the bill could unconstitutionally restrict minors' access to classic books like 'Lord of the Flies,' 'The Bluest Eye' and 'Brave New World.' They also said it would cut off their access to information about sexual health, sexual assault and puberty. 'If there aren't books, teens are going to go to the internet, and the internet is not a good source of information,' state Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, said. Book removals: Llano County settles librarian's wrongful termination suit for $225,000 'Pretending that this doesn't happen or that these kids are not being confronted by this stuff is absolutely asinine,' said state Rep. Ann Johnson, a Houston Democrat and former human trafficking and child sex abuse prosecutor. 'So be honest with them about society and give them access to honest information, which comes out of a public library.' In response, Republicans said libraries should let parents, rather than kids, choose when their children are ready to read mature books. Alders, with approval from the House, amended the bill Friday to let parents opt their children out from the restrictions. An amendment from Zwiener that would have made the restrictions apply only to minors under 13 years of age failed along party lines. 'A parent helps to guide a child to adulthood, and the parent does that according to their own sense of what is best for that child,' said state Rep. Brent Money, R-Greenville. Another dispute over the bill centered on the cost and labor the proposal's implementation might require. HB 3225 would authorize Texas' attorney general to sue cities and counties whose libraries violate the bill's provisions. A library would have to pay up to $10,000 to the state per violation, plus attorney's fees and other costs. Democratic critics took umbrage at this enforcement mechanism. 'Our libraries are starving," said state Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas. "How are they going to pay these $10,000 fines when somebody gets grumpy about a book in the library?' In the House's hearing of the bill April 14, Texans from across the state came to the Capitol to lay out cases for and against the proposal. Colby Wiltse, national faith director for Christian political advocacy group Citizens Defending Freedom, praised the legislation. 'This bill represents a reasonable balance between protecting our children and preserving the valuable role that libraries play within our communities,' he said. Related: How a national dispute over library books is fracturing a small Texas town In contrast, a mom from Llano, a rural town about 80 miles northwest of Austin, argued the bill didn't take the reality of teen life in Texas into account. 'Irrespective of their reading choices, our Texas teens are having sex,' said Leila Green Little, who advocates against book restrictions. 'They're becoming parents. They're driving. They hold down jobs, they commit to military service. Why should they be barred from exploring and reading 'Slaughterhouse-Five' in a public library?' Another witness honed in on the bill's exception for religious texts, which safeguards them from content-based restrictions. Sara Stevenson, a former English teacher and school librarian from Austin, argued the bill could ensnare other important books. 'There's a problem with the rating of books for sexual material, and the bill admits this' with that exception, she said. 'If you did an AI search for sexual organs, the Bible could be banned.' The Senate State Affairs Committee heard Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes' SB 2101, the companion bill to HB 3225, on April 28. It is pending a vote from the panel, which is composed of 10 Republicans and one Democrat. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas House OKs bill to restrict public library books for minors
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After a sometimes graphic debate, Texas House advances bill limiting kids' access to sexually explicit books in libraries
A debate in the Texas House over whether to limit children's access to books with sexually explicit material in libraries turned heated and philosophical Friday: What's the definition of sexual conduct? How should teens learn about sex? Are classics like The Bluest Eye and Madame Bovary explicit? 'This is a simple bill intended to protect our Texas kids,' Rep. Daniel Alders, R-Tyler and author of House Bill 3225, said on Friday. 'This bill addresses a real issue that we have seen in our public libraries across the state, and it does so in a way that is reasonable as well as effective. It's not a complicated bill. It shouldn't be controversial.' Nearly two hours of debate following the bill's layout stood to differ. Democrats lined up one after another, offering numerous amendments and rebuttals to argue that the bill was too sweeping and would restrict teenagers from accessing books that could help them make sense of typical teenage tribulations — from puberty and relationships to sex and masturbation. 