Tx Legislature Considers Bill That Makes Sense - Amazing!

The Republican-dominated Texas legislature has been making a name for itself by proposing ridiculous bills that violate rights (anti-immigrant bills), restrict voting (Voter ID), hurt education (slashing funds that'll lay-off 100,000 teachers), cut corrections funding (putting even more criminals back on the streets), and eviscerating social service funding (making life harder for the poor, elderly and children). It has been one of the meanest-spirited legislatures in my memory.

So you can imagine my surprise when I learned that this legislature is actually considering passing a couple of laws that make a lot of sense. Even more amazing is the fact that the bills have widespread support on both sides of the aisle. They have 20 sponsors in the House -- from fringe right-wing Republican Leo Berman to left-wing progressive Democrat Lon Burnam.

If you've flown recently then you probably know that airport security is getting out of hand and engaging in ludicrous searches. After 9/11, it made sense for airports to increase their security. Measures like x-raying all carry-on baggage, checking tickets with IDs, using metal detectors, and even checking shoes all made sense to most fliers and even though it caused delays, most people didn't really complain.

But the TSA has gone much further now by installing machines that can see through clothing and doing very invasive pat-downs that include the chest and genital area -- even for little children. The machines were installed without regard to health concerns (especially for frequent fliers), and without justifying the need for the dual privacy-invading procedures.

The Texas legislature has decided that these new security measures go well beyond what is needed to insure passenger safety (and I agree). The bill they are considering will outlaw the installation of the new "see-through" full body scanners in Texas airports. A second bill will also ban the invasive pat-downs -- actually making them a form of sexual assault in Texas law.

The bills' supporters believe that both laws will pass constitutional muster, since the legislature has the authority to regulate airports in Texas. I hope they are right -- and I also hope this movement will quickly be picked up and passed by other states. The new invasive procedures are not needed. There are good rules already in effect, and if a passenger gives probable cause by his/her actions, they can already be singled out for a thorough search. There is absolutely no need to subject all passengers to this kind of invasion of privacy.

As State Rep. David Simpson says, "We're terrorizing innocent travelers to save us from terrorism. We've lost the battle if we continue to do that. The terrorists have won." I don't often agree with a Republican, but Rep. Simpson is right.