Tag Archives: Texas Freedom Network

Bill to ban gender-affirming care sent to Abbott, lawsuit to follow

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The next fight will begin immediately. Texas is on the brink of banning transgender minors from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapies, treatments that leading medical groups say are important to supporting their mental health. The Senate has voted 19-12 Wednesday … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

House passes bill to ban gender affirming care for minors

Posted on May 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Friday was a bad day. Texas has taken a major step toward banning transgender minors from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapy — care that medical groups say is vital to their mental health — after the state House gave Senate Bill 14 initial approval Friday. Trans Texans and LGBTQ advocates consider … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s going to be a brutal legislative session for LGBTQ folks in Texas

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I really wish this weren’t the case, but it is. It’s going to be bad. Two bills that would ban classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in Texas public schools before certain grade levels are poised to receive … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Poll shows opposition to the extreme anti-abortion bills in the Lege

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, the Trust Respect Access coalition is releasing data from polling on abortion laws and anti-abortion bills in the Texas Legislature. The poll includes approval ratings as well as opinions on legislative priorities and House Bill 1515/Senate … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

SBOE approves new evolution standard

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Shockingly, it doesn’t suck. The Texas State Board of Education tentatively voted to remove language in high school biology standards that would have required students to challenge evolutionary science. Currently, the curriculum requires students to “evaluate” scientific explanations for the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SBOE approves new evolution standard

SBOE rejects that lousy Mexican-American studies textbook

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The State Board of Education voted 14-0 Wednesday to deny the adoption of a Mexican-American studies textbook decried by opponents as racist and inaccurate. The textbook, titled “Mexican American Heritage,” was the only submission the board received when it … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Dan Patrick buys airtime for anti-HERO ads

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he does. With the start of early voting Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick began lending his voice and his pocketbook to radio and TV ads urging Houston voters to reject the city’s embattled equal rights ordinance. At a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Here comes that anti-gay marriage bill

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not. “Texas is pioneering a legislative effort to subvert a potential Supreme Court ruling on marriage and lock in discrimination against gay and transgender people and their families,” Kathy Miller, president of the left-leaning Texas Freedom Network, told … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Discrimination is bad for business

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good for TAB. The Texas Association of Business has come out against two religious freedom resolutions that critics say would enshrine a “license to discriminate” against LGBT people in the Texas Constitution. TAB, which is the state’s powerful chamber of … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Discrimination is bad for business

Next in “What’s wrong with our textbooks”: Climate change

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: An examination of how proposed social studies textbooks for Texas public schools address climate change reveals distortions and bias that misrepresent the broad scientific consensus on the phenomenon. Climate education specialists at the National Center for Science … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Next in “What’s wrong with our textbooks”: Climate change

Time again to talk textbooks

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Kathy Miller of the Texas Freedom Network sounded the alarm in the Sunday op-eds. The last time Texas adopted social studies textbooks – in 2002 – political activists and members of the state education board themselves demanded scores of changes … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Time again to talk textbooks

Teaching creationism in Texas

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Zack Kopplin reports on some unconstitutional behavior by a national charter school operator that has several campuses in Texas. When public-school students enrolled in Texas’ largest charter program open their biology workbooks, they will read that the fossil record is … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SBOE getting set to review biology textbooks

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

TFN Insider sounds the alarm. We already knew that creationists on the State Board of Education had nominated anti-evolution ideologues to sit on teams reviewing proposed new high school biology textbooks in Texas. We now have seen the actual reviews … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on SBOE getting set to review biology textbooks

The birth control poll

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Freedom Network would like you to know that Texans support having access to birth control. A new statewide poll from the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund shows Texans believe that access to family planning and birth control is … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas Freedom Network’s guide to the SBOE elections

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Freedom Network has put out a useful little voter’s guide to the 2012 State Board of Education elections, which covers a range of topics from creationism and climate change to bullying and SBOE procedures. You might look at … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The TFN on the SBOE

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Hair Balls attended a session at the TDP convention held by the Texas Freedom Network about electing a less-embarrassing State Board of Education. More than 600 people packed a ballroom at the George R Brown Convention Center on Saturday morning … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The TFN on the SBOE

Another reason why Texas has a high teen pregnancy rate

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We’re lousy at sex education. In the mid-1990s, California embraced sex education that teaches students the importance of waiting until they’re older to have sex, but also the value of using protection if they don’t wait. Compare this with classrooms … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Harris County rejecting fewer voter registrations

