Posted on 10/15/2014 9:02:07 PM PDT by lightman
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/oagnews/release.php?id=4880
AUSTIN -- Attorney General Abbott today asked that the Houston City Attorney to immediately withdraw the subpoenas sent last month to several Houston-area pastors seeking sermons, notes and other information.
In his letter to the city attorney, Attorney General Abbott said, “Whether you intend it to be so or not, your action is a direct assault on the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment. The people of Houston and their religious leaders must be absolutely secure in the knowledge that their religious affairs are beyond the reach of the government.”
Mr. David Feldman
City Attorney
City of Houston
900 Bagby, 4th Floor
Houston, Texas 77002
Dear Mr. Feldman:
Your office has demanded that four Houston pastors hand over to the city government many of their private papers, including their sermons. Whether you intend it to be so or not, your action is a direct assault on the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment. The people of Houston and their religious leaders must be absolutely secure in the knowledge that their religious affairs are beyond the reach of the government. Nothing short of an immediate reversal by your office will provide that security. I call on you to withdraw the subpoenas without further delay.
Dear Mr. Feldman:
Your office has demanded that four Houston pastors hand over to the city government many of their private papers, including their sermons. Whether you intend it to be so or not, your action is a direct assault on the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment. The people of Houston and their religious leaders must be absolutely secure in the knowledge that their religious affairs are beyond the reach of the government. Nothing short of an immediate reversal by your office will provide that security. I call on you to withdraw the subpoenas without further delay.
I recognize that the subpoenas arise from litigation related to a petition to repeal an ordinance adopted by the city council. But the litigation discovery process is not a license for government officials to inquire into religious affairs. Nor is your office’s desire to vigorously support the ordinance any excuse for these subpoenas. No matter what public policy is at stake, government officials must exercise the utmost care when our work touches on religious matters. If we err, it must be on the side of preserving the autonomy of religious institutions and the liberty of religious believers. Your aggressive and invasive subpoenas show no regard for the very serious First Amendment considerations at stake.
A statement released by the Mayor’s Office claims that the subpoenas were prepared by outside lawyers and that neither you nor Mayor Parker was aware of them before they were issued. Nevertheless, these lawyers acted in the City’s name, and you are responsible for their actions. You should immediately instruct your lawyers to withdraw the City’s subpoenas. Religious institutions and their congregants should never have to worry that a government they disagree with will attempt to interfere in their religious affairs. Instead of safeguarding that trust, you appear to have given some of the most powerful law firms in Houston free rein to harass and intimidate pastors who oppose City policy. In good faith, I hope you merely failed to anticipate how inappropriately aggressive your lawyers would be. Many, however, believe your actions reflect the city government’s hostility to religious beliefs that do not align with city policies.
I urge you to demonstrate the City’s commitment to religious liberty and to true diversity of belief by unilaterally withdrawing these subpoenas immediately. Your stated intention to wait for further court proceedings falls woefully short of the urgent action needed to reassure the people of Houston that their government respects their freedom of religion and does not punish those who oppose city policies on religious grounds.
Sincerely,
Greg Abbott
Attorney General of Texas
Well, I guess so.
There better be hell to pay for this - enough so that every sleezy lawyer in every state capitol and DC trembles at the thought of pulling this $h!t again.
Looks like he’s opening a tall one of whoop-azz.
It’s not the first time he’s stood up to her....
http://txvalues.org/2014/01/21/texas-attorney-general-stands-up-against-lesbian-mayor/
Who is in the middle?
How the hades does the city of Houston wind up with a beeoch dyke mayor leftist tyrant of a bloat?
new apple conservative app:
Angry Dykes
I don’t know, maybe someone of a different gender?
Same as conservative WI gets state-wide blight from Milwaukee libtards, Madison libtards, Green Bay and LaCrosse libtards.
Cities are bastions of libtards because it’s where the dependent go to leach. And promising people others’ stuff gets libtards elected.
If anyone is paying attention, they will notice how leftists’ have all the sudden gone SILENT on their once held mantra of “separation of church and state” on all matters moral now that their bed buddies are in places to use the state to prohibit “church”.
Kudos to Abbott the future Governor. You can bet that abortion Barbie would be in cahoots with the perv mayor. One beeoch to another. In fact just for a little campaign fun they should ask Windy what she would have done in reaction?
That sounds right but does it really apply when it comes to the homo lobby?
Damn! Just Damn!!
Very simple actually. Houston, like every major urban area in America, has an abundance of a certain ethnic group which votes demoncrap in excess of %100
Racial composition: 2010 Hispanic or Latino 43.8% White (Non-Hispanic) 25.6% Black or African American 23.7% Asian 6.0%People who assume Texas is guaranteed to be a red state forever are being naive. You push enough people over the border and it will be a blue state in 10-20 years. Dems know that, and that's why they are so nutso on immigration.
How about if we just dismiss the illegal attorney from office via tar feather method.
It won’t take 10 years.
The mayor is apparently backing down.
The City Attorney says he never saw the subpoenas
crazy
She’s one hell of a catch!
Like a whale....
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