In my email from the Travis County Democratic Party (yeah, yeah), I read that Senor ex-Presidente Bill Clinton will be in town to sign his book My Life. I know you are all so eager to attend, so after the jump is the information.

The State Affairs Committee scheduled for May 2 caught our eye. Note the asterisk on the first bill.

If any of y'all got a rule book handy, riddle us this: How is a public hearing allowed to accept 'invited tesimony only'?

We know the State Affairs has had some late nights lately, but when you bring up a boatload of turds you gotta expect it to smell a little bit.

Never get in the way of a good hate campaign.

The FW Star-Telegram tried, the Statesman tried...but BusinessWeek is the first article on blogs that is in-depth and explains it so people will stop wondering about them.
(courtesy: weblogsky)

Rep. Keel's prepared speech leads us to believe he was truly outraged that the Dems killed the Campaign Finance Reform Bill. (Keel's remarks after the jump)

But, according to Save Texas Reps this is more complicated than we orginally thought.

What's a young wide-eyed political blogger to think? This is what happens when we stop drinking and try to actually pay attention.

Your suggested thought bubbles had some zingers, that's for sure. Mary, we present our two favorites. Here: View image and here: View image

Phil conveniently missed the 7th Annual Community Networking Conference. As Chair of the House Regulated Industries Committee, he was scheduled to give the keynote speech. Oops, that would have required him to defend HB 789, and since he couldn't possibly do that he sent someone else to be slaughtered. Special legal counsel Jake Posey was under attack by many of the attendees.

Poor Jake, how's it feel to get screwed by Phil King?

And Phil, shame on you. How many times do we have to admonish you this session. It's getting embarrassing for both of us.

(via Quorum Report)

Lasso officially becomes a blog by adding comments to the site. Looks like the Statesman is steppin' out! That's so...2002 of you! Go, visit, comment! (Bet you can't use swear words, though.)

We've had a lot to say about Mary Denny not bringing the campaign finance reform bill before her committee this session, and we will have a lot to say about Craddick flip-flopping on his pledge before he became leader (after the jump), but now we'd like to join Mary Denny (who said she's afraid that campaign finance reform bills would limit free speech) in an excercise of our own.

We got you started, with our caption of this photo but we challenge each of you to come up with your own caption by putting a thought bubble on this photo of Mary Denny. We'll post the best here with mad photoshop skillz. You may leave your caption in the comments section (anonymously as always) or email them to us at tipsATpinkdomeDOTcom.

Look how sweet. If True.com online dating service has their way, this will be the only singles looking for love online. In a corporate war with Match.com, they have filed legislation to require criminal background checks before you can post your profile online.

Google search pulls up over 23 million results for 'online dating service' and one company in Texas thinks they all need a background check for singles in Texas.

This is nothing but the result of a corporate war between True.com and Match.com, two lame-ass websites.

We're just fuckin' with ya. Jon Stewart's Daily Show says it better than anyone.(video) "You know what's interesting? I'm not fucking making this up."

(link courtesy: One Good Move)

The mother of PinkDome has requested a disclaimer. Being a dutiful child, I oblige (kind of).

The views and content of PinkDome do not necessarily reflect that the author was not brought up right by the parents of PinkDome.

For some reason mom thought some of the things on this site could be considered offensive. Weird.

We were going to post a little something about a spike in traffic yesterday that had us perplexed until we saw the referring web sites, but had to put the mom thing first, that original post is after the jump.

We'll divulge a little secret here - PD and I have discussed starting a podcast. It hasn't come to fruition yet, but just wait, my friends. Some day. . .

Anyway, Chris Bell has beaten us to it (Thanks, BOR) . On his refurbished/newfangled/updated site, Mr. Bell has a blog, podcast and other nifty things. Now if Perry sets up a podcast in the near future, then we know end times are upon us!

Just the idea of Perry working on a podcast kinda gives us the creeps. We can just see him choosing what music to use as his intro - something by Toby Keith, I suspect. Or maybe Jerry Jeff Walker.

We were going to write something informative on the revenue cap bill, but then we realized we didn't have any idea what that meant so instead we just decided to poke fun at Craddick. Stick to what you know in a crunch, we always say.

The Statesman keeps saying that 'in a rare vote by Craddick' and after about the fourth time we read that on different bills this season we wondered: When does it stop being 'rare' and turn into a little too 'well done' for us to enjoy anymore?

The Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday to take up the Kinney County water wars some of you may have read about.

Jay Johnson of the West Texas Springs Alliance says:

The Dallas Morning News layout editor is hilarious. Check out why after the jump. Leave the humor to the drunk bloggers, DMN.
EDITED TO ADD: Contrary to what this guy thinks, we didn't use Lee Franke's (who the hell is that?) as a source for this scan, but nice to see a Fox 'news' contributor doing what we expect...not getting their facts right.

Off the Kuff links to a story in D Magazine that is a must-read. After reading the article, we are very glad not to live Midlothian, but certainly the residents of the town deserve better than to be inundated by harmful chemicals from cement plants.

Why we are linking to the story (with our added emphasis):

When the state Senate Natural Resources Committee held a hearing in Plano last August to address air-pollution problems in North Texas, I went and told them about TXI and Holcimâ??s efforts to avoid proper pollution controls. But the senators at that hearing did not consider Midlothianâ??s cement plants a problem for North Texas. They suggested I write state Sen. Kip Averitt if I had any concerns. I did. He never responded.

After telling Oâ??Leary and Frisinger about the hearing, I wrote an op-ed piece in the News. The column was titled â??Hearing or Farce?â?? and it prompted a call from state Sen. Craig Estes. After first asking me if I was recording the conversation (I wasnâ??t), he expressed displeasure with what Iâ??d written. He then asked me to join him on a tour of TXIâ??s new cement kiln, telling me it had state-of-the-art pollution controls. But I had been associating with radical environmentalists and the liberal media. I knew these were the same pollution controls TXI was fighting to remove. I sent Estes a letter accepting his invitation to tour the plant. I never heard back.

"It was called an overreaction, a knee-jerk reaction," King said.

Phil King has backed off his proposal to require steroid testing for high school kids. I guess somebody finally told him it would cost tens of millions of dollars and unless he was paying for it, nobody has any money.

Unfortunately, we think 'overreaction' and 'knee-jerk reaction' could be used to explain the vast majority of all legislation coming out of this session.

The DMN reports that there's a lottery bill we haven't seen yet. This one proposes that buying lottery tickets be easier than ordering online porn over the Internet. Rep. Uresti (D-San Antonio) is a supporter of the bill. Yo, Carlos...did you not listen to us or your party chair back in March?

Citing a decade-and-a-half of broken promises by legislative leaders that a state lottery would pay for public schools, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Charles Soechting today announced that he will ask the state party's executive committee to pass a resolution opposing the expansion of gambling in Texas.

Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, said Internet sales are a bad idea because kids could buy lottery tickets. Ms. Crownover also saideasier access could fuel gambling addiction.

Statement after the jump.

Representative Coleman sends us his brief statement: Download file.

Representative Senfronia Thompson's speech on the Floor is also available here: Download file (The full text is also after the jump.)

Representative Anchia's Statement here: Download file.

LGRL Statement here: Download file.

Representative Farrar's office sends her speech to us. We thought she did a great job and her visual aid made a strong point about using the Bible for political agendas. We agree Rep. Farrar. . . the Bible we read says a lot about the poor, the sick, the less fortunate, but it doesn't say disenfranchisement or bigotry. Here is her statement: Download file.

In a 2 hour and 53 minute debate today the State House of Representatives voted yes on the hate legislation banning same-sex marriages. Read our live blog below. When the record vote is released call your legislator and thank them if they were courageous and voted the right way or if they were a bigot and voted the wrong way.

In case you happen to be a gay youth reading this post, or a gay adult Texan, we'd like to make this clear. THE STATE OF TEXAS HATES YOU, The State of Texas believes you are a threat to their families. PinkDome suggests you gather your belongings and leave.

