Federal Threats Shuts Down Texas Anti-Groping Bill

25 May, 2011 by William Teach

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Apparently, federal workers are, in fact, above the law

A threat from the federal government to shut down Texas airports or cancel flights may have killed legislation by Tea Party conservatives in the Texas Capitol to prohibit federal Transportation Security Agents from conducting “invasive searches.”

“I don’t cave in to heavy handed threats by the federal government,” said an angry Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, the Senate sponsor of the bill, who ultimately withdrew the bill.

House Bill 1937, which was passed by the House earlier this month, would make it a misdemeanor offense for a federal security agent to “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly [touch] the anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast of the other person, including touching through clothing, or touching the other person in a manner that would be offensive to a reasonable person.”

Two TSA officials visited Patrick at the Capitol earlier today to discuss the legislation. They warned him that the legislation “could close down all the airports in Texas,” he said. After their departure, U.S. Attorney John E. Murphy sent a letter to Speaker of the House Joe Straus and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst saying the bill would “conflict directly with federal law” and that if it became law “TSA would likely be required to cancel any flight or series of flights for which it could not ensure the safety of passengers and crew” until the agency could seek a court order stopping the measure from being carried out.

Just another day in Der Fuhrer’s government. Remember when the Federal government respected its citizens and the 10th Amendment?

Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-Brownsville, who voted for the bill in committee, said he still agreed with Patrick’s intent, but could not vote for the bill because it is preemptive of federal law. “The bill makes it a crime for a [federal TSA employee]…to perform a federal screening that he or she is required by federal law to perform.”

Is Hinojosa actually saying that federal law makes it legal to grope people’s sexual organs? Makes it legal to do this to children? And that there can be no repercussions for these activities? That States have no right to limit federal activities that are completely abhorrent? Sure seems so.

“Our law abiding citizens should not be subjected to invasive searches that are embarrassing and humiliating,” said Patrick. “Our country is saying there’s too much federal government in our lives and this was a chance for Texas to take the lead and probably change the policy of TSA, because does anyone think that they’re really going to close down all the airports tomorrow?”

With today’s Los Federales, you never know. They might actually try.

I’m (just barely) old enough to remember the days when you could actually greet flyers as the walked off the plane. The terminals weren’t a police state. That changed as Islamic terrorists (and a few other assorted wackos) realized they could create terror with planes. Now, in order to take a plane flight, people have to be subjected to invasive groping, people who do not fit the profile of people who will cause problems on airplanes. And, despite all the outcry from Americans, nothing seems to be changing.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach.