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tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#107826: Jan 1st 2016 at 10:17:17 AM

Since we are going into laws in effect for the New Year, here's Texas':

  • Open-carry
  • Private and Networked transportation services (such as Uber or Lyft) are now required to hold liability insurance, uninsured motorist protection, and personal injury protection.
  • Additional restrictions on minors seeking abortions
    • Minors must wait five days for a courts decision, up from two.
    • They must file within their home county, a neighboring county if their home county has less than 10,000 people, or the county in which they are receiving an abortion.
  • Spouses of fully disabled veterans can are allowed to take a one hundred percent property tax exemption.
  • Requires local governments and government boards to have videos of all of their scheduled public meetings online.
    • Only applies to school boards or county commissions in areas with over 125,000 people.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#107827: Jan 1st 2016 at 10:25:53 AM

@carbon-mantis

Is there any kind of grandfather clause to protect any statements already received in case that law is used against them?

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#107828: Jan 1st 2016 at 10:28:32 AM

Israel's one of our allies, so by that definition it basically can't be treason by definition.

As for working against US interests: it's a bit subjective. They consider the Iran deal to be against US interests. So, from A Certain Point of View they consider themselves to be protecting US interests.

Taking bribes is certainly illegal, though.

Leviticus 19:34
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#107829: Jan 1st 2016 at 10:35:11 AM

Like I've said in other threads, Israel isn't an ally. It's an asset.

Oh really when?
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#107830: Jan 1st 2016 at 10:48:36 AM

If they accepted any form of in-kind payment or donation in exchange for their actions, those Congressmen are in violation of the FCPA.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#107831: Jan 1st 2016 at 10:50:08 AM

This might be considered treason (or at least subversion or conflict of interest) in other countries; but as others have said the US has a narrow definition of treason compared to most of the world.

If its true, its probably a breach of Congressional ethical rules if nothing else.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#107832: Jan 1st 2016 at 11:08:23 AM

Laws can't be ex post facto, that's one of the first protections in the US Constitution, before even the bill of rights. So existing whistleblowers would operate under the old law.

I'd like to see details on that law, though, it can't be quite as bad as it's being made to sound.

carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Collector Of Fine Oddities
#107833: Jan 1st 2016 at 11:41:00 AM

I think it'll eventually be changed or struck in the future. "Criminalize" was probably the wrong word, but in effect it makes whistleblowing much, much more risky and difficult. It was primarily aimed at people filming abuses on factory farms, but many business establishments are licking their lips at the idea that they have additional legal backing to sue for videotaping all manner of things. It also gives the ability to sue backing organizations. Say, someone videotapes workplace abuses at the behest of some nonprofit foundation; the organization itself can be sued along with the filmmaker.

Part of the intent of the law is an additional layer of discouragement, since most of the people in a position to film workplace abuses in the state aren't often going to be wealthy. You're already pretty much saying "fuck it" to the job but now you open yourself to further financial repercussions beyond that.

edit- The assisted living example I had wasn't really fleshed out. It's rather complicated to explain; no charges have been officially filed and the investigations into it have been delayed and held up for years now. Everyone here is related to someone else; the accused has family in local legal and police departments, and rather than resorting to vague threats something like this can now be used to directly threaten the livelihood of both the whistleblower and their families and legal counsel under part 5c.

edited 1st Jan '16 11:53:52 AM by carbon-mantis

RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#107834: Jan 1st 2016 at 2:56:37 PM

Couldn't those businesses just put up a sign that says, "No unauthorized photography or videorecording on these premises"?

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#107835: Jan 1st 2016 at 3:36:34 PM

Sure and you could sue someone civilly for breaking such a sign, but that's not the same as it being made a criminal offence.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
probablyinsane Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#107836: Jan 2nd 2016 at 1:52:38 AM

(headdesk headdesk headdesk at latest Trump headline)

Plants are aliens, and fungi are nanomachines.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#107837: Jan 2nd 2016 at 1:55:38 AM

What'd he do now?

Oh really when?
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#107839: Jan 2nd 2016 at 5:23:15 AM

I wonder if you could get Trump for treason at this point, if his sound bites are being used by ISIS then isn't he "giving them aid and comfort"?

wild mass guessTrump isn't a Democrat mole, he's an ISIS mole! wild mass guess

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#107840: Jan 2nd 2016 at 5:26:25 AM

What's hilarious is I've heard lots of people and some on Fox News going on about how Trump has ISIS terrified with his "hard talk".

Trump is probably their greatest asset in the West.

Oh really when?
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#107841: Jan 2nd 2016 at 5:32:04 AM

And yet supposedly it's the Left who're the terrorist sympathisers.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#107842: Jan 2nd 2016 at 5:34:48 AM

Well yeah, the right don't know how to have sympathy. They agree with the terrorists, they don't sympathise, they don't sympathise with anyone, even each other. tongue

edited 2nd Jan '16 5:35:07 AM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#107843: Jan 2nd 2016 at 5:47:22 AM

Then again the Right think that wanting to show support for the civilians caught in the crossfire or otherwise wanting to find ways to end Daesh without bombing the entire Middle East into glass is terrorist sympathising.

edited 2nd Jan '16 5:48:06 AM by Deadbeatloser22

"Yup. That tasted purple."
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#107844: Jan 2nd 2016 at 5:52:15 AM

Yep, I've heard it countless times on Fox that we're losing the war with ISIS because our rules of engagement don't let us drop the bomb if we know civilians will be caught in it.

They keep quoting some statistic about two third of sorties end with nothing happening because of it.

Oh really when?
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#107846: Jan 2nd 2016 at 7:16:28 AM

I mean I wasn't at the rally that Britain First tried to break up under those pretences, but I know people who were.

edited 2nd Jan '16 8:38:54 AM by Deadbeatloser22

"Yup. That tasted purple."
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
tryrar Since: Sep, 2010
#107848: Jan 2nd 2016 at 10:15:02 AM

[up]....where's that Picard facepalm gif when you need it? >_>

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#107849: Jan 2nd 2016 at 10:33:03 AM

...Did inciting a riot become legal while I wasn't looking or something?

Then again Wal Mart gets away with it every Black Friday, so...

"Yup. That tasted purple."
DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#107850: Jan 2nd 2016 at 10:38:45 AM

So... that thing Hillary was accused of making up came true retroactively?

Who wants to bet Trump's gonna accuse her of forging the video?


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