For 2305
- Click here for the article.
Relevant terms
- executive order
- social media
- legal immunity
- coalition
- federal agencies
- Communications Decency Act
- free speech
- expression
- conservative
- monopolies
- Attorney General
- original intent
- Commerce Department
- Federal Communications Commission
- independent agency
- Federal Trade Commission
- regulations
- White House
- Office of Management and Budget
- state authorities
- state laws
- Texas Republican Senator
- political agendas
- industry groups
- Democratic lawmakers
- Consumer Technology Association
- trade group
- D-Ore
- power of the courts
- Congress
- chill speech
- non partisan
- Center for Democracy and Technology
- First Amendment
- President
- policy analyst
- Americans for Prosperity
- House Speaker
- disinformation
- federal government
Sunday, May 31, 2020
From the Texas Tribune: GOP voter registration group shutters amid coronavirus challenges
For both 2305 and 2306 - but mostly 2306.
- Click here for the article.
Relevant terms
- Super PAC
- voter registration
- political action committee
- GOP
- donors
- staff
- conservative
- Republican Party of Texas
- Federal Election Commission
- likely Republicans
- party chairman
- Republican National Committee
- tort reform
- advocate
- Texas Democrats
- 2.6 million unregistered
- El Paso congressman
- state party executive director
- Click here for the article.
Relevant terms
- Super PAC
- voter registration
- political action committee
- GOP
- donors
- staff
- conservative
- Republican Party of Texas
- Federal Election Commission
- likely Republicans
- party chairman
- Republican National Committee
- tort reform
- advocate
- Texas Democrats
- 2.6 million unregistered
- El Paso congressman
- state party executive director
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Day Two Constitutional Convention: May 28, 1787
- Click here.
The rules governing the convention were determined. Click on the link to go over them.
These stuck out to me:
“Every member, rising to speak, shall address the President; and, whilst he shall be speaking, none shall pass between them, or hold discourse with another, or read a book, pamphlet, or paper, printed or manuscript. And of two members rising to speak at the same time, the President shall name him who shall be first heard.
. . . “A member may be called to order by any other member, as well as by the President; and may be allowed to explain his conduct, or expressions, supposed to be reprehensible. And all questions of order shall be decided by the President, without appeal or debate.
. . . A letter from sundry persons of the State of Rhode Island, addressed to the Chairman of the General Convention, was presented to the Chair by Mr. GOUVERNEUR MORRIS; and, being read, was ordered to lie on the table for further consideration
. . . Mr. BUTLER moved that the House provide against interruption of business by absence of members, and against licentious publications of their proceedings.
Here's more about Gouverner Morris:
Morris' father, Lewis Morris, was a wealthy landowner and judge. Gouverneur Morris was born on the family estate, Morrisania, on the north side of the Harlem river, which was at the time in Westchester County, but is now part of the Bronx. Morris, a gifted scholar, enrolled at King's College, now Columbia University in New York City, at age 12. He graduated in 1768 and received a Master's degree in 1771. He studied law with Judge William Smith and attained admission to the bar in 1775.
. . . In 1779, he was defeated for re-election to Congress, largely because his advocacy of a strong central government was at odds with the decentralist views prevalent in New York. Defeated in his home state, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to work as a lawyer and merchant.
. . . It is said by some that Morris was "an aristocrat to the core," who believed that "there never was, nor ever will be a civilized Society without an Aristocracy".[9] It is also alleged that he thought that common people were incapable of self-government because he feared that the poor would sell their votes to the rich and that voting should be restricted to property owners. Duff Cooper wrote of Morris that although he "had warmly espoused the cause of the colonists in the American War of Independence, he retained a cynically aristocratic view of life and a profound contempt for democratic theories."
Here's more about Pierce Butler:
Pierce Butler was born on July 11, 1744, in Garryhundon, County Carlow, Ireland. He was the third son of Sir Richard Butler, 5th Baronet, of Cloughgrenan (1699–1771) and his wife Henrietta Percy.
. . . As one of the largest slaveholders in the United States, he defended American slavery for both political and personal motives, even though he had private misgivings about the institution and particularly about the African slave trade. He introduced the Fugitive Slave Clause into a draft of the U.S. Constitution, which gave a federal guarantee to the property rights of slaveholders. He supported counting the full slave population in state totals for the purposes of Congressional apportionment. The Constitution's Three-Fifths Compromise counted only three-fifths of the slave population in state totals, but still led to Southern states having disproportionate power in the U.S. Congress.
. . . Military operations in the final months of the Revolutionary War left Butler a poor man. Many of his plantations and ships were destroyed, and the international trade on which the majority of his income depended was in shambles. He traveled to Europe when the war ended in an effort to secure loans and establish new markets. He enrolled his son Thomas in a London school run by Weeden Butler, and engaged a new minister from among the British clergy for his Episcopal church in South Carolina.[1][2]
In late 1785 Butler returned to the United States. He became an outspoken advocate of reconciliation with former Loyalists and of equal representation for the residents of the backcountry. Testifying to his growing political influence, the South Carolina legislature asked Butler to represent the state at the Constitutional Convention that met in Philadelphia in 1787.[1] At the convention, he urged that the president be given the power to initiate war; however, he did not receive a second proponent for his motion and all the other delegates overwhelmingly rejected his proposal.[3][4]
Butler's experiences as a soldier and planter-legislator led to his forceful support for a strong union of the states. At the same time, he looked to the special interests of his region. He introduced the Fugitive Slave Clause (Article 4, Section 2), which established protection for slavery in the Constitution. In addition, while privately criticizing the international trade in African slaves, he supported the passage in the Constitution that prohibited regulation of the trade for 20 years. He advocated counting the full slave population in the states' totals for the purposes of Congressional apportionment, but had to be satisfied with the compromise to count three-fifths of the slaves toward that end. It ensured that the Southern planter elite exerted a strong influence in national politics for decades.