'You are conflating sexually explicit or dangerous conduct with basic health information for puberty, which hits people in their early teen years,' Rep. Ann Johnson, D-Houston, said in opposition to the proposal. House Bill 3225 would require public libraries to require parental consent for anyone under 18 to check out books deemed to contain 'sexually explicit' material. The bill defines such material as depicting 'sexual conduct,' which includes 'actual or simulated sexual intercourse,' 'masturbation,' and 'sado-masochistic abuse.' The bill allows for a civil penalty up to $10,000 to be imposed on libraries that do not comply, and it tasks the Texas State Library and Archives Commission with establishing guidelines for libraries to annually review their collections. The House preliminarily passed the bill, 82 to 53, on a largely party line vote. The measure is part of a broader effort by state leaders to more tightly control the books put in public libraries and remove sexually explicit literature. Critics have argued the efforts target books that explore themes of gender and sexuality, and that center LGBTQ characters and people of color. After one more vote in the House, usually a formality, the bill will move on to the Senate. Books that could fall under the bill's definition of 'sexually explicit' include classics and common high school reading including Wuthering Heights, The Lord of the Rings, As I Lay Dying and Catch-22, Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, said. (The bill maintains an exception for 'religious materials.') She emphasized the value of teens reading and engaging with stories that covered topics like puberty and sex, and argued that public libraries were a preferable site to social media for teens to learn about those topics. 'It is actually incredibly valuable for our young people to have the opportunity to enter the lives and experiences of others, to figure out how they feel about some of these things,' Zwiener said. 'Reading a book about another 16-year-old who is making a decision about whether or not to have sex helps that minor who's reading that book make a good decision.' She offered an amendment to lower the bill's age restrictions to apply only to those under 13 years old. Lawmakers rejected the amendment, 86 to 58. 'We all know that the five-year-old and the 17-year-old are very different,' Zwiener said. 'Teenagers have a different experience. They need access to different information. Being minors does not prevent them from potentially ending up in a sexual situation.' Republicans said that the bill would not regulate the kinds of information young people could access, and simply seeks to give that ability to parents. More importantly, they argued, the bill would protect children from unwittingly encountering explicit material. 'It's important that we protect our kids in the state of Texas and ensure that they can access the books in their public library for their benefit, for their good,' Alders said, 'and are not confronted unknowingly with material that is going to potentially traumatize them for the rest of their life.' Democrats said they agreed that children should be protected from pornographic material, and noted that it is already illegal to share pornography with minors. But the bill, they argued, was misguided and overly broad. And they worried it could functionally lead public libraries to deny teens access to any book outside the children's section. 'The over sexualization of children is a problem — but it ain't happening in your public libraries,' Johnson said, adding that she felt like she was in the movie, 'Footloose.' Libraries are 'a healthy place of education,' she said. 'And for all these parents that always say, 'I don't want my kid to get access to this information,' — I promise you, they are getting access to the information. And the ones you should not be afraid of are the books that are in your public library.' The debate itself grew personal and graphic at times, with Johnson pressing Alders on the definitions of 'sexual bestiality' and 'sado-masochistic abuse,' and on when he, as a teenage boy decades ago, first learned about masturbation. 'Masturbation. Do we know about it?' Johnson said. Alders denied that it was a tenant of standard health education. 'Masturbation is not basic teenage health? Do you really, as a young man, want to describe to me when you had to learn about that?' Johnson said. 'I would bet, at some point, you as a young man needed to have the discussion with somebody about what masturbation meant.' 'That's not a question I expected to be asked on the House floor,' Alders said. Zwiener, advocating for her amendment lowering the age restriction to those under 13, shared that she was sexually assaulted at 17 years old — and reflected on the difference a book mirroring her experience could have made. 'The right book might have helped me figure out that I didn't make a mistake — that somebody wronged me — much earlier,' she said. She highlighted a scene in The Perks of Being A Wallflower, a young adult novel, in which a young man witnesses a sexual assault at a party and understands that something wrong is happening. 'That's a scene that encourages our teenagers to intervene if they see sexual assault occurring,' she said. 'It is a scene that encourages teenagers to be mindful of consent when they're in situations with each other, and it's a scene that helps victims of sexual assault understand it's not their fault. Our teenagers should have access to books that help them learn those lessons, regardless of whether or not their parent will sign a permission slip.' First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Librarians aren't bouncers. Texas teens shouldn't be carded to read serious books
