April 18, 2015

Veterinarian in hot water over dead cat photo on Facebook (Graphic Warning)

Bellville, Texas -- A local veterinarian created a social media firestorm Thursday night that resulted in her losing her job and coming under investigation by the Austin County Sheriff's Office on Friday.

Shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday, Kristen Lindsey, a Colorado State graduate who worked at Washington Animal Clinic in Brenham, posted a photo to her Facebook page of her holding up what she claimed was a feral cat with an arrow through its head. The accompanying text read: "My first bow kill lol. The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through it's head! Vet of the year award ... Gladly accepted."

Austin County Sheriff Jack Brandes said he was informed of a complaint regarding the post Friday morning and dispatched two deputies to investigate the situation. He described the photo as "very disturbing."

"We don't know at this time what happened, where it happened or if it happened," Brandes said. "However, if this picture is true, it can be used against this person. We first have to conduct an investigation to find out what happened, if anything . . . We only enforce the written law. It's our job to conduct a good, thorough investigation."

Read more: http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/veterinarian-in-hot-water-over-dead-cat-photo-on-facebook/article_55e3f093-47a0-5d84-b879-c4b8ca35915a.html

[font color=green]Lindsey was fired from her job at the Washington Animal Clinic in Brenham. She could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. Hopefully she will never work around animals again.

Someone also indicated that the cat resembled their pet cat, Tiger.[/font]

April 18, 2015

Fracking Bill Gets Tentative OK from Texas House

A bill that would override local fracking bans in Texas was approved by members of the House, after several hours of debate.

The bill is aimed at blocking cities from banning activities like hydraulic fracturing. Last year, voters in the city of Denton approved a ban on fracking in their city limits.

State Rep. Drew Darby, a Republican from San Angelo and the bill's author, says it’s intended to preserve the state government’s right to regulate oil and gas activity.

"This state depends upon the oil and gas industry. Forty percent of our economy is based upon the oil and gas industry and we need to protect that," Rep. Darby said.

Read more: http://kut.org/post/fracking-bill-gets-tentative-ok-texas-house

April 18, 2015

Large explosion at Karnes City oil facility sends flames more than 100 feet into the air

KARNES CITY --- A large explosion sent flames more than a hundred feet into the air Friday afternoon at an oil facility north of Karnes City, but no injuries were reported.

The fire started at 4:10 p.m. after lightning struck at least one tank at Shale Tank Truck's business property while heavy rainstorms moved through the area, said Karnes County Sheriff Dwayne Villanueva.

Highway 181 north of Karnes City was closed due to the fire and was expected to reopen at about 7:30 p.m., Villanueva said.

Tweleve tanks containing oil and salt water continue to burn and are expected to burn throughout the night, Villanueva said. There have been no evacuations and there is no air threat to the community, he said.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/local/article/Large-explosion-at-Karnes-City-oil-facility-sends-6207501.php

April 18, 2015

For Rep. Fischer, knowing rules can be powerful (Democrats derail House bills with points of order)

AUSTIN — Argh.

There is hardly anything more frustrating in the Republican-dominated Texas House of Representatives than when a member delays or, worse, kills a bill with a point of order.

But for San Antonio’s Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer and other Democrats in the 150-member chamber, when you don’t have the votes to block legislation you consider harmful, the parliamentary rules can be your most powerful tool to derail it.

Consequently, while rarely used in the Senate, points of order — parliamentary inquiries that determine whether proper procedure was followed when crafting a bill — have become the most effective weapon for House Democrats.

And no one has called them as often, or more successfully, than Martinez Fischer.

Read more: http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2015-04-17/rangel-rep-fischer-knowing-rules-can-be-powerful#comment-369275

April 17, 2015

Greg Abbott made $134,000 last year and paid $104 in income taxes

Gov. Greg Abbott released his 2014 income taxes on Friday, revealing that because of capital gain losses and other deductions that he paid a federal tax rate of only .07 percent.

Abbott and his wife Cecilia earned a gross income of $134,000, almost exclusively from his state salary as then-attorney general.

But because of losses from investments and large deductions, the Abbotts paid $104 total in federal income taxes. They are due a refund of $19,390.

Volunteering to make his taxes public are “in keeping with his pledge to release tax returns each year he serves as governor,” said press secretary Amelia Chasse.

