State Rep. Harold Dutton has betrayed his constituents, and Texas and Houston activists like Kandice Webber will not allow his bad deed to go unchallenged.
Kandice Webber intent on holding politicians accountable
Kandice Webber is not kidding. She is tired of politicians who put the interests of themselves and the few at the expense of everybody else. As State Representative Harold Dutton, out of spite, decided to harm the Texas trans-community because he was at the time unable to secure a draconian bill that put all Texas schools at risk of being taken over, she decided to do something about it.
The Texas Tribune reported his spiteful act as follows.
On Thursday night, Dutton, who is from Houston, presented his own bill to the House floor that would give Texas Education Commissioner Michael Morath the ability to take over a district that fails to meet various academic standards and remove school board members. The bill is largely in response to a current legal battle between the Texas Education Agency and Houston ISD after the agency attempted to take over the district in 2019, but was blocked from moving forward by a temporary injunction that’s been upheld by the state’s Third Court of Appeals. Dutton’s alma mater in Houston ISD, Wheatley High School, has received an F rating for multiple years.
That bill, which is largely unpopular among Democrats, was blocked from being voted on after a fellow Houston Democrat Rep. Alma Allen sank it on a procedural technicality. Dutton and Allen sparred over the bill’s intent on the House floor with Allen arguing the bill would provide the TEA with too much latitude to take over an independent school district without providing any recourse for a district.
“When the school goes down, the community goes down and the developers move in,” she said as Dutton repeatedly rejected her assessment. “That’s the long effect of this bill passing.”
After his bill was stalled, Rep. Lina Ortega, D-El Paso, who worked with Allen on the objection, said she saw Dutton walk toward her at the back of the chamber.
“He said something to the effect of, ‘Because of what you did, SB 29 is coming back up,” Ortega said.
Dutton followed through with his promise the next morning in the House Public Education committee as he brought the transgender student-athlete bill up for another vote.
Kandice her progressive pose is intent on getting Harold Dutton a strong primary opponent. Moreover, there are rumors of more consequential actions in the pipeline against this state representative’s insensitive and spiteful act.
For too long, politicians have felt immune from consequences. It is a new day. The country has been through too much. Apathy is no longer an option. Listen to the interview in its entirety.
Who is Kandice Owen?
theLEAD describes her best.
Kandice Webber’s service to the Houston community is nothing short of impressive. She has not only worked as a registered nurse for 17 years but also as leader and co-founder of various local organizations, including Black Lives Matter: Houston, Houston Rising, and the Houston March for Black Women – an alternative to the largely white feminist-dominated Women’s March.
Webber actively fights for equality for Black and brown women and communities with a specific focus on access to education. Webber is a mother of three, she is queer and proud, and she describes her life experience as one punctuated by intersectional discrimination. Her daily experience forces her to face both gender and racial discrimination from all sides.