The State of Texas: The Legislature finds a new line of attack against Planned Parenthood

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Visit Four Seasons Dallas!]( [Texas Monthly]( May 20, 2019 QUOTE OF THE DAY "This is a taxpayer protection bill. Taxpayers who oppose abortion should not have to see their tax dollars subsidizing the abortion industry." —Representative Candy Noble, R-Allen, the author of Senate Bill 22, which which would [ban local governments from partnering with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers](, even for unrelated services such as sex education and pregnancy prevention. THE LATEST [Does a Sale of Whataburger Mean the Whatapocalypse Is Nigh? ]( DAN SOLOMON The beloved Texas chain is reportedly seeking investors to fund an expansion. Should we panic? [Read more.]( THE TEXANIST [The Texanist: What’s So Great About the Shape of Texas? ]( DAVID COURTNEY Q: It appears to me that Texans have a love affair with all things Texas, including the shape of their state. For example, I have a friend who has an adorable leather purse in the shape of Texas, I have seen waffle irons that create delicious waffles in the shape of Texas, I have cookie cutters in the shape of Texas, and, of course, there are many lovely jewelry items fashioned into the shape of Texas. My list could go on, but you get the idea. Texans love to display the iconic shape of the state of Texas. Do people from other states have this same obsession with the shape of their state? Molly Little Fann, Boerne A: And ashtrays, ice cube trays, sunglasses, bottle openers, grills, sinks, wall clocks, wall hangings, [Houston rapper Paul Wall’s right hand tattoo](, pasta noodles, keychains, tortilla chips, t-shirts, swimming pools, hotel rooftop lazy rivers, coffee cups, coffee tables, etcetera, etcetera, and so forth…. Oh, and lots of tattoos in addition to the one sported by Paul Wall. Yes, the Texanist gets the idea. Most all Americans, the Texanist would guess, hold some degree of pride in the place they call home. But as all Texans know, the expressions of pride conveyed by those folks pale in comparison to those that emanate from Texans. And what better way to show pride of place than by utilizing the outline of the place itself? The Texanist can think of none. [Read more.]( Look here every Monday for the latest from the Texanist, or [peruse his archives here.]( Tomorrow, and every Tuesday, you’ll find a selection from our archives. OUR TOP STORIES [Megan Thee Stallion’s Fever Is a Summer Party Album With a Feminist Agenda ]( The Houston rapper assumes a "hot girl" persona as she turns the tables on chauvinist hip-hop posturing. [Read more.]( [At Interstellar BBQ, the Vegetarian Sides Are as Savory as the Brisket and Sausage ]( The original Noble Sandwich Co. in northwest Austin has been transformed into a great barbecue joint. [Read more.]( [Texas Monthly Recommends: Khalid and John Mayer Make a Summer Hit]( Plus, Mary H.K. Choi’s novel about young adulthood in Austin, a classic Cyd Charisse film, and Liza Koshy’s YouTube series.[Read more.]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Planned Parenthood is once again in the crosshairs of the Legislature On Friday, the Texas House advanced a bill [that would prevent local governments from partnering with abortion providers, even for unrelated services.]( In an otherwise tame session, Senate Bill 22 sparked fierce partisan debate. Democrats and Houston Republican Sarah Davis tried, and failed, to soften the blow of the bill with multiple amendments, including a proposal to exclude services for survivors of sexual assault. Opponents point out that federal law already prohibits taxpayer dollars from funding abortion, and they argue that the bill will instead harm access to cancer screenings, HIV and STD testing, sex education, and contraception. The bill’s supporters argued that Planned Parenthood isn’t necessary to providing these services, but according to the Texas Observer, nearly half of the providers in the state’s replacement program, Healthy Texas Women, didn’t see a single patient in 2017. Houston dad, mistaken for a fugitive in a viral video, wants the officer fired A confrontation between a constable deputy and Houston dad Clarence Evans went viral earlier this month, and [now Evans is asking for the deputy to be punished.](On May 8, deputy Garrett Lindley approached Evans at his home, restraining him, and calling him “Quentin,” believing him to be a fugitive with a warrant for his arrest in Louisiana. When a second deputy arrived with a photo of the suspect, the deputies realized they had mistaken Evans for a person with similar dreadlocks. Evans and many of the 16,000 commenters who responded to his video on Facebook have said it was an instance of racial profiling. “That officer needs to be fired,” Evans said. “I don’t understand how he’s still an officer of the law.” The constable's office is still supporting the deputy. Beto outlines his gun control platform In an op-ed [published in the Houston Chronicle](, Beto O’Rourke outlined a number of proposals he would adopt to tackle gun violence—one of the central issues for Democrats on the campaign trail. O'Rourke supports universal background checks, which would close loopholes like those that don’t require background checks on firearms purchased at gun shows. He also reiterated his support for an assault weapons ban, arguing that such firearms should “remain on the battlefield" and out of the hands of civilians. Another part of his gun-control platform: nationwide "red flag" laws, which would allow judges to temporarily take guns away from people who may be a danger to themselves or others. Beto's gun-control platform is fairly conventional by the standards of 2020 Democratic contenders, and he's distanced himself recently from more aggressive policy proposals, such as Cory Booker's idea of requiring federal registration of guns, saying, “I think that may be too far.” [Explore Cedar Park]( [Explore Cedar Park]( Experience a day in Cedar Park with life and style blogger, Lone Star Looking Glass. From cozy coffee shops to electrifying hockey games, with wine and chocolate in between, Cedar Park has fun for everyone. [Read more]( NEWS & POLITICS [Is a Proposed Ban on a State Income Tax Really a Stealth Move to Undermine the State’s Business Tax? ]( R.G. RATCLIFFE The Legislature’s own budget advisors have warned that a constitutional amendment prohibiting an income tax could cost the state billions in lost revenue from the business tax. [Read more.]( [Subscribe to Texas Monthly and save!]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. You may opt-out from Texas Monthly newsletters at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy. If you would like to manage which Texas Monthly Editorial newsletters you are receiving, click Preferences, below. To unsubscribe from our Editorial newsletters, click Unsubscribe. [Like]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](