We are sorta liveblogging here. We decided to go back in time and watch it again and live blog some of the 'debate':

HJR 6, the Constitutional Amendment to ban same-sex marriages is scheduled for the House Floor today. We went forward in time and obtained this exclusive transcript of the debates. Selected portions highlighted below:

Talton: Homosexuals are a threat to Texas Families, the homosexual agenda is an epidemic fueled by hollywood and liberal anti-Christian elitists.
Chisum: I don't know what makes people be homosexual but those kinds of people will ruin the sanctity of marriage.
Senfronia: You are idiots.
Hupp: Philosophically, I believe in the right to carry concealed weapons.
Keffer: I love my gay son, but I don't want to marry him.
Gattis: Legally, because as you know I am a lawyer, I believe the definition of marriage should be one man, one woman, or one man one mermaid but that is as far as my constituents will go in expanding the definition of marriage.
Villareal: Here in 1937 it's nice to see Texas being progressive.
Tatum: Warren, you look so nice today.
Chisum: You, too Bob. I think I love you.
Tatum: Will you marry me, Warren?
Chisum: I do.

The House adjourned to arrange a special committment ceremony between the two legislators. They are registered for gifts at International Male. (Sources say, Bob needs a new leather thong)

The Texas Legislature will most likely cut funding to about 680 libraries this session. Librarians rallied on the steps of the Capitol a couple of weeks ago, but you probably didn't see it or read about it. I had a hard time finding any coverage. Texas currently ranks 46th in the nation on library funding.

What we do rank high on is prison population. Depending on where you read it (and you should ask Grits For Breakfast for the actual fact), Texas prisons are between 95 and 99 percent capacity.

So, instead of having these big old buildings all over the place filled with books and periodicals, converting them to prisons is an obvious answer. These spaces could relieve the pressure on the Texas Prison System with minimal effort and expense to the state.

In addition, the long term and recurring cost savings of cutting public libraries completely from the state budget would offset initial conversion costs of these facilities and realize a cost savings within a few short years

Damn, we are so smart. It's not even 9 a.m. and we've solved two state problems. Who gives a shit about books anyway? We like putting people in the pokey. We're kinda confident we'll see a lot of the folks we are used to seeeing in the Pink Dome today we'll be seeing behind bars pretty soon.

There are 25 bills on the calendar for the House Elections Committee this Wednesday. Many of them address the voter identification, attempts to disenfranchise voters, violate the Voting Rights Act, and so on and so forth...

I'm just a bill.
Yes, I'm only a bill.
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it's a long, long journey
To the capital city.
It's a long, long wait
While I'm sitting in committee,
But I know I'll be a law some day
At least I hope and pray that I will
But today I am still just a bill.
That's right, don't bother looking HB 1348 supported by over 90 Reps isn't on the calendar. Say what you will about Mary Denny (and we've got plenty to say) but she doesn't bow to public opinion, legislator support, media pressure, or what is good for Texas voters.

Happy Monday folks, it's gonna be a great week.

We understand that Phil King has instructed the State Affairs committee that he is ready to have his heineously mean parental consent bill voted out of committee this week. We've seen a committee substitute that he's come up with since the marathon hearing on 4/13-14 and it leaves those abused kids SOL. Orphans, likewise. So call your rep, if he or she is on the committee (you know who you are, District 134 constituents) and tell them to reject HB 1212.

Oh yes, and call your friends who are judges and tell them to get ready to be forced to decide whether "the abortion would be in the best interest of the minor" with the Republican party looking over their shoulder when the first Open Records Act request is filed to find out how well they toted the party line.

This legislative session ought to be renamed the Passion of the Idealogues. We haven't seen anything this graphic since the Jews killed Jesus in Mel's movie last year.

Talton's amendment to the CPS bill to ban homosexual and bisexual singles or couples from being foster parents sparked an uproar. Texas would be the only state to do so, and it would surely be yet another item the courts would have to later fix at a great cost to the state.

But, as we discuss this let's not forget the children. Those that right now are in a loving family environment that could be ripped from that environment and placed in a group home.

Let's put a couple of faces on this gay adoptive parents and see if you can spot the evil lurking in these photographs.

Funny, all I see is selfless people giving love and a home to children that don't otherwise have that in their life.

Gee, Talton that really does seem to hurt the children of Texas doesn't it?