Butler displayed inconsistencies that troubled his associates. He favored ratification of the Constitution, yet did not attend the South Carolina convention that ratified it. Later, he was elected by the South Carolina state legislature to three separate terms in the United States Senate, but changed his party allegiance: beginning as a Federalist, he switched to the Jeffersonian party in 1795. In 1804 he declared himself a political independent.
Vice President Aaron Burr was Butler's guest at his St. Simons plantations in September 1804. Burr was, at the time, lying low after shooting Alexander Hamilton in the July 1804 duel. The states of New York and New Jersey had each indicted the Vice President for murder in the wake of the post-duel controversy. Burr had traveled during August, to Butler's plantation under the pseudonym Roswell King, which was Butler's overseer's name. During Burr's stay in early September, one of the worst hurricanes in history hit the area, and Burr's first-hand description documents both his stay and this event. Butler's politics and public involvement mirror the political rise and fall of his friend Burr.
The rules governing the convention were determined. Click on the link to go over them.
These stuck out to me:
“Every member, rising to speak, shall address the President; and, whilst he shall be speaking, none shall pass between them, or hold discourse with another, or read a book, pamphlet, or paper, printed or manuscript. And of two members rising to speak at the same time, the President shall name him who shall be first heard.
. . . “A member may be called to order by any other member, as well as by the President; and may be allowed to explain his conduct, or expressions, supposed to be reprehensible. And all questions of order shall be decided by the President, without appeal or debate.
. . . A letter from sundry persons of the State of Rhode Island, addressed to the Chairman of the General Convention, was presented to the Chair by Mr. GOUVERNEUR MORRIS; and, being read, was ordered to lie on the table for further consideration
. . . Mr. BUTLER moved that the House provide against interruption of business by absence of members, and against licentious publications of their proceedings.
Here's more about Gouverner Morris:
Morris' father, Lewis Morris, was a wealthy landowner and judge. Gouverneur Morris was born on the family estate, Morrisania, on the north side of the Harlem river, which was at the time in Westchester County, but is now part of the Bronx. Morris, a gifted scholar, enrolled at King's College, now Columbia University in New York City, at age 12. He graduated in 1768 and received a Master's degree in 1771. He studied law with Judge William Smith and attained admission to the bar in 1775.
. . . In 1779, he was defeated for re-election to Congress, largely because his advocacy of a strong central government was at odds with the decentralist views prevalent in New York. Defeated in his home state, he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to work as a lawyer and merchant.
. . . It is said by some that Morris was "an aristocrat to the core," who believed that "there never was, nor ever will be a civilized Society without an Aristocracy".[9] It is also alleged that he thought that common people were incapable of self-government because he feared that the poor would sell their votes to the rich and that voting should be restricted to property owners. Duff Cooper wrote of Morris that although he "had warmly espoused the cause of the colonists in the American War of Independence, he retained a cynically aristocratic view of life and a profound contempt for democratic theories."
Here's more about Pierce Butler:
Pierce Butler was born on July 11, 1744, in Garryhundon, County Carlow, Ireland. He was the third son of Sir Richard Butler, 5th Baronet, of Cloughgrenan (1699–1771) and his wife Henrietta Percy.
. . . As one of the largest slaveholders in the United States, he defended American slavery for both political and personal motives, even though he had private misgivings about the institution and particularly about the African slave trade. He introduced the Fugitive Slave Clause into a draft of the U.S. Constitution, which gave a federal guarantee to the property rights of slaveholders. He supported counting the full slave population in state totals for the purposes of Congressional apportionment. The Constitution's Three-Fifths Compromise counted only three-fifths of the slave population in state totals, but still led to Southern states having disproportionate power in the U.S. Congress.
. . . Military operations in the final months of the Revolutionary War left Butler a poor man. Many of his plantations and ships were destroyed, and the international trade on which the majority of his income depended was in shambles. He traveled to Europe when the war ended in an effort to secure loans and establish new markets. He enrolled his son Thomas in a London school run by Weeden Butler, and engaged a new minister from among the British clergy for his Episcopal church in South Carolina.[1][2]
In late 1785 Butler returned to the United States. He became an outspoken advocate of reconciliation with former Loyalists and of equal representation for the residents of the backcountry. Testifying to his growing political influence, the South Carolina legislature asked Butler to represent the state at the Constitutional Convention that met in Philadelphia in 1787.[1] At the convention, he urged that the president be given the power to initiate war; however, he did not receive a second proponent for his motion and all the other delegates overwhelmingly rejected his proposal.[3][4]
Butler's experiences as a soldier and planter-legislator led to his forceful support for a strong union of the states. At the same time, he looked to the special interests of his region. He introduced the Fugitive Slave Clause (Article 4, Section 2), which established protection for slavery in the Constitution. In addition, while privately criticizing the international trade in African slaves, he supported the passage in the Constitution that prohibited regulation of the trade for 20 years. He advocated counting the full slave population in the states' totals for the purposes of Congressional apportionment, but had to be satisfied with the compromise to count three-fifths of the slaves toward that end. It ensured that the Southern planter elite exerted a strong influence in national politics for decades.
Butler displayed inconsistencies that troubled his associates. He favored ratification of the Constitution, yet did not attend the South Carolina convention that ratified it. Later, he was elected by the South Carolina state legislature to three separate terms in the United States Senate, but changed his party allegiance: beginning as a Federalist, he switched to the Jeffersonian party in 1795. In 1804 he declared himself a political independent.
Vice President Aaron Burr was Butler's guest at his St. Simons plantations in September 1804. Burr was, at the time, lying low after shooting Alexander Hamilton in the July 1804 duel. The states of New York and New Jersey had each indicted the Vice President for murder in the wake of the post-duel controversy. Burr had traveled during August, to Butler's plantation under the pseudonym Roswell King, which was Butler's overseer's name. During Burr's stay in early September, one of the worst hurricanes in history hit the area, and Burr's first-hand description documents both his stay and this event. Butler's politics and public involvement mirror the political rise and fall of his friend Burr.
Friday, May 29, 2020
From Wikipedia: Communications Decency Act
For background on the law that lies at the root of the Trump - Twitter conflict.
