Horns Up: After a great deal of controversy and debate, the San Antonio City Council voted 8-3 to include the LGBT community in its list of classes protected from discrimination. Although Austin, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth all have similar protections on the books, the updated ordinance in San Antonio became a hotly contested issue in recent weeks. City Councilwoman Elisa Chan came under fire after being caught on tape calling homosexuality “disgusting,” and opponents of the ordinance mounted a campaign suggesting that it would be used to erode religious liberty in the city. Religious liberty does not grant anyone license to persecute others for their identity, and we applaud San Antonio for extending protection to its gay and transgender citizens.
Horns Down: Dear [email protected], words cannot express how much we resent you for informing us, with the smart-alecky “Ooops!” of one who knows they are a safe distance away from a punch in the face, that we are “out of bandwidth.” We’ve been here for, like, a week, and it’s way too soon to have to pay five dollars like some sort of internet-junkie Oliver Twist just to research the rest of this Horns Up, Horns Down.
Horns Up: Nine years of service as the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court is more than enough. But even so, we’re sad to see Wallace Jefferson go. Jefferson, who currently holds the position, announced this week that he will resign at the end of the month. During his time as Supreme Court Justice, Jefferson, the first African-American to hold the office, promoted initiatives for transparency in the courts and pushed reforms to the juvenile justice system. Chief Justice Jefferson smartly considered the practical policy decisions of his legal choices and consequently helped foster a culture in the court that considered the needs of all Texans. He will be missed.
Horns Down: The 2013 grape harvest in Texas has proven to be one of the worst in recorded history. Texas Monthly reported that due to a string of record-breaking spring freezes in March and April vines are under-producing or dying at such a level that the summer harvest has been reduced practically to nothing. It’s bad news for Texas wine aficionados, but even worse news for the growers and their employees. One can only hope for better luck next year.
