Dr. Klahn: Just lost drunken men who don’t know where they are and no longer care.
Prisoner #1 : Where are we?
Prisoner #2 : I don’t care!
Loo: And these?
Dr. Klahn : These are lost drunken men who don’t know where they are, but do care! And these are men who know where they are and care, but don’t drink.
State Supreme Court just granted a stay on the local restraining orders counties were using to justify putting mask mandates in place. So at least for now, those mandates are pretty dead. But the court hasn’t officially ruled. Schools mostly open tomorrow morning.
My superintendent responded by saying we don’t care, we have a mask mandate. Our mask mandate wasn’t related to this specific Temporary Restraining Order, so it’s all very murky. But I am super proud of my district. I sincerely like the superintendent. He’s been here basically since 2007, and he’s not worried about his next job. That sort of experience and stability has been a godsend.
So, like we were saying, fuck Greg Abbott.
Austin County has Sealy and Bellville as its biggest towns. It straddles I-10 and is just west of Waller County (Hempstead) and south of Washington County (Brenham).
I’m not surprised that people out there would welcome Abbott.
There is not a chance on God’s green earth that the Texas Supreme Court will oppose Abbott on mask mandates. State Supreme Court Justices are elected positions, and every single one is Republican. COVID nuttery rules the roost among the sort of Republican base voters who are going to bother to fill out their ballot all the way down to the judicial candidates.
CO-WRECKED! 
The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court on Sunday temporarily revived Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on local mask mandates, thwarting attempts by officials in Bexar and Dallas counties to implement COVID-19 restrictions as virus patients strain hospitals.
The justices granted Abbott’s request for an emergency that blocks lower court decisions allowing officials in those counties to require masks in schools or indoor spaces, affirming the governor’s July 29 executive order that removed local authority over measures to lessen the severity of the pandemic.
Sunday’s stay is temporary; the court has yet to make a final ruling in the case. The case will continue to be heard in lower courts; Bexar County has a hearing today before state District Judge Antonia “Toni” Arteaga, who issued last Tuesday’s temporary restraining order. Dallas County has a hearing Aug. 24. Harris County’s similar but separate case is still at the appellate level and is not affected by Sunday’s ruling. A sweeping decision from the Texas Supreme Court, however, could affect Harris and other jurisdictions.
School officials in San Antonio said they’ll continue encouraging students and staff to wear masks.
…
My bold.
Temporary. Ri-i-i-i-ght.
Can we ban travel out of the Republic of Texas into the United States?
I’m still trying to decipher this bit of lawyering here (from an article in today’s Dallas Morning News):
Shortly before 10 p.m., Jenkins posted on Twitter: “The Texas Supreme Court did not strike down my face mask order. Rather they removed the stay on the … [governor’s executive order]. Unless I receive a ruling requiring otherwise, I will amend my order to remove the possibility of fines on noncompliant businesses but otherwise leave the order in effect.”
The implications of Jenkins’ announcement were not immediately clear.
It almost sounds like the way the stay was written lets him remove the penalties and avoid removing the mask mandates themselves.
Fuck Greg Abbott.
I just found out in convocation that I can’t require masks in my college classroom or my office. We can only “strongly encourage”. They went on and on about not making it a judgmental environment. Hey, I teach college chemistry so I can just tell them about aerosols, masks as source control, and the fact that I just lost a parent and must visit my remaining parent regularly. So, hey, I guess if someone doesn’t want to wear a mask, I’ll just wear full-blast PPE including a shield. I won’t be able to be as energetic nor will I roam around the class or lab like I used to. I’ll just stay in front and will probably have to sit down the whole time. And I’m going to say that it doesn’t have to be that way if everyone wears a mask. Otherwise, here’s your chemistry class. Sorry. Oh, and if you come to my office and won’t wear a mask. I guess we’ll have to discuss things outside. Not going to be very productive, will it? Sorry.
Yeah, I was rather aghast when I heard (before the mask mandate) that the principal at my sons’ school was prohibited from incentivizing children to wear masks, as it might be construed as some form of bullying.
WTF? Incentivizing good behavior almost can’t be bullying. If it makes those special anti-mask snowflakes feel bad, and makes their parents angry, GOOD. Maybe they’ll think twice about moronic behaviors.
Now, now, Johnny, we musn’t litter.
You’re bullying me! Waaaaah!
Greg Abbott has tested positive for COVID. I sincerely hope he makes a full recovery, but maybe with enough of a scare that it gives him a little perspective. . .
To paraphrase Clarence Darrow: I have never wished COVID upon anyone, but I have read some positive test results with great satisfaction.
The real problem here: He’s vaxxed, so he’ll have only mild symptoms if any, proving to himself and the world that Covid-19 is not really any big deal, contrary to all you’ve read in the fake scare-mongering lamestream media. So no, he won’t even get much of scare out of it.
Again, I hope he makes a full recovery but he does have some underlying health issues. A few years ago he was hospitalized and needed skin grafts for some second and third degree burns he got on his legs.
And just a couple of hours ago the asshole tweeted out a photo of himself unmasked with Jimmie Vaughan and family, so maybe Stevie Ray will get some company soon.
He already knows it’s a big deal but he’s made the deal with the devil so he can maintain political power.
Ignorance is sad and pathetic but somewhat excusable even for people with power. Deliberately downplaying a pandemic to the detriment of millions of lives is almost textbook evil.
That said, I sincerely wish him well, if only because the alternative is Governor Dan Patrick.
Well then, wish Covid on the both of them, and AG Paxton too while we’re at it.
Seriously, these guys are vaxxed and this is all going to be a big nothingburger.
It’s weird that he’s receiving Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment.
There’s a lot of people at that event. I hope the press or someone does contact tracing to see how those people do over the next couple of weeks. I wonder how many people will have to self-isolate because of close contact with Abbott? He must meet with a lot of people on a regular basis.
My good friend’s 80-year old dad is in a nursing home with covid. He’s vaccinated but he has symptoms-- fever, chest congestion, cough. Who do ya have to know to get treated?
Never mind.