- Click here for the page.
Expect more.
Of special interest is that the CDA was part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which play a prominent role on 2305's coverage of the media. Title V to be specific.
- Click here for the page.
Expect more.
Of special interest is that the CDA was part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which play a prominent role on 2305's coverage of the media. Title V to be specific.
From govinfo: United States Code
If you have time to kill, you can check out all of the statutory laws on the books on the national level.
- Click here for it.
Texas' statutory laws can be found here. The fact that the United States and Texas have their own laws, is an illustration of federalism.
From the U.S. page:
The United States Code is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is divided by broad subjects into 53 titles and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Code was first published in 1926. The next main edition was published in 1934, and subsequent main editions have been published every six years since 1934. In between editions, annual cumulative supplements are published in order to present the most current information.
This site contains virtual main editions of the U.S. Code. The information contained in the U.S. Code has been provided to GPO by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. While every effort has been made to ensure that the U.S. Code on this site is accurate, those using it for legal research should verify their results against the printed version of the U.S. Code available through the Government Publishing Office.
Of the 53 titles, the following titles have been enacted into positive (statutory) law : 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 23, 28, 31, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 46, 49, 51, and 54. When a title of the Code was enacted into positive law, the text of the title became legal evidence of the law. Titles that have not been enacted into positive law are only prima facie evidence of the law. In that case, the Statutes at Large still govern. Note: Title 52 is an editorially-created title, and Title 53 is currently reserved. For the current list of titles, see http://uscode.house.gov.
The U.S. Code does not include regulations issued by executive branch agencies, decisions of the Federal courts, treaties, or laws enacted by State or local governments. Regulations issued by executive branch agencies are available in the Code of Federal Regulations. Proposed and recently adopted regulations may be found in the Federal Register. Read More
- Click here for it.
Texas' statutory laws can be found here. The fact that the United States and Texas have their own laws, is an illustration of federalism.
From the U.S. page:
The United States Code is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is divided by broad subjects into 53 titles and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Code was first published in 1926. The next main edition was published in 1934, and subsequent main editions have been published every six years since 1934. In between editions, annual cumulative supplements are published in order to present the most current information.
This site contains virtual main editions of the U.S. Code. The information contained in the U.S. Code has been provided to GPO by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. While every effort has been made to ensure that the U.S. Code on this site is accurate, those using it for legal research should verify their results against the printed version of the U.S. Code available through the Government Publishing Office.
Of the 53 titles, the following titles have been enacted into positive (statutory) law : 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 23, 28, 31, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 46, 49, 51, and 54. When a title of the Code was enacted into positive law, the text of the title became legal evidence of the law. Titles that have not been enacted into positive law are only prima facie evidence of the law. In that case, the Statutes at Large still govern. Note: Title 52 is an editorially-created title, and Title 53 is currently reserved. For the current list of titles, see http://uscode.house.gov.
The U.S. Code does not include regulations issued by executive branch agencies, decisions of the Federal courts, treaties, or laws enacted by State or local governments. Regulations issued by executive branch agencies are available in the Code of Federal Regulations. Proposed and recently adopted regulations may be found in the Federal Register. Read More
47 U.S. Code § 230.Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material
This is the code at issue.
- Click here for it.
Of Interest: The link takes you to the site where all statutory laws are published. Title 47 covers telecommunications law - including the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission.
- Wikipedia: Title 47 of the United States Code.
- Click here for it.
Of Interest: The link takes you to the site where all statutory laws are published. Title 47 covers telecommunications law - including the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission.
- Wikipedia: Title 47 of the United States Code.
From VOX: Section 230, the internet free speech law Trump wants to change, explained
Some helpful background on the current conflict between President Trump and Twitter.
More on this to come - its involves much of what we will cover in 2305.
- Click here for the article.
You may have never heard of it, but Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is the legal backbone of the internet. The law was created almost 30 years ago to protect internet platforms from liability for many of the things third parties say or do on them. And now it’s under threat by one of its biggest beneficiaries: President Trump, who hopes to use it to fight back against the social media platforms he believes are unfairly censoring him and other conservative voices.
Section 230 says that internet platforms that host third-party content — think of tweets on Twitter, posts on Facebook, photos on Instagram, reviews on Yelp, or a news outlet’s reader comments — are not liable for what those third parties post (with a few exceptions). For instance, if a Yelp reviewer were to post something defamatory about a business, the business could sue the reviewer for libel, but it couldn’t sue Yelp. Without Section 230’s protections, the internet as we know it today would not exist. If the law were taken away, many websites driven by user-generated content would likely go dark.
More on this to come - its involves much of what we will cover in 2305.
- Click here for the article.
You may have never heard of it, but Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is the legal backbone of the internet. The law was created almost 30 years ago to protect internet platforms from liability for many of the things third parties say or do on them. And now it’s under threat by one of its biggest beneficiaries: President Trump, who hopes to use it to fight back against the social media platforms he believes are unfairly censoring him and other conservative voices.
Section 230 says that internet platforms that host third-party content — think of tweets on Twitter, posts on Facebook, photos on Instagram, reviews on Yelp, or a news outlet’s reader comments — are not liable for what those third parties post (with a few exceptions). For instance, if a Yelp reviewer were to post something defamatory about a business, the business could sue the reviewer for libel, but it couldn’t sue Yelp. Without Section 230’s protections, the internet as we know it today would not exist. If the law were taken away, many websites driven by user-generated content would likely go dark.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Day One Constitutional Convention: May 25, 1787
- Click here.
