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On Tuesday, Shelley Luther, a mother and small business owner in Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to seven days in jail and ordered to pay a $7,000 fine, For opening her hair salon in defiance of local shutdown orders.
“Feeding my kids is not selfish,” she defiantly told the judge. “I have hair stylists that are going hungry because they’d rather feed their kids. So, sir, so if you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision, but I am not going to shut the salon.”
On Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a statement calling for her immediate release. “I find it outrageous and out of touch that during this national pandemic, a judge, in a county that actually released hardened criminals for fear of contracting COVID-19, would jail a mother for operating her hair salon in an attempt to put food on her family’s table,” he said. “The trial judge did not need to lock up Shelley Luther. His order is a shameful abuse of judicial discretion, which seems like another political stunt in Dallas. He should release Ms. Luther immediately.”
A couple of things about this. First of all, Governor Abbott published the executive order that kept these business closed until May 18. He also described remedies against businesses that violated these orders in his press conference last week, specifically endorsing the option of pulling the operating license of any such business.
But jailing people for this? It increasing is coming across that some people in leadership roles are experiencing some excessive power trips around this, and that especially applies to those people who apparently are getting off on seeing people locked down. We all know who we are talking about here, right?
Jailing people for insisting on doing what they need to in order to feed their children is too much. I feel sad for anyone who does not see that. You can make the case that fining them or pulling their business license is too much, also. But this is the law in Texas and there has to be some way to enforce it. Jailing desperate people who are trying to feed their families is not it.
A couple of things about this. First of all, Governor Abbott published the executive order that kept these business closed until May 18. He also described remedies against businesses that violated these orders in his press conference last week, specifically endorsing the option of pulling the operating license of any such business.
But jailing people for this? It increasing is coming across that some people in leadership roles are experiencing some excessive power trips around this, and that especially applies to those people who apparently are getting off on seeing people locked down. We all know who we are talking about here, right?
Jailing people for insisting on doing what they need to in order to feed their children is too much. I feel sad for anyone who does not see that. You can make the case that fining them or pulling their business license is too much, also. But this is the law in Texas and there has to be some way to enforce it. Jailing desperate people who are trying to feed their families is not it.
Shelley Luther at 340K on her GoFundMe page. A week in jail and onward to 500K? Send me to prison.
The federal government has more than enough resources to keep small businesses afloat during these lockdowns without the need for GoFundMe.
This could all have been avoided if the small business loan program wasn't so mismanaged.
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