The federal government has threatened to ground all commercial flights in and out of Texas over a state bill prohibiting unreasonable searched of at airports. Now the measure
appears to be dead in the Texas Senate:
State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, blamed Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for caving in to federal officials by turning senators away from his bill. It’s very rare for a Republican to criticize such a powerful politician from his own party, but Patrick said he had never seen a bill derailed quite like this at the last minute.
[...]
The measure would have made it illegal for anyone conducting searches to touch private parts under or through clothing.
The House recently approved the bill. The Senate was about to pass it until the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Justice told lawmakers to back off late Tuesday night.
In a letter to lawmakers, federal officials said they would have to cancel flights in and out of Texas airports, if the measure passed, because of security concerns.
We are reminded of the quotation attributed to Benjamin Franklin:
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-JP
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