December 24, 2017

GOP Candidate for Texas Governor: "I'd Gladly Execute a Convicted Sodomite"

Texas gubernatorial candidate Larry SECEDE Kilgore is shown in 2006, left, and in 2017. He says he doesn’t plan to cut his hair or beard until Texas bans abortion.


Texas has two openly LGBTQ candidates for governor in 2018, Democrats Lupe Valdez and Jeffrey Payne.

The Lone Star State also has a Republican gubernatorial candidate, Larry SECEDE Kilgore, who apparently believes Valdez, Payne and other “sodomites” should be put to death.

When he previously ran for governor in 2014, Kilgore told me that while he supports the death penalty as punishment for homosexuality, he planned to put the issue aside so he could focus on advocating for secession.

In 2018, however, it seems Kilgore is making his version of “biblical law” a more central part of his campaign. On Friday morning, he took to social media with this bit of holiday cheer:

https://twitter.com/SECEDEKilgore/status/944179375024504832

“I’d gladly execute a convicted adulterer, sodomite or bestialiter. Biblical law is a blessin,” Kilgore wrote, alongside a link to a story about “bestiality brothels” in Germany.

Read more: http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2017/12/gop-candidate-for-texas-governor-id-gladly-execute-a-convicted-sodomite/

Cross-posted in the LGBT Group.

December 24, 2017

Jerry Jones' grandson has record-setting performance in Highland Park comeback win

ARLINGTON -- John Stephen Jones left his legacy on the house his grandfather built.

Jones, the grandson of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, threw for a record 564 yards and four touchdowns —including the game-winning touchdown pass with 34 seconds remaining — to lift Highland Park to a 53-49 come-from-behind victory over Manvel and back-to-back UIL Class 5A Division I state championships, this time in front of 25,975 fans at AT&T Stadium.

“I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world,” said Jones, the game’s Offensive MVP. “I’m so proud to be a part of this. I can’t say enough of how proud I am of this team. They fought to the very end and never gave up. This team is unbelievable.”

Manvel (15-1) took a 49-39 lead after Kam Scott returned the kickoff for a state-record 97 yards for a touchdown with 6:27 remaining.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/dfwvarsity/prep-football/article191388959.html

Posted as a community service to prepare DUers for another generation of the Jones family.

December 24, 2017

DPS to lay off 117 officers in light of budget cuts

Texas Department of Public Safety officials announced Friday they have hired 97 new highway patrol officers even though earlier this week, the state Public Safety Commission approved plans to lay off 117 officers and eliminate an additional 60 positions.

First reported Friday by KXAN, the public safety agency by May 31 will eliminate its so-called retire/rehire program, which allows retired officers to be rehired. Established in 2002 to remedy a workforce shortage, the $15 million program encourages the retention of highly experienced officers who get to draw on their pensions while earning a monthly salary.

“This was a very difficult but necessary decision to address the budget cuts implemented during the 85th Legislative Session, which amounted to $50 million — 177 commissioned positions and 148 non-commissioned positions,” DPS Director Steven McCraw said in a memo.

The DPS had about 4,330 commissioned officer positions in fiscal 2017.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association, which represents the interests of employees in DPS, suggested the lay offs were discriminatory against older officers.

Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/dps-lay-off-117-officers-light-budget-cuts/qLcJrPJxJOMcVdtdHfPfmJ/?ref=cbTopWidget

December 24, 2017

With late surge, Texas Obamacare enrollment nearly matches 2016

Enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act soared in the final days before the federal sign-up deadline, bringing the total numbers to within a few percentage points of last year, when the enrollment window was twice as long.

In Texas, more than 550,000 people enrolled between Dec. 10 and Dec. 15, nearly doubling the total of enrollees over the previous six weeks combined, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which released the figures Thursday.

A total of 1.13 million Texans signed up for insurance on the federal exchange during this year’s 45-day period, coming in 8 percent below last year’s total of about 1.23 million, when open enrollment lasted three months.

The numbers still could climb, because people affected by this year’s hurricanes have been given extra time to sign up. In addition, the numbers don’t include people who were in the process of enrolling before the deadline and had to leave call-back numbers because of high volume.

Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional/with-late-surge-texas-obamacare-enrollment-nearly-matches-2016/WuKXNto39PhIQ3ZcMcbAJP/

December 22, 2017

Pro-independence parties win majority in Catalan elections

Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Pro-independence parties won a majority in the Spanish region of Catalonia's parliament after a snap election on Thursday.

No single party gained an outright majority in the election, but three separatist parties won a total of 70 seats, two more than necessary to hold a majority in the 135-seat Parliament.

Carles Puigdemont, the former president of Catalan whose Together for Catalonia won 34 seats said Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, "received a hit, a blow by the Catalans" after the election.

