Big Bucks, part II

The $3 million man: Houston attorney among top 5 contributors to Obama campaign

Though President Obama is not expected to carry Texas, he has a strong donorbase in the Lone Star state.
Knowledge Creates Power
Steve Mostyn and his wife, Amber Anderson Mostyn, are among the nation's topcontributors to President Obama's re-election campaign and Democratic causes.
Photo by Gary Fountain
John Eddie Williams, pictured here with wife Sheridan, has given money tocandidates of both parties. He gave $450,000 to President Obama's super PAC and$75,000 to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's failed Senate bid.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

While Texas isn't a battleground state, Republicans aren't the only ones contributing big bucks to their presidential favorite.

Houston attorney Steve Mostyn, 41, has given millions to Priorities USA, the super political action committee that's helping fund the campaign of President Obama. The Associated Press ranks Mostyn, the head of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, as the fifth biggest contributor to the Obama campaign through September of this year, with $2.003 million.

Mostyn told NBC News he donated an additional $1 million to Priorities USA Action last week after watching the second presidential debate. "I need to see some fight," he said.

Mostyn told NBC News he donated an additional $1 million to Priorities USA Action last week after watching the second presidential debate. "I need to see some fight," he said of the president's performance, adding he hoped that the money would go for ads hammering Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney over his Bain Capital past.

Mostyn did not immediately return a call to CultureMap for comment as to whether he planned to donate more to the Obama campaign after watching Monday night's third debate.

Mostyn, a personal injury lawyer who negotiated settlements for property owners affected by Hurricane Ike in claims against the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, was a major contributor to former Houston Mayor Bill White's 2010 gubernatorial campaign. White was defeated by Gov. Rick Perry.

According to OpenSecrets.org, Moystn's wife, Amber Anderson Mostyn, donated $1 million this year to House Majority PAC, which is seeking a Democratic Party majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and $200,000 to Planned Parenthood Votes, a PAC that supports pro-choice candidates.

Also on the OpenSecrets list of top donors to outside spending groups is Houston attorney John Eddie Williams, who donated $450,000 to Priorities USA, $100,000 to House Majority PAC, $200,000 to Majority PAC, a super PAC aiming to keep the U.S. Senate under Democratic Party control, and $10,000 to End the Gridlock.

Williams also reached across the political divide and donated $75,000 to the Texas Conservative Fund, the PAC that supported Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a Republican, in his failed bid for the U.S. Senate.

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See which Houstonians donated the most to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana

Big Bucks, part II

The $3 million man: Houston attorney among top 5 contributors to Obama campaign

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

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