AUSTIN — Texas Republicans successfully amended a rural broadband bill last week to add a provision that prioritizes the awarding of contracts to internet service providers that “maintain a program to, by default, block access to pornographic or other obscene materials.”
This Lone State version of a “porn filter” bill was introduced by State Rep. Jeff Cason, whose official legislature bio leads with a description of the politician as “a Bible-believing Christian” and informs constituents of his wife’s “Christ-like servant’s heart.”
The bill, HB 5, was — until last week — an uncontroversial infrastructure measure introduced in February and titled, “Relating to the expansion of broadband services to certain areas.”
Last Thursday, however, Cason took to the House floor to force a vote on an amendment stating that the process to award broadband contracts should “prioritize an applicant that the broadband provided by the applicant will maintain a program to, by default, block access to pornographic or other obscene materials.”
Although Democratic Rep. Celia Israel objected the amendment was "not germane,” Cason’s “porn filter” addition was put to a vote and was passed 87-56 with two abstentions.
Cason justified the insertion by claiming that “pornography currently stands as an enabler to both human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of mostly women throughout our state. For customers to have access to this material, provided by taxpayer-funded broadband service, they should be required to opt-in, not opt-out, of such access.”
Porn Filters and 'Culture Wars'
Right-leaning Texas legislature site Texas Scorecard immediately praised Cason’s introduction of a War on Porn issue into an unrelated bill by painting it exclusively in partisan terms.
“What was a little surprising is that the Democrat [sic] Party publicly identified themselves, in Texas at least, as the party for unfiltered porn access,” wrote Texas Scorecard’s Luke Macias. “This is disturbing, to say the least, but it does seem somewhat consistent since they are quickly becoming a party that actively advocates to sexually transition minors to the opposite of their birth sex."
Macias also claimed, without providing any evidence, that “the internet industry does not want consumers to know that they have the ability — and are even willing to mislead lawmakers as to their ability — to filter pornography.”
The bill was passed unanimously on Friday, with both Democrat and Republicans voting for it.
Main Image: State Rep. Jeff Cason (R)
