Category: Uncategorized

Note: we have additional reasons to be worried about the leadership agenda coming from the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. So we share this email message from Equality Texas regarding electoral mood shifts–gm

Fort Worth Elects Openly Gay Joel Burns to City Council

The 80th Session of the Texas Legislature ended this past May in turmoil over the leadership of Speaker Tom Craddick. Yesterday, Tom Craddick was again on voters minds as Dan Barrett, a Democrat, won election to HD 97 in southwest Tarrant County where no Democrat had won for nearly 30 years.

“My wife and I put our hearts into this, because so many other people were putting their hearts into it,” said Barrett. Yesterday’s runoff election fills the Texas House seat vacated upon the retirement of Anna Mowery, who earned failing marks from Equality Texas on pro-equality issues.

Barrett’s opponent, Mark Shelton, aligned himself with Speaker Craddick. “It seemed to me that Shelton was never speaking for himself,” said Barrett. “Everything had to go through e-mail or though his handlers. It was as if everything came from Craddick.”

Republican Speaker Candidate Jim Keffer said, “Tonight’s outcome in the HD97 special election proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick is a sinking ship for the Republican Party in Texas.”

Because Barrett was elected to finish the remainder of Mowery’s term, Barrett and Shelton could face each other again in the November 2008 general election. Shelton has already filed for the Republican primary in March 2008.

Barrett was elected with support from the Tarrant County Stonewall Democrats, Human Rights Campaign, and pro-equality members of the Tarrant County delegation: Rep. Lon Burnam, Rep. Marc Veasey and Rep. Paula Pierson.

Also on Tuesday, voters elected Joel Burns to the District 9 seat on the Fort Worth City Council. Burns, who was a member of the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, becomes the first openly gay member of the Fort Worth City Council.

“I have big shoes to fill,” said Burns. “My goal is to be the kind of city councilman the district has seen in the likes of Ken Barr and Wendy Davis, by getting up and working hard every day.”

Burns received the endorsement of, and financial support from, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Joel is the partner of Equality Texas board member, JD Angle.

Congratulations, Joel & JD!

It is with dismay that we note the appearance over the weekend of an AP news story about Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan, an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the federal case against the Holy Land Foundation. With a Dallas jury in mid-deliberation on the fate of the five who have been indicted, we wonder what purpose is the story about Hamdan supposed to serve?–gm

NEWS ADVISORY

For Immediate Release: November 19, 2007
Contact: Camm Lary – (512) 756-2156

Who: Concerned residents of Burnet County.
What: A public meeting with the Burnet County Commissioner’s Court.
When: Monday, November 19th at 7:00pm.
Where: Old courthouse on the square in Burnet, Texas.

Burnet County Residents Oppose Private Detention Center
Proposed 500-bed Jail Would Hurt Burnet’s Reputation

“No Private Jail” Group to speak at Monday meeting

Burnet, TX – This Monday, concerned Burnet County residents will hold a public meeting with Burnet County Commissioners to discuss their opposition to a proposed 500-bed private detention center. The meeting will take place Monday, November 19th, at Old Courthouse on the square in Burnet at 7:00pm.

Burnet County residents are concerned that the proposed jail will be operated by a Louisiana-based for-profit private prison corporation, that out-of-county prisoners will shipped to the prison, and that Burnet County has taken steps to float revenue bonds to pay for the prison, which could endanger the county’s future bond rating, without a public vote.

Private prison corporations have a track record that include human rights abuses, lawsuits, higher rates of violence, and financial mismanagement. Research shows that prison construction has no positive economic impact on communities. Counties that finance private prison construction have been held liable for abuses that take place in the prisons.

We begin with a the Rio Grande Guardian tribute by Michele Angél: “Tributes have poured in from South Texas for Equity Center founder Craig Foster for the pivotal role he played in helping property-poor schools receive a fair share of state funding.

“Foster, whose encyclopedic grasp of school finance and the tax system was used extensively in court during the landmark Edgewood ISD v. Kirby lawsuit against the state, is credited with helping change the way the state of Texas funds its public schools.”

To study a problem, to know it well, to speak credibly about human inequities: the life of Craig Foster shows how these things do make history.