Texas Sodomy Law Repeal Bill Passes 5-0 Out of Senate Committee

[Tx4obama]

Texas Sodomy Law Repeal Bill Passes 5-0 Out of Senate Committee

SB 538, a bill to repeal Texas's unconstitutional "homosexual conduct" aka sodomy law passed out of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee this afternoon on a 5-0 vote. Senator José Rodríguez of El Paso is carrying the bill.

SB 538 would repeal §21.06 of the Penal Code, the Homosexual Conduct Law, which was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas decision. The bill would also amend the Health and Safety Code to delete the statement that "homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle and is a criminal offense under §21.06, Penal Code."

SB 538 is the first legislation ever filed in the Texas Senate to repeal the unenforceable §21.06 of the Penal Code. Identical legislation has been filed in the Texas House this session (HB 1701 by Farrar & HB 3232 by Coleman) and in every session since the Lawrence v. Texas decision. Today's action is the first time the repeal legislation has ever been advanced by a Texas legislative committee subsequent to Lawrence v. Texas.

-snip-

http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/13386/texas-sodomy-law-repeal-bill-passes-50-out-of-senate-committee

[arcane1]

1. Conservative idiots: you're losing TEXAS!!

Sure, it's 10 years late, but Haha!