"Mr. ROBERT MORRIS informed the members assembled, that, by the instruction and in behalf of the deputation of Pennsylvania, he proposed GEORGE WASHINGTON, Esquire, late Commander-in-Chief, for President of the Convention.1 Mr. JOHN RUTLEDGE seconded the motion, expressing his confidence that the choice would be unanimous; and observing, that the presence of General WASHINGTON forbade any observations on the occasion which might otherwise be proper. General WASHINGTON was accordingly unanimously elected by ballot, and conducted to the Chair by Mr. R. MORRIS and Mr. RUTLEDGE; from which, in a very emphatic manner, he thanked the Convention for the honor they had conferred on him; reminded them of the novelty of the scene of business in which he was to act, lamented his want of better qualifications, and claimed the indulgence of the House towards the involuntary errors which his inexperience might occasion. Mr. WILSON moved that a Secretary be appointed, and nominated Mr. Temple Franklin. Colonel HAMILTON nominated Major Jackson. On the ballot Major Jackson had five votes, and Mr. Franklin two votes. On reading the credentials of the Deputies, it was noticed that those from Delaware were prohibited from changing the Article in the Confederation establishing an equality of votes among the States. The appointment of a Committee, on the motion of Mr. C. PINCKNEY, consisting of Messrs. WYTHE, HAMILTON, and C. PINCKNEY, to prepare standing rules and orders, was the only remaining step taken on this day."
1 The nomination came with particular grace from Pennsylvania, as Doctor Franklin alone could have been thought of as a competitor. The Doctor was himself to have made the nomination of General Washington, but the state of the weather and of his health confined him to his house.
Who are these people?
Robert Morris: Wikipedia.
"Greenway arranged for Morris to become an apprentice at the shipping and banking firm of Philadelphia merchant Charles Willing. In 1750, Robert Morris, Sr. died from an infected wound, leaving much of his substantial estate to his son.[4] Morris impressed Willing and rose from a teenage trainee to become a key agent in Willing's firm. Morris traveled to Caribbean ports to expand the firm's business, and he gained a knowledge of trading and the various currencies used to exchange goods. He also befriended Thomas Willing, the oldest son of Charles Willing who was two years older than Morris and who, like Morris, had split his life between England and British North America. Charles Willing died in 1754, and in 1757 Thomas made Morris a full partner in the newly-renamed firm of Willing Morris & Company.[5]
Morris's shipping firm was just one of many such firms operating in Philadelphia, but Willing Morris & Company pursued several innovative strategies. The firm pooled with other shipping firms to insure vessels, aggressively expanded trade with India, and underwrote government projects through bonds and promissory notes.[6] Ships of the firm traded with India, the Levant, the West Indies, Spanish Cuba, Spain, and Italy. The firm's business of import, export, and general agency made it one of the most prosperous in Pennsylvania. In 1784, Morris, with other investors, underwrote the voyage of the ship Empress of China, the first American vessel to visit the Chinese mainland."
"Mr. ROBERT MORRIS informed the members assembled, that, by the instruction and in behalf of the deputation of Pennsylvania, he proposed GEORGE WASHINGTON, Esquire, late Commander-in-Chief, for President of the Convention.1 Mr. JOHN RUTLEDGE seconded the motion, expressing his confidence that the choice would be unanimous; and observing, that the presence of General WASHINGTON forbade any observations on the occasion which might otherwise be proper. General WASHINGTON was accordingly unanimously elected by ballot, and conducted to the Chair by Mr. R. MORRIS and Mr. RUTLEDGE; from which, in a very emphatic manner, he thanked the Convention for the honor they had conferred on him; reminded them of the novelty of the scene of business in which he was to act, lamented his want of better qualifications, and claimed the indulgence of the House towards the involuntary errors which his inexperience might occasion. Mr. WILSON moved that a Secretary be appointed, and nominated Mr. Temple Franklin. Colonel HAMILTON nominated Major Jackson. On the ballot Major Jackson had five votes, and Mr. Franklin two votes. On reading the credentials of the Deputies, it was noticed that those from Delaware were prohibited from changing the Article in the Confederation establishing an equality of votes among the States. The appointment of a Committee, on the motion of Mr. C. PINCKNEY, consisting of Messrs. WYTHE, HAMILTON, and C. PINCKNEY, to prepare standing rules and orders, was the only remaining step taken on this day."
1 The nomination came with particular grace from Pennsylvania, as Doctor Franklin alone could have been thought of as a competitor. The Doctor was himself to have made the nomination of General Washington, but the state of the weather and of his health confined him to his house.
Who are these people?
Robert Morris: Wikipedia.
"Greenway arranged for Morris to become an apprentice at the shipping and banking firm of Philadelphia merchant Charles Willing. In 1750, Robert Morris, Sr. died from an infected wound, leaving much of his substantial estate to his son.[4] Morris impressed Willing and rose from a teenage trainee to become a key agent in Willing's firm. Morris traveled to Caribbean ports to expand the firm's business, and he gained a knowledge of trading and the various currencies used to exchange goods. He also befriended Thomas Willing, the oldest son of Charles Willing who was two years older than Morris and who, like Morris, had split his life between England and British North America. Charles Willing died in 1754, and in 1757 Thomas made Morris a full partner in the newly-renamed firm of Willing Morris & Company.[5]
Morris's shipping firm was just one of many such firms operating in Philadelphia, but Willing Morris & Company pursued several innovative strategies. The firm pooled with other shipping firms to insure vessels, aggressively expanded trade with India, and underwrote government projects through bonds and promissory notes.[6] Ships of the firm traded with India, the Levant, the West Indies, Spanish Cuba, Spain, and Italy. The firm's business of import, export, and general agency made it one of the most prosperous in Pennsylvania. In 1784, Morris, with other investors, underwrote the voyage of the ship Empress of China, the first American vessel to visit the Chinese mainland."
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
For your look at interest groups, an example of a governmental organization. This is a national umbrella group, that focuses on the interests of state and local employees at the national level, meaning that they focus on Congress. Your textbook lists a variety that do so at the state level, meaning that they focus on the Texas legislature.
For more, click on the links below:
- Ballotpedia.
- Wikipedia.
From Wikipedia: The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, corrections officers, sanitation workers, police officers, firefighters, and childcare providers. Founded in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1932, AFSCME is part of the AFL–CIO, one of the two main labor federations in the United States. AFSCME has had four presidents since its founding.
