16 October 2014 A.D. Houston Mayor Annise Parker Backing Off Subpoenas of Houstunned Pastors
16 October 2014 A.D. Houston Mayor Annise Parker Backing Off
Subpoenas of Houstunned Pastors
No
author. “Houston Mayor Annise Parker has backed down
from the subpoenas the City of Houston issued to several area pastors,
Breitbart Texas has learned.” Breitbart.com. 15 Oct 2014. http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/10/15/BREAKING-Houston-Mayor-Backs-Off-From-Subpoenas-to-Pastors/. Accessed 15 Oct 2014.
Breitbart Texas reported earlier about the controversy, stemming from litigation
challenging the city's anti-discrimination ordinance and subpoenas asking the
pastors for the content of their sermons, speeches and communications with
church members. Texas Senator Ted Cruz weighed in, firmly supporting the pastors in their
efforts to fight the subpoenas, while Mayor Parker initially remained adamant that the city had the right to request
those records. Despite posting comments on Twitter just hours before that
seemed to indicate she would continue to fight this issue, she told a Houston
radio station that she had changed her mind.
As reported by KTRH Mayor Parker admitted that the subpoenas were too broad,
and that the pastors' sermons should not have been included. "It’s
not about what did you preach on last Sunday," she said. "It should
have been clarified, it will be clarified." City Attorney David Feldman
had an odd admission of his own: that he had not reviewed the subpoenas before
they were issued. "When I looked at it I felt it was overly broad, I would
not have worded it that way myself," said Feldman. "It's
unfortunate that it has been construed as some effort to infringe upon
religious liberty."
City officials
told KTRH that they would narrow the scope of the subpoenas, but it is not
clear how they will address the other concerns voiced by the pastors regarding their free speech and religious
liberty issues with the rest of the items requested by the subpoena.
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