Voted for Extreme Civil Penalties on Free Speech Political Activity: House of Bad Cards

When it comes to your freedom of speech, Dade Phelan just can't keep his hands to himself.

If he had his way, you're either going to jail or into bankruptcy if your communications are not in compliance.

HB 4960 dramatically increases the scope of government authority by granting the Texas Ethics Commission the ability to penalize each individual noncompliant text message with a civil fine of up to $10,000.

Mercy, but that escalated quickly.

Text message campaigns are annoying. That's why there are delete and block functions on phones. Adults can be shown how to use them. No government agency should be entrusted to determine whether you can send a text message. Ever.

GOP Platform Conflict: Principle 1 upholds constitutional free speech protections.

RV#1335: Yea 110 (R 60, D 50) - Nay 13 (R 13, D 0)
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Yea - Alders; Allen; Anchia; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Capriglione; Cole; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Gates; Gerdes; Geren; Gervin-Hawkins; Gonzalez, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris Davila; Hefner; Hernandez; Hickland; Hinojosa; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Johnson; Jones, V.; Kerwin; King; Kitzman; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Lowe; Lozano; Lujan; Manuel; Martinez; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Morales Shaw; Morales, E.; Morgan; Noble; Olcott; Ordaz; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Plesa; Raymond; Reynolds; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Simmons; Slawson; Talarico; Tepper; Thompson; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Vasut; Villalobos; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Zweiner

Nay - Cain; Harrison; Hayes; Hopper; Isaac; Oliverson; Pierson; Schofield; Shofner; Spiller; Swanson; Tinderholt; Toth

Absent - Lopez, R.; Luther; Richardson

Present, Not Voting - Burrows; Harris

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.

AJ Louderback: "When Record No. 1335 was taken, I was excused to attend a meeting of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. I would have voted no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Shelley Luther: "When Record No. 1335 was taken, I was absent to attend a meeting of the Committee on Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development. I would have voted no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

(Bill summary provided in part by Texas Policy Research)