"The Catalan Republic has won, the Spanish government was defeated," he said. "They lost their coup d'etat."

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/12/22/Pro-independence-parties-win-majority-in-Catalan-elections/7621513915290/

December 21, 2017

Arkansas removes 80K from Medicaid after data review

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Officials at the Arkansas Department of Human Services say more than 80,000 people were removed from the state's Medicaid rolls in 2017 after new technology and data were used to show they were ineligible for the benefits.

Nearly one-third of those cases involved people who did not report changes of address as required by the state. More than 25,000 people were removed from the program because they were receiving public benefits from more than one state.

DHS says more than 16,000 people were removed because of unreported employment. Others were removed from the program because they were eligible for Medicare, while another 4,100 cases involved inmates who still had Medicaid coverage.

http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2017/dec/20/arkansas-removes-80k-medicaid-after-data-review/705080/

December 21, 2017

Champion of same-sex marriage aims to be Texas' first openly gay senator

AUSTIN — The man who sued to overturn Texas' ban on gay marriage will run for the state Senate as a Democrat, vying for the seat that represents much of Collin County.

Mark Phariss told The Dallas Morning News he decided to run after seeing Democrats win in other Republican strongholds, like Virginia and Alabama.

"When I was accepting the fact that I was gay, there were two things I kind of thought I had to give up: one, getting married, and two, running for political office," Phariss said Tuesday. "I need to quit assuming what people will think. I need to allow them the choice."

Phariss, a business lawyer based in Plano, and his longtime partner, Victor Holmes, an Air Force veteran, were among four people who sued Texas in 2013 over its ban on same-sex marriage. Their case was in progress when the U.S. Supreme Court extended the right to marry to all same-sex couples in June 2015.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-politics/2017/12/19/plaintiff-texas-gay-marriage-case-now-running-senate-seat

December 21, 2017

New digs for Hempstead County as Hope bank will become courthouse

Farmers Bank & Trust finalizes an agreement Wednesday with the Hempstead County Quorum Court to sell its main bank building in Hope, Ark., for $1.5 million. The bank building will be converted into a courthouse, Hempstead County Judge Haskell Morse said.
Photo by Jim Williamson /Texarkana Gazette.

HOPE -- Farmers Bank & Trust finalized an agreement with the Hempstead County Quorum Court on Wednesday to sell its main bank building in Hope, Ark., for $1.5 million.

The building is at 200 E. Third St. in the downtown area of Hope. The market value of the building makes the transaction equivalent to a $3 million donation from Farmers Bank & Trust to Hempstead County to use as a courthouse.

"We are grounded in our presence within Hope and Hempstead County. However, the current bank building was larger than needed and the county was exploring options for a new courthouse. We hope that our building transfer will serve as a win-win situation for the staff and residents of Hempstead County and our company, said Bob Burns, FB&T chairman of the board and a Hope native.

"We're excited with the plans, and the building looks like a courthouse," said Bruce Maloch, vice chairman and general counsel for Farmers Bank & Trust.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texarkana/story/2017/dec/21/hope-bank-will-become-courthouse/705338/

December 21, 2017

Dead, dried-up Christmas tree to be replaced at Statehouse

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A dead Christmas tree at the Statehouse is being replaced.

Gov. Gina Raimondo said on Monday that a new tree is coming after the first one dried up and dropped piles of needles more than a week before Christmas. She told reporters her staff plans the switch as soon as possible.

Raimondo, a Democrat, said she wants people to know, "Don't worry, we'll get a new tree."

The move comes three days after The Associated Press reported Friday on the tree's sorry condition, including bare branches and needles that dropped instantly when touched.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Dead-Christmas-tree-to-be-replaced-at-RI-12438978.php

December 21, 2017

Prosecutors' appeal accepted in Ken Paxton criminal case

In a ruling that keeps alive, at least for now, the criminal prosecution against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s highest criminal court announced Wednesday that it will determine whether the prosecutors in the case can be paid $300 an hour for their work.

Unpaid since January 2016, the three prosecutors have said they will step aside if denied the payments, potentially putting at risk the case against Paxton, who is accused of securities fraud and failing to register with state regulators in private business deals in 2011 and 2012.

Wednesday’s decision, announced without comment, means the Court of Criminal Appeals will review an August opinion by the Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals, which said state law and local rules limit payments to a pre-established amount for appointed defense lawyers or prosecutors.

In Paxton’s case, pay would be limited to $1,000 per prosecutor for pretrial work, instead of $300 an hour as negotiated with a Collin County state District Court judge who appointed them.

Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/prosecutors-appeal-accepted-ken-paxton-criminal-case/gW9vHylnrV3Ehjd0obHMlL/