Latest news with #ShelleyLuther
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Dems Get Hall Passes; Quorum-Breaking Holiday Over
A Republican lawmaker says Democratic colleagues are playing the 'victim card' after being required to sign hall passes in order to leave the Texas House floor. State Rep. Shelley Luther posted to X on August 18 that Democrats who returned from a two-week quorum break were issued written slips granting permission to exit the chamber under the custody of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Luther described the practice as proof Democrats had 'already wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars with their little 14 day field trip' and called for new GOP-friendly maps, writing, 'Time to redistrict the Texas House seats.' Her post included an image of Rep. Gene Wu's pass, which stated that he was allowed to leave only 'in the custody of a designated officer of the Department of Pullic Safety appointed under Rule 5, Section 8, House Rules or Procedure, on the condition that the representative will return… at 10 am. on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.' The escort arrangement comes as lawmakers battle over Republican efforts to redraw congressional boundaries. The GOP plan, approved by a House committee Monday night, would create at least five new Republican-leaning districts. Republicans have said the changes are necessary to reflect population growth, while Democrats argue the proposal dilutes minority voting power. Notably, three of the five districts targeted by Republicans would see an increase in the voting power of Hispanic populations. Some Republicans have suggested the plan does not go far enough. State Rep. Brian Harrison told The Dallas Express the addition of five GOP-leaning districts should be the floor for negotiations and urged colleagues to consider even more. Democrats who fled the state earlier this month had sought to block that outcome. Their return triggered new procedural rules meant to guarantee their attendance in the chamber. Democratic Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth told CBS News Texas she refused to sign the escort form on Monday and was effectively locked inside the Capitol. 'I have a right to resist, I have a right to oppose, just like my voters do,' Collier said. The Texas House Democratic Caucus called the escort system the 'latest Republican tactic to monitor and control Democratic lawmakers following their successful quorum break.' House Speaker Dade Phelan has suspended direct deposits for absent members, and civil arrest warrants were authorized to compel Democrats back to Austin. Gov. Greg Abbott launched an effort to remove Wu, the Democrat Caucus Chair, from office, while Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit to declare vacant the seats of those who continue to resist. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Approves Bill Holding Vaccine Makers Accountable
(Texas Scorecard) – Legislation to hold manufacturers liable for advertising harmful vaccines passed out of the Senate on Tuesday with a 21-10 vote. House Bill 3441, authored by State Rep. Shelly Luther (R–Sherman), allows manufacturers to be held liable if they advertise their vaccines in Texas and it causes an injury. 'HB 3441 was an unexpected and unprecedented success for medical liberty champion Shelley Luther, and represents a huge step toward holding vaccine manufacturers accountable for their products,' Michelle Evans, political director for Texans for Vaccine Choice, told Texas Scorecard. 'We are excited to see this signed into law to protect Texans from products deemed 'unavoidably unsafe.'' According to the legislation's text, vaccine manufacturers can be held liable for actual damages and court costs up to three years after the date of the injury. The measure does not include doctor-patient discussions, written materials provided by a healthcare provider, or promotional materials found in a provider's office regarding a vaccine. State Sen. Bob Hall (R–Edgewood), the Senate sponsor of the bill, stated in his opening remarks on the floor that the measure does not concern whether or not someone should be vaccinated. Instead, it simply gives individuals peace of mind by providing accountability that any other company would have. 'Currently, due to the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, vaccine manufacturers hold no liability [for] a vaccine or countermeasure harm or interest in Texas,' stated Hall. 'This is the only product that I know of that cannot be held responsible for any injury to a consumer.' 'Imagine what our society would look like if any other manufacturer had this same protection.' The proposal has cleared both the Senate and the House. Now, Gov. Greg Abbott must either sign it, veto it, or allow it to take effect with no further action from him. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Posting memes can get you jailed in Texas? All about the new HB 366 bill
A new bill has been passed in Texas by lawmakers aiming to mandate disclosures for political ads that use AI-altered images, audio, or video of candidates. With the passing of the HB 366 bill, it becomes a legal requirement for digitally altered media to be labeled such if it is used by any candidate or campaign group that spends any amount over $100 on political advertising. This bill, presented by Rep. Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont), passed the House with a 102-40 vote. The main priority of the HB 366 bill is to counter misleading or deceptive media, amid the immense rise of artificial intelligence. According to the bill, the labeling of any AI-altered media is a must as otherwise it poses a threat to "election integrity". For example, the AI-aided ads must included disclaimers like, "did not occur in reality". According to the bill that passed with a majority, anyone found in violation of the law will tend to face Class A misdemeanor charges. This would include punishment including a year in jail and a hefty $4,000 fine. Meanwhile this legislation has been condemned within political circles, with state Representative Shelley Luther, saying, 'We're banning political memes and giving people up to a year in jail for failing to attach a disclosure to a cartoon.' Luther, who is a Republican, posted a video on X with her reactions while saying, "Democrats, of course, are rallying around this bill. What a joke." Meanwhile, Nate Schatzline, the State Representative of Texas House District 93 took to X to slam the bill. He said, 'Today, we fought against the anti-1st amendment bill (HB366), that will LOCK PEOPLE UP for one year for posting political memes or political speech.' "I want to be clear, this bill is UNCONSTITUTIONAL, & will almost certainly be struck down in the courts," he continued.