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

In other lawsuit-related news: Harris County officials have rejected far fewer would-be voters since 2008, but Democrats are demanding more proof that voter rolls are not being illegally suppressed – particularly among Hispanics – as another U.S. presidential election approaches. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Harris County rejecting fewer voter registrations

SBOE manages to not screw up science supplements

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Baby steps. The quietude of yesterday’s State Board of Education meeting came to a screeching halt during today’s final vote over supplemental science materials. After a unanimous preliminary vote on Thursday, the board appeared split over alleged errors in how … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SBOE manages to not screw up science supplements

Day One at the SBOE

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your TFN Insider coverage of today’s SBOE science hearings. In Part I of the hearings, we find that the SBOE may not be such a major factor in school curriculum any more: 10:20  – Board members are quizzing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Day One at the SBOE

Time to get it on again with the SBOE

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From an email from the National Center for Science Education: The Texas Board of Education is at it again, this time aiming to insert creationism into high school biology classes via textbook “supplements” (such as those from International Databases, LLC). … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Time to get it on again with the SBOE

By the way, our social studies standards still suck

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

So says a conservative think tank. In a report [released Wednesday], the Thomas B. Fordham Institute gives the Texas social studies curriculum standards a “D” while accusing “the conservative majority” of using the curriculum “to promote its political priorities, molding … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

TFN poll on public school curriculum

Posted on July 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is generally good news. Eight of 10 Texans want high schools to teach contraception, including the use of condoms and abstinence, according to a statewide opinion poll that also shows high support for letting teachers and scholars write public … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The clown show finally calls it a wrap

Posted on May 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some other state to be the national laughingstock again. The Court of Criminal Appeals gives it a good run for its money, but you just can’t out-embarrass the SBOE, and every … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Liveblogging the SBOE social studies hearings

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

No, not me. I’m not there, and besides, I’m no good at liveblogging. Here’s all the coverage you could need, from people who actually are good at this. First and foremost, the indispensable Texas Freedom Network. Stephen Schafersman, blogging for … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Liveblogging the SBOE social studies hearings

More on the SBOE

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Freedom Network does a victory dance over the defeat of wingnut SBOE member Don McLeroy, noting that overall the forces of good did much better than the far right did. “Don McLeroy was right when he said this … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The SBOE takes on social studies

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Somewhat surprisingly, nothing too horrible appears to have happened. Yet. Kindergartners would learn about a Texas revolutionary and first-graders would discuss the idea of holding public officials accountable under proposals approved Thursday by the State Board of Education, which began … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The SBOE takes on social studies

SBOE prepares to screw up social studies

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From a TFN press release: The state’s leading religious liberties group today joined with clergy and scholars in calling on the State Board of Education to approve new curriculum standards that don’t undermine religious freedom in Texas social studies classrooms. … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

You can try, but you can’t out-embarrass the SBOE

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Court of Criminal Appeals has had a good run lately as the public institution that has caused the most embarrassment to Texas, thanks in no small part to the ongoing Keller saga and the recent hot judge-on-prosecutor ruling. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Textbook ideology

Posted on August 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Who cares about Cesar Chavez and Henry Cisneros when our students could be learning about Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh? The State Board of Education has appointed “review committees” made up largely of active and retired school teachers to draft … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The new social studies curriculum, so far

Posted on August 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There’s no reason to believe that the lunatic fringe of the State Board of Education will do anything but push an unrealistic and ideological change to the state’s social studies curriculum. They’ve made that clear by the kind of “expert” … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The new social studies curriculum, so far

Defining “expert” down

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman editorial board lets us know how Don McLeroy defines an “expert” on something. Don McLeroy, who couldn’t muster enough votes in the Republican-dominated Texas Senate to win confirmation as chairman of the State Board of Education, has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Defining “expert” down

The fight over social studies

Posted on July 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve talked before about how the State Board of Education wants to do to history what it’s been doing to science. The Chron adds some details to the discussion. Biographies of Washington, Lincoln, Stephen F. Austin? Not fit reading material … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Another chance to slap the Governor

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Lege has had a few opportunities to express its opinion about Governor Perry and his “leadership” this session. Passing the unemployment insurance bill, inserting the budget amendment that would strip funding from the Texas Enterprise Fund in the event … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another chance to slap the Governor