Jason Spencer Withdraws His Controversial Bill

When I posted about Jason Spencer’s House Bill 3 this morning, I speculated that that the bill could be withdrawn if it received a bad reception. Well, it did.

Rep. Spencer said today that he will withdraw the measure, which appeared to target Muslim women wearing burqas:

After further consideration, I have decided to not pursue HB 3 in the upcoming 2017 legislative session due to the visceral reaction it has created.

While this bill does not contain language that specifically targets any group, I am mindful of the perception that it has created. My objective was to address radical elements that could pose a threat to public safety. However, further consideration dictates that other solutions will need to be considered. In conclusion, anti-masking statutes have been upheld as constitutional (State v Miller, 1990), and HB 3 would withstand legal scrutiny, but not political scrutiny.

Now, about that proposed tax on wire transfers that its author says isn’t aimed at Hispanics.

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