Seth Meyers: Guest Beto O'Rourke Explains the Issues with Texas' Abortion Bounty Law

[Rhiannon12866]

Beto O’Rourke breaks down the issues with Greg Abbott’s abortion ban in Texas and predicts what he thinks might come next.




Beto O’Rourke Calls Greg Abbott Out for Punishing Transgender Children and Their Families

Beto O’Rourke discusses Texas punishing parents who provide their children with gender-affirming care and shares what he thinks of Matthew McConaughey considering a run for governor of Texas.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. LOCAL NEWS Beto O'Rourke cooks on Mother's Day for North Texas family with transgender child

Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton want this family to be investigated and possibly prosecuted for taking care of the family's trans child. Beto has a different idea

Link to tweet

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/beto-orourke-mothers-day-north-texas-family-transgender-child/287-1aeaa128-644d-44df-ae4d-5f05c0fb5136

The Democratic candidate for Texas governor showed up at the home with hands full of groceries to make burgers with broccoli and potatoes.

O'Rourke told WFAA he wanted to visit with the family to discuss a topic they are passionate about: trans rights.

"We're not really used to politicians being nice to us," said Amber Briggle.

The Briggles have been fighting for years for their transgender child. WFAA spoke with the family earlier in the year when Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents of transgender children.

Abbott says gender-transitioning procedures or gender-affirming care could constitute "child abuse."

"Because the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is responsible for protecting children from abuse, I hereby direct your agency to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the State of Texas," read the governor's letter. "To protect Texas children from abuse, DFPS and all other state agencies must follow the law as explained in OAG Opinion No. KP-0401."

More than a month after the announcement, Amber Briggle told WFAA they were being actively investigated by CPS.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. "Prosecute" them for what?? Kudos to Beto for supporting this struggling family! Thanks!

[IngridsLittleAngel]

3. Prosecute them for existing...

These people want blood.

Fascists gotta fascist.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Yup, that's about it...

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. According to a bogus "legal" opinion from Paxton, gender affirming care is child abuse

Texas District Attorneys are stepping up to oppose Greg's asshole stunts. Tx AG Paxton issued a bogus legal opinion to the effect that gender affirming treatment for trans youth is child abuse. Greg has ordered state agencies to investigate parents providing gender affirming treatment to trans children and has ordered district attorneys to prosecute such parents for child abuse. This is a stunt to appeal to TFG/ MAGA homophobes.

I am proud that Texas district attorneys are rejecting Paxton's and Greg's stunt

Link to tweet

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/texas-district-attorneys-condemn-abbotts-investigation-into-trans-children/2899361/?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DFWBrand

District attorneys representing five major Texas counties released a unified statement Thursday condemning Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) letter directing state agencies to investigate whether gender-affirming treatment in trans kids is considered child abuse.

The letter, which was also sent to the Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Medical Board, among others, comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) tweeted an opinion that surgical procedures and hormone therapy are forms of child abuse and are therefore illegal under existing Texas law, specifically Texas Family Code 261.001 (1)(a)-(d), and therefore should be investigated by the state Department of Family Protective Services.

The statement, signed by Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, along with the district attorneys of Travis, Bexar, Nueces and Fort Bend counties, called the words of Abbott and Paxton politically motivated, both are currently seeking re-election in a primary election on March 1, and lacking in medical judgment.

“We are deeply disturbed by Gov. Abbott and Attorney General Paxton’s cruel directives treating transgender children’s access to life-saving, gender-affirming care as ‘child abuse’” the statement read in part. “This part of a continued onslaught on personal freedoms. Elected officials should be protecting our most vulnerable. These two, instead, want to irrationally target and restrain children seeking medical assistance - and force caregivers to participate. This is un-American.”

Link to tweet

Again, I am so proud of these District Attorneys