As a former librarian, I'm against House Bill 3225, by Rep. Daniel Alders, R-Tyler, which would require public libraries to move any 'sexually explicit' material from the young adult section to the adult area and to bar patrons under the age of 18 from the adult section. To be clear, by 'adult,' we don't mean X-rated — just the general section of the library from which many older teens like to browse and select books. Public libraries are a treasured institution. They are free and accessible to all, and they operate on individual, voluntary choice. I could argue how subjective the rating of books for sexual material is, but the text of the bill already proves my point. HB 3225 states: 'This section does not apply to religious materials.' The bill acknowledges that labeling books as 'sexually explicit' because of certain images, scenes or words taken out of the context could be used to ban the Bible. Yes, The Song of Solomon would be flagged in an AI search of sexual organs. The possibility that many worthy books could be suddenly off limits to minors is precisely why librarians object to this bill. Judging a book by its parts is worse than judging a book by its cover. HB 3225 excludes the Bible, but what about Shakespeare? The Bard was famous for his sexual puns and innuendos. I used to teach Advanced Placement English, and many books on that test could be banned under this bill. "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison comes to mind. Also, "Beloved" by Toni Morrison and "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. And yet what a loss, what a deprivation to ban great literature from our high school students. The public library's mission is to provide free access to all kinds of books for all ages and interests. A book's inclusion in a collection does not mean endorsement. In addition, librarians are not substitute parents. It is the parents' right and duty to monitor their children's reading. The American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights addresses these concerns: "A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views." Many teens read books written for adults. They have the maturity to appreciate the dominant theme of the book instead of scanning for a bad word or a sexual image. They have the right to access and read what's in our public libraries. If they find the book offensive, or more likely boring, they'll return it. Why do we have such little faith in the discernment of our young adults? Librarians are professionals, not clerks. They can't card everyone who wanders into the adult section. They are busy running literacy programs, organizing story time, curating the collection, helping patrons with research and job searches. As author and illustrator Sarah McIntyre says, "A trained librarian is a powerful search engine with a heart." The bill's threat of a $10,000 fine per infraction will only create fear and lead to banning perfectly good books for people who happen to be minors. Texas encompasses an area larger than France. Conflicts at regional public libraries need to be addressed at the local level. Former President Ronald Reagan once said, 'The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'' The same holds true for the state. Two lawsuits have been filed against a similar law in Idaho that was passed last year. In Texas, two judges have ruled against parts of last session's HB 900, which required vendors selling books to school libraries to provide ratings on explicit content. All public libraries in Texas have clear challenge and reconsideration policies in place for books citizens deem inappropriate. Let's not pass bills that limit our First Amendment rights to read. Sara Stevenson is a former public school librarian and Catholic school English teacher. She lives in Austin. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas bill would yank more books out of young adults' reach | Opinion
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
East Texas state representative proposes bill to protect children from explicit content in public libraries
TYLER, Texas (KETK)– An East Texas representative filed a bill in late February meant to protect children from sexually explicit material in public libraries. State Rep. Daniel Alders (R-Tyler) filed House Bill 3225 on Feb. 24 which would require public municipal libraries to restrict accessibility to sexually explicit material for minors. East Texas Rep. Moran appointed to House Committee on Ethics 'As radicals continue to target our children with obscene content tucked away in our children's reading material, it's high time for Texas lawmakers to take a stand and ensure our public libraries take the necessary steps to protect our children,' Alders said. The representative said under this proposed legislation, any book having sexually explicit content must be removed or relocated from sections targeting minors and libraries must prohibit minors from checking out the books. 'Libraries must conduct an annual review of the materials in their collection to keep the bookshelves for minors free from sexually explicit content, and they must implement a petition process to immediately review specific books for concerned parents,' the release stated. State Rep. Cody Harris proposes bill to make Texas frontrunner for nuclear energy If it is determined a book has sexually explicit content, the library has up to 45 days to remove or relocate the book to a different section and update their system so minors cannot check out the book. According to the release, if a library violates the policy they cannot receive taxpayer funding for the year following the violation and are liable for a fine of up to $10,000 per violation. 'Our children should be our highest priority, and we must take a stand to ensure that our young kids are not in danger of being exposed to inappropriate, sexually explicit content in the minors sections of our libraries,' Alders expressed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