The union is known for its involvement in political campaigns, almost exclusively with the Democratic Party. AFSCME was one of the first groups to take advantage of the 2010 Citizens United decision, which allowed unions and corporations to directly finance ads that expressly call for the election or defeat of a candidate. Major political issues for AFSCME include single-payer health care, protecting pension benefits, raising the minimum wage, preventing the privatization of government jobs, and extending unemployment benefits.
For a look at their campaign activity, click here.
For more, click on the links below:
- Ballotpedia.
- Wikipedia.
From Wikipedia: The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, corrections officers, sanitation workers, police officers, firefighters, and childcare providers. Founded in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1932, AFSCME is part of the AFL–CIO, one of the two main labor federations in the United States. AFSCME has had four presidents since its founding.
The union is known for its involvement in political campaigns, almost exclusively with the Democratic Party. AFSCME was one of the first groups to take advantage of the 2010 Citizens United decision, which allowed unions and corporations to directly finance ads that expressly call for the election or defeat of a candidate. Major political issues for AFSCME include single-payer health care, protecting pension benefits, raising the minimum wage, preventing the privatization of government jobs, and extending unemployment benefits.
For a look at their campaign activity, click here.
Fourth Assignment: Energy isn’t the whole Texas economy, but it’s a critical piece
This will put the chapters on public and fiscal policy in context.
The state of the economy determines tax revenues, which in turn determines what that state can and can't do - services etc. It also impacts local governments.
- Click here for the article.
sales tax revenues
local and state government
property values
demand for government services
public schools
biennial revenue estimates
sales tax is largest source of revenue for state
general revenue
54.% of state's general revenue from sales taxes
oil and gas make up a significant part of state revenue
oil production taxes - 6.1% of general revenue
natural gas production tax - 2.7% of state revenue
severance taxes - $2.86 billion
State Highway Fund
Economic Stabilization Fund
taxes on motor fuels - 1.7% of state revenue
transportation and public education
motor fuel taxes - $.20 a gallon
Comptroller
Glenn Hegar
West Texas Intermediate
NYMEX
fall 2019 forecast summary
The state of the economy determines tax revenues, which in turn determines what that state can and can't do - services etc. It also impacts local governments.
- Click here for the article.
sales tax revenues
local and state government
property values
demand for government services
public schools
biennial revenue estimates
sales tax is largest source of revenue for state
general revenue
54.% of state's general revenue from sales taxes
oil and gas make up a significant part of state revenue
oil production taxes - 6.1% of general revenue
natural gas production tax - 2.7% of state revenue
severance taxes - $2.86 billion
State Highway Fund
Economic Stabilization Fund
taxes on motor fuels - 1.7% of state revenue
transportation and public education
motor fuel taxes - $.20 a gallon
Comptroller
Glenn Hegar
West Texas Intermediate
NYMEX
fall 2019 forecast summary
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
From the Texas Department of Health and Human Services: Texas Covid-19 case counts
As mentioned in the textbook - this is the second largest agency in the state, just behind thew Department of Education.
- Click here for the page.
- Click here for the page.
What is the cost of a life?
These things are considered and used to guide public policy - almost certainly this underlies decisions about how to reopen businesses during the current pandemic.
Some links:
- No One Values Your Life More Than the Federal Government.
- The Value of a Human Life: $129,000.
- What Should The Government Spend To Save A Life?
- How Much Is a Human Life Actually Worth?
Some links:
- No One Values Your Life More Than the Federal Government.
- The Value of a Human Life: $129,000.
- What Should The Government Spend To Save A Life?
- How Much Is a Human Life Actually Worth?
Monday, May 18, 2020
The Texas Pawnshop Act
This was mentioned in an article below - I have not heard of it.
The text of the act is contained in Texas' Finance Code: Title 4. Sec. 371.001
- Click here for the code's text.
- For a look at all of Texas' Statutory codes, click here.
One of the jobs of the Texas Secretary of State is to convert laws into code. When a law is passed and signed by the governor, it then goes to the appropriate place in the statutory code. According to the text, it was added to the statutory code as a result of a law passed in 1997 in the 75th regular session of the legislature.
It was recently amended by the 86th legislature, HB 1442.
For a look at specifics regarding HB 1442, click here. You will see an illustration there of many of the topics covered in your text.
The text of the act is contained in Texas' Finance Code: Title 4. Sec. 371.001
- Click here for the code's text.
- For a look at all of Texas' Statutory codes, click here.
One of the jobs of the Texas Secretary of State is to convert laws into code. When a law is passed and signed by the governor, it then goes to the appropriate place in the statutory code. According to the text, it was added to the statutory code as a result of a law passed in 1997 in the 75th regular session of the legislature.
It was recently amended by the 86th legislature, HB 1442.
For a look at specifics regarding HB 1442, click here. You will see an illustration there of many of the topics covered in your text.
Third Assignment: Coronavirus in Texas: Austin extends stay-at-home orders to end of May
This is a very short article, but it highlights the conflict between state and local government.
- Click here for it.
As you'll notice in the chapter on local government, and elsewhere, local governments are creatures of the state, meaning that the state can regulate what they can and cannot do. This article illustrates that tension, and the degree to which the state uses its power over local government to minimize their power - in this case, their ability to respond to Covid19.
Key terms, topics, and phrases:
- Attorney General
- Ken Paxton
- Dallas County Judge
- Clay Jenkins
- local government
- state Rep
- Dan Flynn
- R - Canton
- Texas Pawnshop Act
- local officials
- limited emergency powers
- "amend state law that the Legislature has explicitly removed from local control"
- Dallas County Order
- court
- invalid and unenforceable
- consumer protection orders
- Paxton's opinion
- "local order is superseded by Abbott's directive on store operations."
Here are terms from the other articles on the page:
- Austin city officials
- Governor
- county judges
- mayors
- supercede
- Austin Mayor
- Steve Adler
- Bexar County
- federal coronavirus relief bill
- San Antonio Express-News
- Texas cities and counties
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act
- Click here for it.
As you'll notice in the chapter on local government, and elsewhere, local governments are creatures of the state, meaning that the state can regulate what they can and cannot do. This article illustrates that tension, and the degree to which the state uses its power over local government to minimize their power - in this case, their ability to respond to Covid19.
