Texas Governor Rick Perry has today vetoed SB 346, the bill sponsored by a couple of RINO Republicans that supposedly was designed to increase transparency in Texas elections, but really was designed to punish Texans for Fiscal Responsibility for holding Republicans accountable for their RINO ways.
Here is an article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram about the veto, and here is a blog by Empower Texans on the veto.
And earlier this week the Wall Street Journal editorialized about SB 346 here.
This legislation was, as I said, designed to punish a single group that has held Republicans accountable. If you doubt my characterization, then tell me why the legislation specifically exempts labor unions and organizations related to labor unions from the new requirement.
I pointed this out Thursday morning on the Mark Davis Show, and the audio of my interview goes into some more detail about what all is wrong with the bill. I think Mark was fairly neutral on the legislation until he heard the blockbuster about labor unions being exempt.
But what you really need to listen to is the bill’s sponsor, Charlie Geren, attempting to defend the bill. Listen to him act as if he had no control over the language of the bill, even though he was its sponsor. Listen as he claims that the real purpose of the bill was to keep (wait for it) Syria from gaining undo political influence in Texas. And listen to his final argument, that people who assert their rights to privacy must have something to hide. If you’re worried about his bill, according to Mr. Geren, you must be up to no good.
Good move, Governor Perry.
Can I be allowed a minute or two more to talk about why this is so important? Republicans in Texas are worried about Texas being turned blue or at least purple by Democrats trying to use Texas’ growing Hispanic demographic. And I’m worried about that too. SB 346 would have been a fabulous tool for them, because it would have exempted the primary money source for Democrats, labor unions, while discouraging financial support of 501(c)(4)s, which at least for now favor Republicans. Why two Republicans were so bitter and short-sighted that they attempted to put a tool in the Democrats hands is beyond me.
But, even more important, anytime a single political party gains majority control, it will tend towards malfeasance and corruption. Yes, that’s right—Republicans are just as bad as Democrats when they gain control of all the power in a city, county, or state. For however long Texas is dominated by the Republican Party, we desperately need organizations like Texans for Fiscal Responsibility to fearlessly shine the light on what they are doing in Austin, especially when it annoys RINOs like Kel Seliger and Charlie Geren.