Bleah.

Lawmakers in the Texas House sent the U.S. Congress a message on Saturday to mind its own business.

But just so no one gets the wrong message, House Concurrent Resolution 50 now says that Texas is still proud to be part of the U.S. of A.

The resolution "is about succeeding in the union, not seceding from the union," said Rep. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, the resolution's author. "It is not a slap. It is a reminder."

Creighton objects to Congress handing down unfunded mandates, exploding the federal deficit and the intruding into the state's authority.

The measure, which passed 99 to 36, reaffirms the state's sovereignty and its rights under the 10th Amendment.

[...]

Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, cautioned that Texans need to be careful when talking about "state's rights."

"Growing up in the South, there are certain words that bring up certain emotions," Coleman said, emotions connected to the denial of rights.