Tag: texas law

Subreddit Requires Calling Abbott ‘Little Piss Baby’ in Protest

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton
An image of Greg Abbott's head on a cartoon baby surrounded by red cut outs of Texas.

A gift to the subreddit r/PoliticalHumor. Love, Gizmodo.
Illustration: Jody Serrano / Gizmodo

understanding the wacky laws that get passed in Texas—my home state—to “rein in” Big Tech can get confusing. Is it free speech to tell a private company what its users are and are not allowed to post? Or is that censorship? One of the Texas’ most recent laws targets social media companies and bans them from moderating, or, as the state says, “censoring,” users’ posts based on their political views. I’ll explain, and I’ll ask you to remember one phrase: “Greg Abbott is a little piss baby.” It’s the key to understanding it all.

Over the weekendnd, the moderators over at r/PoliticalHumor, a dedicated subreddit to discuss the absurdity of US politics, decided to educate members about the “bullshit” law by blatantly breaking it. To accomplish this, the subreddit declared that until further notice, all comments or posts published to the community would have to include the phrase, “Greg Abbott [the Texas governor] is a little piss baby.” Anyone that did not abide by the condition would be banned from the subreddit.

“To be clear, the mod team is of sound mind and body, and we are explicitly censoring the viewpoint that Greg Abbott isn’t a little piss baby,” wrote moderator u/BlatantConservative in a post on Saturday. “Anyone denying the fact that Abbott is a little piss baby will be banned from the subreddit.”

In their post, u/BlatantConservative explained that the Texas law forces social media companies to host content they don’t want to host and requires moderators to not to censor any specific point of view, which is a pretty good way to explain it. More specifically, the law, passed in 2021, obligates private social media companies to keep content up

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Is California’s new gun law, modeled after the Texas abortion law, constitutional?

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton
SANTA MONICA, CA - JULY 22, 2022 - - California Governor Gavin Newsom holds up Senate Bill 1327, for gun legislation modeled after Texas abortion ban, after signing it into law by at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica on July 22, 2022. State Senators Bob Hertzberg, right, and Anthony Portantino, second from right, authors of the bill, applaud. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, third from left, the president of Santa Monica College, the major of Santa Monica and survivors of gun violence were in attendance. The new gun law, set to go into effect in January, will allow private people to sue anyone who imports, distributes, manufactures or sells illegal firearms in California. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Gov. Gavin Newsom holds up a copy of Senate Bill 1327 after signing it into law at Santa Monica College on Friday. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

The debate over California’s controversial new gun law, signed Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, seems to confuse two important questions: How can the law be challenged in court and, once challenged, is it constitutional?

the law, Senate Bill 1327, authored by Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), authorizes private citizens to file civil suits against gun makers and sellers in three circumstances. First, it focuses on “ghost guns,” firearms lacking serial numbers required by law, and allows a suit for $10,000 per weapon for anyone who manufactures, distributes, imports, transports or sells such weapons. Second, it is concerned with parts that can be used to build firearms, called “firearm precursor parts,” that are not allowed by the federal government and it creates civil liability for those who sell or purchase them. Third, it allows a suit for $10,000 each time a licensed firearms dealer sells or provides a firearm to any person under 21 years of age.

SB 1327 was explicitly modeled after a Texas statute, known as SB 8, which bans abortions at around six weeks of pregnancy and allows private citizens to sue anyone who aids and abets an abortion for $10,000 in damages. The goal of the Texas law is to limit the ability to challenge its constitutionality because it is not enforced by government officials, such as the state attorney general or district attorneys. In December, the Supreme Court in Whole Woman’s Health vs. Jacksonby 5-4, held that state officials can be sued in federal court over the constitutionality of a law only if they play a role in enforcing the law.

But that does not mean that such

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California gun control law lets citizens sue over weapons, parts

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California punched back Friday against two recent landmark US Supreme Court decisions as Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he will sign a controversial, first-in-the-nation gun control law patterned after a Texas anti-abortion law.

His action comes one month after conservative justices overturned women’s constitutional right to abortions and undermined gun control laws in states including California.

