Local Politics – Page 8 – The Other Side Dallas

December 14, 2020December 13, 2020

Texas HB196 A Focus For Texas Legislature

A source in Austin reports State Representative Terry Meza‘s Texas HB196 will be a focus for the Texas legislature in the upcoming session starting in January 2021. One Republican said it was “better than Christmas.”

Meza sparked a backlash when she proposed changes to the state’s “castle doctrine,” through Texas HB196, which allows the use of deadly force to protect property.

Facebook has numerous posts attributed to Meza regarding HB196. Calls and emails to her office were not returned so these statements have not been validated.

Privately Republicans are rejoicing saying Democrats have stepped in the muck again.

The point to rising crime numbers throughout Dallas and other cities including officers being attacked and the Democrats filing a bill to stop citizens and home owners from protecting their own property.

One legislative staffer said Denton County had to arrest Dallas’ serial killer because their police chief is in a relationship with a BLM activist with a felony record. Instead of protecting the public, they are filing HB196 which looks to protect criminals.

Some Democrats complain too continuing a pattern of infighting since Election Day when Democrats failed in their expectations to be leading the state house in 2021.

We just lost every winnable seat possible and we have state reps thinking HB196 will bring the suburbs back to voting for us. Democrats continue to say ‘we did it‘ while losing winnable races.

Meza’s bill filing comes just as a local Democrat and criminal judge was arrested for DWI.

Texas HB196

The specific text of Terry Meza’s bill can be found here and is included below.

87R1395 JCG-D

	By: Meza	H.B. No. 196



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the use of deadly force in defense of a person or
	property.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Sections 9.32(a) and (c), Penal Code, are
	amended to read as follows:
	(a) A person is justified in using deadly force against
	another if the actor:
	(1) is [~~if the actor would be~~] justified in using force
	against the other under Section 9.31; [~~and~~]
	(2) is unable to safely retreat; and
	(3) [~~when and to the degree the actor~~] reasonably
	believes the deadly force is immediately necessary:
	(A) to protect the actor against the other’s use
	or attempted use of unlawful deadly force; or
	(B) to prevent the other’s imminent commission of
	aggravated kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, or aggravated
	sexual assault[~~, robbery, or aggravated robbery~~].
	(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(2), a [A] person who is
	in the person’s own habitation [~~has a right to be present at the~~
	~~location where the deadly force is used~~], who has not provoked the
	person against whom the deadly force is used, and who is not engaged
	in criminal activity at the time the deadly force is used is not
	required to retreat before using deadly force as described by this
	section.
	SECTION 2. Section 9.41, Penal Code, is amended to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 9.41. PROTECTION OF ONE’S OWN PROPERTY. (a) A person
	in lawful possession of land, including a habitation on the land, or
	tangible, movable property is justified in using force against
	another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the
	force is immediately necessary to prevent or terminate the other’s
	trespass on the land or unlawful interference with the property.
	(b) A person unlawfully dispossessed of land, including a
	habitation on the land, or tangible, movable property by another is
	justified in using force against the other when and to the degree
	the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to
	reenter the land or recover the property if the actor uses the force
	immediately or in fresh pursuit after the dispossession and:
	(1) the actor reasonably believes the other had no
	claim of right when he dispossessed the actor; or
	(2) the other accomplished the dispossession by using
	force, threat, or fraud against the actor.
	SECTION 3. Section 9.42, Penal Code, is amended to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 9.42. DEADLY FORCE TO PROTECT PROPERTY. A person is
	justified in using deadly force against another to protect land,
	including a habitation on the land, or tangible, movable property
	if the actor:
	(1) is [~~if he would be~~] justified in using force
	against the other under Section 9.41; [~~and~~]
	(2) [~~when and to the degree he~~] reasonably believes
	the deadly force is immediately necessary:
	(A) to prevent the other’s imminent commission of
	arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the
	nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime; or
	(B) to prevent the other who is fleeing
	immediately after committing burglary, robbery, aggravated
	robbery, or theft during the nighttime from escaping with the
	property; and
	(3) [he] reasonably believes that:
	(A) the land or property cannot be protected or
	recovered by any other means; or
	(B) the use of force other than deadly force to
	protect or recover the land or property would expose the actor or
	another to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.
	SECTION 4. Sections 9.32(b) and (d), Penal Code, are
	repealed.
	SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies only
	to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
	An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
	governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
	and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
	purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
	effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
	before that date.
	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.

December 9, 2020December 8, 2020

Risqué Reneé Hall

Risqué Reneé Hall may be the new moniker for outgoing Dallas Police Chief Reneé Hall.

Hall who is about to leave as the embattled police chief of Dallas may have more to answer for than just her lack of leadership and supervision during the Dallas George Floyd protests and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge debacle. Internal reports at the time showed Hall lied about the events around the bridge event.

Those may be minor issues in comparison.