Read more: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/04/greg-abbott-made-134000-last-year-and-paid-104-in-income-taxes.html/

April 17, 2015

Where the 11 marijuana bills in Texas currently stand (as of April 11, 2015)

There are 11 bills related to marijuana currently in the Texas legislature.

Of those, five pertain to medical cannabis, five pertain to decreasing the penalties for simple possession, and one which changes the nature of arrests for marijuana.

Both HB 892 and SB 339 are identical and legalize medical marijuana in a limited fashion, allowing only strains which contain very little THC, the compound which produces a high. If passed, the bill would go into effect in 2017 by the Department of Public Safety.

HB 892 is currently waiting to be scheduled for a hearing in the House Public Health Committee. SB 339 is similarly waiting for a hearing in the Senate. It was originally referred to the State Affairs Committee, but was recently rereffered to the Health and Human Services Committee.

Read more: http://txcann.com/2015/04/11/where-the-11-marijuana-bills-in-texas-currently-stand/

April 17, 2015

Ted Cruz filed for IRS extension, pledges to release his tax return

WASHINGTON – Millions of Americans scrambled to get their tax returns to the IRS this week. Countless others filed for an extension – including Sen. Ted Cruz.

The presidential candidate plans to file next month, and he will release his return publicly then, said campaign spokesman Rick Tyler.

“It’s just busy, and taxes are complicated,” Tyler said.

Indeed it has been a busy month for Cruz. He launched his White House bid on March 23 and has been stumping and fund-raising ever since. He’ll be in New Hampshire this weekend.

In January 2012, during his bid for the Senate nomination in Texas, Cruz released five years worth of tax returns that showed that he and wife Heidi Nelson Cruz donated 1 percent of their income to charity. In 2010, the most recent year released, they made just over $2 million.

Read more: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/04/ted-cruz-filed-for-irs-extension-pledges-to-release-his-tax-return.html/

[font color=green]Because charitable giving is foul language in the Cruz household. Maybe he should listen to his father's sermons more?[/font]

April 17, 2015

Medical marijuana is now legal in Georgia.

My sister posted this thread yesterday:

http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2015/04/16/medical-marijuana-is-now-legal-in-georgia/

Gov. Nathan Deal signed legislation Thursday that legalizes medical marijuana in Georgia, though tremendous hurdles remain for patients who want to get the drug.

House Bill 1, which took effect immediately, makes it legal for people who suffer from cancer, sickle cell disease and other illnesses to possess up to 20 ounces of cannabis oil if a physician signs off. The state estimates hundreds of thousands of residents could be eligible for the drug, and at least 17 Georgia families have had to temporarily move to places like Colorado where the cannabis oil is legal.

The biggest obstacle for those patients remains how they’ll obtain the oil. It’s illegal to cultivate marijuana in Georgia, which means families have to trek to Colorado and other states that have legalized the drug for medical purposes. That makes travel a tricky prospect, since most states, as well as the federal government, make possessing the drug a crime.

Snip.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026519222

April 17, 2015

Texas Sen. Menéndez Calls For Euthanasia As A Last Resort

No Kill Nation/Facebook

Senator José Menéndez seeks change in animal shelter procedures after a Bexar County resident’s dog escaped her backyard and was euthanized only days later.

Menéndez’s bill structures specific guidelines for shelters, stating cities with populations of 500,000 or more may only euthanize an animal after every cage has been filled.

Supporters of the No-Kill Movement, including Larry Tucker of Austin, attribute the constituent’s incident to current regulation.

According to the Association of Shelter Veterinarian, only licensed veterinarians may administer medical care for animals including individual care, intake vaccination, emergency circumstances, and pain management.

Read more: http://www.sacurrent.com/Blogs/archives/2015/04/15/texas-sen-menendez-calls-for-euthanasia-as-a-last-resort

April 17, 2015

Texas snaps 53-month job gain streak, posts first job loss since Sept. 2010

Texas posted its first monthly decline in total jobs in more than four years. The state lost 25,400 jobs in March, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The last time Texas saw a decline in total employment was in September 2010 when it lost 600 jobs in a month. The worst year for job losses was 2009 when Texas lost 371,300 jobs.

The Texas unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent, its lowest level since July 2007 as the labor force and number of unemployed both declined.

The March report, released Friday, confirms what economists have forecast.

Read more: http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2015/04/texas-snaps-its-53-month-job-gain-streak-and-posts-its-first-job-loss.html/

[font color=green]The oil boom went bust.[/font]