Key terms, topics, and phrases:
- Attorney General
- Ken Paxton
- Dallas County Judge
- Clay Jenkins
- local government
- state Rep
- Dan Flynn
- R - Canton
- Texas Pawnshop Act
- local officials
- limited emergency powers
- "amend state law that the Legislature has explicitly removed from local control"
- Dallas County Order
- court
- invalid and unenforceable
- consumer protection orders
- Paxton's opinion
- "local order is superseded by Abbott's directive on store operations."
Here are terms from the other articles on the page:
- Austin city officials
- Governor
- county judges
- mayors
- supercede
- Austin Mayor
- Steve Adler
- Bexar County
- federal coronavirus relief bill
- San Antonio Express-News
- Texas cities and counties
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act
Saturday, May 16, 2020
From the Texas Tribune: Watch our interview with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar about the coronavirus’ impact on the state economy
If you read the chapter on fiscal policy carefully - and as you will see in the chapter on the plural executive - the comptroller's office is responsible for the biennial revenue estimate. It tells the legislature how much revenue is expected to be collected by the state during a fiscal period, which puts a cap on how much can be appropriated.
But since it is a projection, it can go wrong if something unexpected occurs.
Like a pandemic.
Here's an interview with the current comptroller about how the current pandemic will impact the current Texas budget.
- Click here for the article.
How does this economic downturn affect the state budget, and how are state officials responding?
- Hegar said that the outbreak of the virus has created a lag on the sales tax collection process and that his office expects to have hard numbers in terms of sales tax collections in June.
- Accounting for more than 50% of the state’s tax revenues, sales taxes are the biggest determination for the state budget. So until the data on current sales tax collections has been collected, Hegar said, the true economic effects of social distancing cannot be fully understood.
- Nevertheless, Hegar and his office have been compiling data from comparable economic periods and other “nontraditional datapoints” to offer state legislators some additional insight into how things may progress from here.
- While Hegar said that the current economic situation is fluid and that “there’s a lot of unknowns that we have,” he also said that he believes the state will be able to cover spending for at least the remainder of the year, and there is currently no reason to call a special legislative session.
- Hegar anticipates that the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund (commonly known as the rainy day fund) will only be slightly reduced as a result of the current downturn. “We’ll still have a significant amount of money,” he said, estimating that the new ESF would be in the range of $8.5 billion.
- Hegar’s office is working with other agencies in the state to help them track their spending and to ensure that agencies that will need to increase their spending (such as the Children's Health Insurance Program, Foundation School Program or Medicaid) have the resources they need. His office is also recommending agencies look into ways of reducing their spending sooner rather than later.
But since it is a projection, it can go wrong if something unexpected occurs.
Like a pandemic.
Here's an interview with the current comptroller about how the current pandemic will impact the current Texas budget.
- Click here for the article.
How does this economic downturn affect the state budget, and how are state officials responding?
- Hegar said that the outbreak of the virus has created a lag on the sales tax collection process and that his office expects to have hard numbers in terms of sales tax collections in June.
- Accounting for more than 50% of the state’s tax revenues, sales taxes are the biggest determination for the state budget. So until the data on current sales tax collections has been collected, Hegar said, the true economic effects of social distancing cannot be fully understood.
- Nevertheless, Hegar and his office have been compiling data from comparable economic periods and other “nontraditional datapoints” to offer state legislators some additional insight into how things may progress from here.
- While Hegar said that the current economic situation is fluid and that “there’s a lot of unknowns that we have,” he also said that he believes the state will be able to cover spending for at least the remainder of the year, and there is currently no reason to call a special legislative session.
- Hegar anticipates that the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund (commonly known as the rainy day fund) will only be slightly reduced as a result of the current downturn. “We’ll still have a significant amount of money,” he said, estimating that the new ESF would be in the range of $8.5 billion.
- Hegar’s office is working with other agencies in the state to help them track their spending and to ensure that agencies that will need to increase their spending (such as the Children's Health Insurance Program, Foundation School Program or Medicaid) have the resources they need. His office is also recommending agencies look into ways of reducing their spending sooner rather than later.
Spring Mini Written Assignment 2: Texas leaders ask Congress to protect employers, doctors from lawsuits during the COVID-19 pandemic
For GOVT 2306 mini students: here are key terms from the second article I'd like you to analyze.
As with the first article - which I'm not finished elaborating on - I'll add content related to it in future posts.
- Click here for the article.
Key terms:
- Congress
- lawsuits
- health care groups
- executive order
- business owners
- liability
- statewide leaders
- employers
- health care professionals
- Governor
- Lt Governor
- Speaker of the Texas House
- U.S. Senate Majority Leaders
- broad liability protections
- financial relief package
- Texas Health Care Association
- Texas Medical Association
- Texas Hospital Association
- state code
- criminal penalties
- regulatory fines
- agency oversight
- civil lawsuits
- medical malpractice lawsuit
- Texas Legislature
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Texas Constitution
- proper scope of executive authority
As with the first article - which I'm not finished elaborating on - I'll add content related to it in future posts.
- Click here for the article.
Key terms:
- Congress
- lawsuits
- health care groups
- executive order
- business owners
- liability
- statewide leaders
- employers
- health care professionals
- Governor
- Lt Governor
- Speaker of the Texas House
- U.S. Senate Majority Leaders
- broad liability protections
- financial relief package
- Texas Health Care Association
- Texas Medical Association
- Texas Hospital Association
- state code
- criminal penalties
- regulatory fines
- agency oversight
- civil lawsuits
- medical malpractice lawsuit
- Texas Legislature
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Texas Constitution
- proper scope of executive authority
Friday, May 15, 2020
From the Texas Tribune: Energy isn’t the whole Texas economy, but it’s a critical piece
This adds updated detail to the section on public policy in Texas, as well as fiscal policy.
- Click here for the article.
If it lasts, this week’s plunge in oil prices could hit the Texas economy in ways that make it much harder for state and local governments to help the state’s residents.