Newsweek
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Has Texas Banned Political Memes? What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. On Wednesday the Texas State House passed HB 366, which would make it a legal requirement for digitally altered media to be labeled such if it is used by a candidate or campaign group that spends over $100 on political advertising. The legislation was angrily condemned by state Representative Shelley Luther, a Republican, who said, "We're banning political memes and giving people up to a year in jail for failing to attach a disclosure to a cartoon." Newsweek contacted Luther and state Representative Dade Phelan, the former Republican State House Speaker who introduced the legislation, for comment on Thursday via online inquiry form. Why It Matters There have been growing concerns in recent years about the impact of "deepfakes," synthetically generated content created with the aid of AI that can appear to show people saying or doing things they never actually said or did. Some have raised free speech concerns about efforts to regulate the use of digitally altered media in political campaigns, while others have warned that it could be misleading and cause the spread of misinformation. What To Know The Texas State House approved the measure by a 102-40 vote on Wednesday. The legislation was filed by Phelan, who survived a contentious Donald Trump-backed primary challenge in 2024 during which he said that his opponents were targeting voters with material containing factually incorrect statements. HB 366 carried widespread Democratic support, but some Republicans remained opposed. The proposed legislation, if passed by the state Senate and signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, would make it a Class A misdemeanor for an officeholder, candidate or political committee in Florida that spent over $100 on political advertising during a reporting period to promote digitally altered media without clearly being labeled. The Texas state flag flies in the wind at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships at River Oaks Country Club on April 5, 2024, in Houston. The Texas state flag flies in the wind at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships at River Oaks Country Club on April 5, 2024, in Houston. Aaron M. Sprecher/GETTY Responsibility for deciding what this labeling should look like, including its size and color, should be determined by the Texas Ethics Commission according to the bill. A number of organizations including companies, TV or radio broadcasters, internet providers and commercial sign owners are granted exemption in the legislation. It was also amended so that it wouldn't apply to changes of "superficial quality" such as "the saturation, brightness, contrast, [or] color." If the bill becomes law, the penalty for violating HB 366 includes up to one year in prison, which Phelan said was needed as a fine alone might not deter rich organizations or individuals. What People Are Saying Speaking from the state House floor on Wednesday Phelan said: "This is nothing different than what we currently do with political advertisements. "You have to put 'political ad paid for by,' when you enter this political advertising arena. And all this does is tell you to add a disclosure that you are using altered media." State Representative Andy Hopper, a Republican, said: "It is not the role of government to sit there and be a nanny state police force to decide." In a post on X state Representative Shelley Luther, a Republican who was briefly imprisoned for refusing to close her business during the coronavirus pandemic, said: "Curious what the Texas House is doing today? "I'll tell you: We're banning political memes and giving people up to a year in jail for failing to attach a disclosure to a cartoon. Democrats, of course, are rallying around this bill. What a joke." Conservative activist Carlos Turcios wrote: "The Texas House passed a bill to CRIMINALIZE POLITICAL MEMES. House Bill 366 would LOCK UP ANYONE FOR A YEAR unless political memes or altered media have a gov disclaimer. Why is TEXAS DOING THIS?! RINOS are destroying the state!" However a community note, a clarifying point agreed by other X users, said: "HB366 requires political ads with altered media to include a disclosure stating the content isn't real. Applies to political ads, not all social media posts or memes. Non-compliance is a Class A misdemeanor." What Happens Next It is unclear whether HB 366 has the votes to get past the state Senate, which is also Republican controlled. If it does it would be up to Abbott to decide whether to sign the legislation into law.
