TEXAS MINUTE: March 2, 2023

Texas Medical Board attacks doctor over Ivermectin

At the request of two Texas hospitals, the Texas Medical Board is threatening to revoke the medical license of Houston physician Mary Talley Bowden. As Soli Rice reports, at issue is Dr. Bowden’s decision to use Ivermectin to combat COVID-19 and a declaration to only treat patients who had not received a COVID-19 shot.

Having treated more than 5,000 patients with COVID-19, neither of the complaints accuse Bowden of harming a single patient. In fact, one hospital – Fort Worth-based Texas Health Huguley – is upset that the course she recommended for a dying law enforcement officer proved successful.

According to Bowden, the Texas Medical Board offered her a settlement: admit guilt, pay a $5,000 fine, take eight hours of Continuing Medical Education and a jurisprudence exam.

“I will not plead guilty to crimes I didn’t commit.” - Dr. Mary Talley Bowden

Florida cracks down on illegal immigration

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has presented a proposal to the Florida Legislature that would help counteract the costs of the Biden administration’s open border crisis. Sydnie Henry has the details.

DeSantis’ proposal would increase penalties for human smuggling, require universal use of E-Verify (an employment eligibility verification program), enhance penalties for false documentation, prohibit local governments from issuing IDs to illegal aliens, invalidate all out-of-state licenses to illegal aliens, require affirmation of U.S. citizenship on voter registrations, prevent illegal aliens from practicing law, and eliminate out-of-state tuition fee waivers for undocumented students.

The Florida proposal would also require hospitals collect data on the immigration status of patients the costs to provide care to illegal aliens. 

The hospitals would then be required to regularly report that data to the governor and legislature.

While Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has made “Doing More to Secure the Border” a legislative priority in 2023, there haven’t been many details shared about what that includes.

Texans for Strong Borders hopes Abbott will follow DeSantis’ lead, including E-verify and ending in-state tuition for illegal aliens.