It’s part of a double whammy on the state economy that started with the pandemic-driven dive in hospitality and retail that, in turn, will be reflected in much lower-than-expected sales tax revenues to local and state governments.
School districts depend mostly on property taxes and state funding. If property tax revenue drops, the state is on the hook to make up the difference, if it can. The state’s public schools aren’t dependent directly on sales taxes, but the state that sends them money counts that as its largest single source of revenue.
In his latest biennial revenue estimate, the state comptroller said 54.5% of the state’s general revenue during the current two-year period would come from sales taxes.
That’s the biggest source, but taxes on oil and gas make up a significant part of the state’s general revenue. Oil production taxes would account for 6.1%, and natural gas production taxes would bring in another 2.7%. Those severance taxes were expected to bring $2.86 billion this year and next into each of two big accounts, the State Highway Fund and the Economic Stabilization Fund (which is also known as the rainy day fund).
- Click here for the article.
If it lasts, this week’s plunge in oil prices could hit the Texas economy in ways that make it much harder for state and local governments to help the state’s residents.
It’s part of a double whammy on the state economy that started with the pandemic-driven dive in hospitality and retail that, in turn, will be reflected in much lower-than-expected sales tax revenues to local and state governments.
School districts depend mostly on property taxes and state funding. If property tax revenue drops, the state is on the hook to make up the difference, if it can. The state’s public schools aren’t dependent directly on sales taxes, but the state that sends them money counts that as its largest single source of revenue.
In his latest biennial revenue estimate, the state comptroller said 54.5% of the state’s general revenue during the current two-year period would come from sales taxes.
That’s the biggest source, but taxes on oil and gas make up a significant part of the state’s general revenue. Oil production taxes would account for 6.1%, and natural gas production taxes would bring in another 2.7%. Those severance taxes were expected to bring $2.86 billion this year and next into each of two big accounts, the State Highway Fund and the Economic Stabilization Fund (which is also known as the rainy day fund).
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Legislative references in WA1
I pulled these three:
State Rep. James White.
He is one of 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, and represents district 19 - a single member district, as they all are.
- Here is a link to his page on the house home page, click here.
- For Texas House of Representative, click here.
- For info on district 19 from the Texas Tribune, click here.
- For info on district 19 from Ballotpedia, click here. This link also contains election info. He had to be renominated by his party in the primary election for the general election in November. The district has been gerrymandered to be a safe Republican seat.
- Rules regarding elections in Texas are passed by the legislature, and are contained in the Electoral Code.
- Elections are conducted by the counties.
Texas House Corrections Committee
White is the chair of this committee, meaning he presides over its meeting and sets its agenda. He was appointed to the committee, and to be its chair by the Speaker of the House. The speaker gets to do that to all other committees as well
Texas House Rules (click here for that document) give this committee jurisdiction over the following:
Section 5. Corrections — The committee shall have nine members, with
jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to:
(1) the incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted felons;
(2) the establishment and maintenance of programs that provide
alternatives to incarceration; and
(3) the following state agencies: the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, the Special Prosecution Unit, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the
Texas Civil Commitment Office, and the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders
with Medical or Mental Impairments.
White is also a member - but not the chair - of these committees:
- Driver's License Issuance & Renewal, Select
- Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
- Redistricting
Hillister Republican
White is a member of the Republican Party, which means he initially placed himself on the ballot of of the Republican Party in each of the counties his district represents. He was selected by the people who voted in the Republican Primary, and then won the general election.
He is from Hillister, an unincorporated community in east Texas - Tyler County. Click here for more on Hillister.
As a member of the Republican Party, he is in the majority. Which means he can be more effective than if he was a Democrat, since they are in the minority.
State Rep. James White.
He is one of 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, and represents district 19 - a single member district, as they all are.
- Here is a link to his page on the house home page, click here.
- For Texas House of Representative, click here.
- For info on district 19 from the Texas Tribune, click here.
- For info on district 19 from Ballotpedia, click here. This link also contains election info. He had to be renominated by his party in the primary election for the general election in November. The district has been gerrymandered to be a safe Republican seat.
- Rules regarding elections in Texas are passed by the legislature, and are contained in the Electoral Code.
- Elections are conducted by the counties.
Texas House Corrections Committee
White is the chair of this committee, meaning he presides over its meeting and sets its agenda. He was appointed to the committee, and to be its chair by the Speaker of the House. The speaker gets to do that to all other committees as well
Texas House Rules (click here for that document) give this committee jurisdiction over the following:
Section 5. Corrections — The committee shall have nine members, with
jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to:
(1) the incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted felons;
(2) the establishment and maintenance of programs that provide
alternatives to incarceration; and
(3) the following state agencies: the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, the Special Prosecution Unit, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the
Texas Civil Commitment Office, and the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders
with Medical or Mental Impairments.
White is also a member - but not the chair - of these committees:
- Driver's License Issuance & Renewal, Select
- Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
- Redistricting
Hillister Republican
White is a member of the Republican Party, which means he initially placed himself on the ballot of of the Republican Party in each of the counties his district represents. He was selected by the people who voted in the Republican Primary, and then won the general election.
He is from Hillister, an unincorporated community in east Texas - Tyler County. Click here for more on Hillister.
As a member of the Republican Party, he is in the majority. Which means he can be more effective than if he was a Democrat, since they are in the minority.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
From Texas State Records: Understanding the Lone Star State’s Criminal Justice System
A nice alternative look at the justice system in the state
- Click here for it.
- More useful stuff here too.
I found this well put:
Texas’s Criminal Justice System has three components. Those three stages consist of law enforcement and criminal prosecution, trial and appeals, and corrections. Each of these stages is comprised of multiple levels, organizations and many thousands of personnel.
1- The first, and most decentralized of the stages is that of law enforcement and prosecution. It includes the sheriffs departments that patrol the state’s 254 counties, and the police departments that enforce laws in Texas’s 1,202 municipalities. It also accounts for highway patrolman agencies that enforce laws on the state’s roadways.