A year and a half ago there were media rumors about her relationship with Dominique Alexander and the conflict of interest it posed in the Dominique Alexander case. She has often publicly put him out front in an advisory role for the Citizens Police Oversight Board.

Additionally, he brags regularly about his close ties to her. It appears those ties are closer than previously known as two current Dallas Police officers noted Hall and Alexander have been intimate and that the relationship has clouded her judgement.

Alexander has multiple arrests to his credit outside his activism. A year ago when he and Hall are reported to have been involved, Alexander was being arrested on a felony assault charge in a domestic violence case involving his girlfriend.

Alexander faced charges of assault causing serious bodily injury and a misdemeanor assault in the cases.

Alexander was convicted of shaking a 2-year-old baby in 2011. He was sentenced to five years but released on probation shortly after his sentencing. Alexander has also been convicted of theft, making a false police report and evading arrest. He’s also been indicted in Denton County for felony theft.

This is one of the people the police chief chooses to spend time with in both official and unofficial capacities.

Risqué Reneé Hall Continued…?

The behavior in this case calls into question why TC Broadnax is following the same plan as last time.

In the previous search for a new police chief, TC Broadnax used a secret panel to determine who would be selected as Dallas’ new police chief. He is doing the same again – calling into question is he incorporating the assistance of Dominique Alexander or other convicted felons into the process.

Neither Broadnax, nor Jon Fortune, Assistant City Manager for Public Safety, returned emails seeking comment about the police chief’s judgement or these allegations coming from inside the department.

It is clear there is no leadership coming from their offices or Risqué Reneé Hall on the crime rate which is exploding in Dallas where parents are shot on their way to pick up a child from childcare or members of cult groups are allowed to graffiti hate symbols on city parking garages.

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020

Did “We Did It”?

“We Did It” was the message of the Dallas County Democratic Party, but local election results are not as clear. The Dallas party seems to be claiming wins that do not exist.

The winning message came out just hours after US House Candidate Candace Valenzuela conceded defeat in her run for Congress (TX24) and local results were not much better.

As noted last week, it took hours for the circular firing squad to begin as to why Joanna Cattanach and Brandy Chambers won their guaranteed races. Additionally, while Texas Democrats said they would be putting Texas in play for Joe Biden, one of their designates for the Electoral College is former tax fraud felon Terri Hodge.

“We Did It” In TX24 Doesn’t Get Across Finish Line

After days of tallying votes across three counties, Democrat Candace Valenzuela has conceded the race for Texas’ 24th Congressional District.

In a concession speech posted on YouTube, Valenzuela said she is ending her campaign “after a thorough count of the votes.” She thanked supporters for helping to build momentum around her campaign, which came close to flipping this historically red district.

“Most importantly, we have forced the gatekeepers of the political process to reimagine who belongs at the table,” Valenzuela said.

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020

Dallas Democrat Insiders Start Circular Firing Squad

Democrat insiders response to Dallas County election 2020 results were fast and the response was painful.

As noted in July there were several obstacles to flipping Texas blue, but the biggest obstacle per some Dallas County Democrats is party leasdership.

Local Congressional Democrats won their races easily, including first term Rep. Colin Allred who is facing an ethics inquiry and Rep. Marc Veasey who withstood an independent challenge from his left by Carlos Quintanilla, but state house races expected to flip the state house blue never materialized.

Hope MJ Hegar would help flip Texas blue also ended quickly election night, but many point to state senator Royce West’s unwillingness to publicly support his runoff opponent until too late in the process.

Democrat Insiders Blame Candidates and Carol Donovan

Carol Donovan was the focus of one East Dallas Precinct Chair’s ire.

“Donovan continues to promote certain candidates which have been tried and tested and failed,” said the precinct chair.

“She does not know how to get our of her own way and get a serious ground game organized” the precinct chair continued.

These references were not obligque though. Both this precinct chair and another in Dallas called out the party focus on Joanna Cattanach and Brandy Chambers as examples of where the party had gone wrong.

The two candidates have combined for five races with zero victories outside the primary cycle.

Per Dallas County Elections, Cattanach has lost the 2020 race to Morgan Meyer her three time opponent. She underperformed Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 race locally and the margin of loss grew again in 2020 when Democratic turnout was higher than ever.

As recently as a month ago, one precinct leader noted that Cattanach had returned campaign contributions to a Democratic fundraiser because he had worked for a primary opponent previously despite being in a race which would be close.

In Garland, Brandy Chambers second race has narrowed to what will be a 200 vote loss to Angie Chen Button out of nearly 69,000 votes cast.

Chambers meanwhile was described as a “lazy, day drinker” by a former field staffer. Her campaign team was seeking a primary opponent against her prior to the December 2019 primary filing deadline per another source.

November 3, 2020November 3, 2020

Election Day Polls Are Open

Election Day polls are open across Dallas County.