Newsom stitched the two hot-button topics together in approving a law allowing people to sue anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers or .50 caliber rifles. They would be awarded at least $10,000 in civil damages for each weapon, plus attorneys fees.

“While the Supreme Court rolls back reasonable gun safety measures, California continues adding new ways to protect the lives of our kids,” Newsom said in a statement released before he signed the bill. “California will use every tool at its disposal to save lives, especially in the face of an increasing extreme Supreme Court.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Feb. 18, 2022, in Del Mar, Calif. Newsom announced Friday, July 22, he will sign a controversial, first-in-the-nation gun control law patterned after a Texas anti-abortion law.

Lawmakers patterned the bill, at Newsom’s request, after a Texas law allowing citizens to sue anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion. The US Supreme Court gave preliminary approval to the Texas law, but California’s law will automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is eventually ruled unconstitutional.

“It’s a crappy decision, but the reality is that as long as it is the law let’s make benefit of it by virtue of saving lives, trying to save lives, in California,” the bill’s author, Democratic state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, said in an interview. “It’s all about these two big issues that are facing us. And you can’t have a double standard. You can’t have one standard for guns and another standard for women’s reproductive health. It’s not right.”

Previously:The Supreme Court just

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New California gun control law signed

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California punched back Friday against two recent landmark US Supreme Court decisions as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a contentious, first-in-the-nation gun control law patterned after a Texas anti-abortion law and urged other states to follow suit.

Newsom stitched the two hot-button topics together in approving a law allowing people to sue anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers or .50-caliber rifles.

“We’re sick and tired of being on the defense in this movement,” he said.

“It’s time to put them on the defense. You cannot sell, you cannot manufacture, you cannot transfer these illegal weapons of war and mass destruction in the state of California. And if you do, there are 40 million people that can collect $10,000 from you, and attorney fees, for engaging in that illegal activity.”

Lawmakers patterned the bill, at Newsom’s request, after a Texas law allowing citizens to sue anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion. The Supreme Court gave preliminary approval to the Texas law, but California’s law will automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is ever ruled unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court’s support for the Texas law was “a terrible decision,” Newsom said. However, “if they’re going to use this framework to put women’s lives at risk, we’re going to use it to save people’s lives here in the state of California.”

Newsom also placed $30,000 worth of full-page advertisements in three Texas newspapers Friday criticizing what he said is Gov. Greg Abbott’s hypocrisy on gun safety. The ads parrot a comment by Abbott about children’s right to life but substitute “gun violence” where he said “abortion.”

A combination of gun owner advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union have criticized Newsom for creating what they said

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Modeled after Texas abortion law, California enacts first-of-its-kind measure targeting ghost guns and assault weapons

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

California punched back Friday against two recent landmark US Supreme Court decisions as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a controversial, first-in-the-nation gun control law patterned after a Texas anti-abortion law.

His action comes one month after conservative justices overturned women’s constitutional right to abortions and undermined gun control laws in states including California.

Newsom stitched the two hot-button topics together in approving a law allowing people to sue anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers, or .50 caliber rifles. They would be awarded at least $10,000 in civil damages for each weapon, plus attorneys fees.

California Gov. Newsom Highlights New State Efforts To Stem Gun Violence
California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a news conference where he signed state Senate Bill 1327 into law on July 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, Calif.

David McNew / Getty Images


“While the Supreme Court rolls back reasonable gun safety measures, California continues adding new ways to protect the lives of our kids,” Newsom said in a statement released before he signed the bill. “California will use every tool at its disposal to save lives, especially in the face of an increasing extreme Supreme Court.”

Lawmakers patterned the bill, at Newsom’s request, after a Texas law allowing citizens to sue anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion. The US Supreme Court gave preliminary approval to the Texas law, but California’s law will automatically be invalidated if the Texas law is eventually ruled unconstitutional.

Newsom ran $30.00 worth of full-page advertisements in three Texas newspapers Friday criticizing what he said is Gov. Greg Abbott’s hypocrisy on gun safety. The ads parrot a comment by Abbott but substitute gun violence where he mentions abortion.

“Governor Newsom should focus on all the jobs and businesses that are leaving California and coming to Texas,” Abbott spokeswoman Renae

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