2 - The court system is complex and decentralized at lower levels, but nonetheless are comprehensively regulated by the Texas Supreme Court. This means that they operate within a well-defined court hierarchy, despite their different approaches to criminal justice.
3 - The corrections system in Texas is sprawling and multi-layered, but arguably the most tightly organized of these stages. There are numerous municipal and county jail systems, but offenders that incur substantial jail time are often regulated to state jails and prisons.
Texas Law Enforcement Agencies all operate under an umbrella authority known as the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, or TCOLE. TCOLE includes sheriff's, deputies, constables, police officers, marshals, troopers, Texas Rangers, agents of the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, investigators of the Attorney General, game wardens, and correctional officers. TCOLE itself operates under the Texas Legislature, which grants it authority under Chapter 1701 or the Texas Occupations Code. TCOLE’s Board of Commissioners forms the administrative body of the organization, and has several duties, including making recommendations to the Governor of Texas and the state’s legislature. Its nine members are appointed by the Governor of Texas, and confirmed by the state Senate. Each of the nine members of the TCOLE Board of Commissioners serves six years, and must consist of three sheriffs, constables, or police chiefs, three members who have been TCOLE licensees for at least five years, and three members of the general population.
I would make one correction - the first stage is legislative. This is the decision to make something a crime, and how severe.
- Click here for it.
- More useful stuff here too.
I found this well put:
Texas’s Criminal Justice System has three components. Those three stages consist of law enforcement and criminal prosecution, trial and appeals, and corrections. Each of these stages is comprised of multiple levels, organizations and many thousands of personnel.
1- The first, and most decentralized of the stages is that of law enforcement and prosecution. It includes the sheriffs departments that patrol the state’s 254 counties, and the police departments that enforce laws in Texas’s 1,202 municipalities. It also accounts for highway patrolman agencies that enforce laws on the state’s roadways.
2 - The court system is complex and decentralized at lower levels, but nonetheless are comprehensively regulated by the Texas Supreme Court. This means that they operate within a well-defined court hierarchy, despite their different approaches to criminal justice.
3 - The corrections system in Texas is sprawling and multi-layered, but arguably the most tightly organized of these stages. There are numerous municipal and county jail systems, but offenders that incur substantial jail time are often regulated to state jails and prisons.
Texas Law Enforcement Agencies all operate under an umbrella authority known as the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, or TCOLE. TCOLE includes sheriff's, deputies, constables, police officers, marshals, troopers, Texas Rangers, agents of the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, investigators of the Attorney General, game wardens, and correctional officers. TCOLE itself operates under the Texas Legislature, which grants it authority under Chapter 1701 or the Texas Occupations Code. TCOLE’s Board of Commissioners forms the administrative body of the organization, and has several duties, including making recommendations to the Governor of Texas and the state’s legislature. Its nine members are appointed by the Governor of Texas, and confirmed by the state Senate. Each of the nine members of the TCOLE Board of Commissioners serves six years, and must consist of three sheriffs, constables, or police chiefs, three members who have been TCOLE licensees for at least five years, and three members of the general population.
I would make one correction - the first stage is legislative. This is the decision to make something a crime, and how severe.
The Fiscal Size-Up: 2018-2019 biennium.
- Click here for a link to it.
After every regular session of the Texas Legislature - the entity responsible for approving state spending - the Legislative Budget Board publishes a document outlining that spending, as well as the source of the revenues for the fiscal year.
This is a good way to get up to date with the level of spending on each of the major policy categories in Texas, especially the ones related to the story about Covid19 in the prisons.
Page 14 of the document above lists the major areas of spending, and might be worth a look.
I'll post a screen shot later.
For note, note that about $12 billion dollars is spent on public safety out of a $216 billion budget.
After every regular session of the Texas Legislature - the entity responsible for approving state spending - the Legislative Budget Board publishes a document outlining that spending, as well as the source of the revenues for the fiscal year.
This is a good way to get up to date with the level of spending on each of the major policy categories in Texas, especially the ones related to the story about Covid19 in the prisons.
Page 14 of the document above lists the major areas of spending, and might be worth a look.
I'll post a screen shot later.
For note, note that about $12 billion dollars is spent on public safety out of a $216 billion budget.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
From the Texas Tribune: 70% of Texas prisoners tested have the coronavirus. Experts say it's time for more testing and fewer inmates.
- Click here for the story.
For a current written assignment.
The following institutions and concepts from the textbook are relevant here. I'll use these soon.
- Beto Unit
- inmates and employees
- inmates and their relatives
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice
- Texas prison system
- Chris Beyrer
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
- Gov. Greg Abbott
- lawmakers and advocates
- federal judge
- Michele Deitch
- University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs and law school
- State Rep. James White,
- Texas House Corrections Committee
- the Hillister Republican
- Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
- Seth Prins
- epidemiology and sociomedical sciences
- the Pack Unit
- Texas Department of State Health Services
- Jeremy Desel, TDCJ’s spokesperson
- Jeff Ormsby
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
- U.S. District Judge
- Keith Ellison
- federal appeals court
- prisoner advocacy group
- Texas CURE
- containment
- Lockdowns
- wardens
- rehabilitation program
- parole
For a current written assignment.
The following institutions and concepts from the textbook are relevant here. I'll use these soon.
- Beto Unit
- inmates and employees
- inmates and their relatives
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice
- Texas prison system
- Chris Beyrer
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
- Gov. Greg Abbott
- lawmakers and advocates
- federal judge
- Michele Deitch
- University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs and law school
- State Rep. James White,
- Texas House Corrections Committee
- the Hillister Republican
- Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
- Seth Prins
- epidemiology and sociomedical sciences
- the Pack Unit
- Texas Department of State Health Services
- Jeremy Desel, TDCJ’s spokesperson
- Jeff Ormsby
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
- U.S. District Judge
- Keith Ellison
- federal appeals court
- prisoner advocacy group
- Texas CURE
- containment
- Lockdowns
- wardens
- rehabilitation program
- parole