Races up this election include President/Vice President, US Senator, US Representative, Railroad Commissioner, Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, Justices to the Court of Appeals, State Representative, District Judge, Criminal District Judge, Sheriff, County Tax Assessor-Collector, County Commissioner, and the Dallas ISD Bond Package.

Election Day Polls Information

If you are looking for voting center locations, it can be found at this link or this list via the Dallas County Elections website.

October 29, 2020October 29, 2020

Nazis Paint Swastika In Dallas

Local Neo-nazis painted a swastika in Dallas late last week at the top of a city owned parking garage earning the attention of the Dallas FBI Field Office, Dallas Police, and Mayor’s office.

Joey Zapata, an assistant city manager, emailed Mayor Eric Johnson and members of City Council on Monday after the crime was initially reported to DPD by citizens who saw it from the Reunion Tower observation deck. Local and federal law enforcement are investigating the vandalism which will cost $4,000 to remove in addition to more funds to secure the unused parking garage.

City Council woman Cara Mendelsohn wrote in a statement Wednesday night the act wasn’t “just graffiti, it’s a disgusting display of hate and intimidation.” Ms. Mendelsohn is one of two Jewish members on City Council.

“It breaks my heart to see it in Dallas, where we welcome people of all races and religions.”

Swastika In Dallas Just Latest

Earlier this year a Boogaloo Boy Philip Archibald was charged by the US Attorney’s office with illegal steroid sales after threatening to hunt antifa in Dallas.

Additionally, Tennell Atkins appointee to the Permit and License Appeal Board made remarks on social media suggesting moving from rubber bullets to real ones when responding to antifa among other pro violence comments.

October 13, 2020October 13, 2020

Biden Supported By Electoral College Tax Fraud Convict

Electoral College member designate Terri Hodge

Joe Biden is supported by an Electoral College nominee – Terri Hodge – previously convicted of felony tax fraud after being caught in a bribery scandal. This news comes on the first day of early voting in Texas. She is listed as a representative of the Democratic Party per Texas Secretary of State records.

Texas-Presidental-Elector-Candidates Download

On the same day Dr. Jill Biden comes to Dallas we learned that Terri Hodge, the former state representative for HD100, is an Electoral College member designate for the Texas Democrats.

In July we noted both the momentum for Democrats – and the challenges – across the board in Texas to flip Texas blue. This incident along with the recent ethics issues surrounding Congressman Colin Allred and the public spat between MJ Hegar and Senator Royce West seem to be spoiling potential victories.

Problems For Terri Hodge In Texas Electoral College

Terri Hodge pleaded guilty to fraud and false statements on a tax return in February 2010 and was sentenced to a year in prison. Hodge was to go on trial March of that year on charges outlined in a 31-count indictment charging 14 public officials and their associates with various offenses related to a bribery and extortion scheme involving affordable housing developments in Dallas, but her plea agreement avoided trial.

As a condition of her plea with the government, Hodge, who was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, District 100, in 1996, and had been re-elected until her conviction, has agreed to resign her office and never seek or hold future public office.

It is not clear if Ms. Hodge has had her voting rights restored for elections, but she has worked as a community outreach and constituent services representative for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.

October 10, 2020October 10, 2020

Pocketbook Over Party?

Is pocketbook over party the campaign theme of Senate primary run off loser Royce West? West has also been exposed as being business partners with a major Trump donor. Readers will also remember John Cornyn appeared to be actively campaigning for Royce West back in the summer.

Given this context it is easy to understand why West was recently quoted saying he will not vote for MJ Hegar.

“MJ Hegar has my cell phone number. She has not called to ask for my support.”

During the primary runoff both candidates had pledged to support the Democratic nominee. This is the type of Democratic infighting that has some concerned that down ballot races will feel the hang over effects of a party that is not united going into the final weeks of the election. It appears West is simply voting his personal business interests – pocketbook over party.

Pocketbook Over Party Or Squadron Wingman

West’s actions have created a response as one group put together a video supporting MJ Hegar and asking why he is not on board with the Democratic nominee.

Their video includes a link to an ActBlue fundraiser.

September 28, 2020September 28, 2020

Colin Allred Facing Ethics Investigation?

Is Colin Allred facing a House Ethics Committee investigation? Two sources say the answer to that quesiton is yes and that a complaint has been filed related to workplace behavior and harassment by the freshman Member of Congress.

There has been no response to requests for comment at either his Congressional or campaign office, but one person says this is typical of Allred who says one thing and does another. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also declined to respond or deny the allegations.

Another national campaign staffer says his office environment is “hard to work in” because of how he acts. They continue, “It’s why so many people move from his campaign to others quickly. He thinks he is still the high school jock who can skip the classwork.”

Colin Allred

Colin Allred is an alumni of Hillcrest High School. He is currently serving as the U.S. Representative from Texas’s 32nd congressional district. He defeated Rep. Pete Sessions in 2018. He has also worked as a lawyer and former professional football player.