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Today’s stories
GREG ABBOTT called Dan Patrick goofy yesterday. It was perfectly juvenile and possibly projection since landing this silly plane of a legislative session has been bumpy, and Goofy Greg is at the helm.
The last week has been filled with finger-pointing about priority GOP legislation that’s dying on the vine, betraying the true nature of the session.
Sure it may be conservative, but not enough, and all three of the “big three” know this to be true. Dan Patrick's preemptive call for a special session is a tell.
There will be lawmakers claiming come June that the session was the most conservative ever. It’s a point easily ceded and countered. Without an objective measure, this session might be the most conservative ever, but it’s not nearly as conservative as was promised and expected by voters.
Yesterday, at the back mic, Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) engaged his boss Dade Phelan in a contrived back and forth meant to position the House as the more active and valuable body when compared to the Senate. It was a lame as it sounds.
Abbott, who has been issuing executive orders by the handful over the past year, said yesterday he would limit special session calls to single items, suggesting he’s not interested in calling a special, and if/when he does, not let it get too out of control conservative.
The role of Abbott, and all establishment politicians, is to hold the line and stop the pendulum from swinging to the right. Sometimes this means hurling it back to the left (ala 2017) or stalling and spinning (2021).
Watching a control freak in a time of disruption is a perverse spectacle. The performative chaos Texans are seeing is a byproduct of micromanagement done and gone wrong.
Also, can we stop with this Texas has a weak governor lie. Maybe that was the case after Reconstruction, but that’s changed, and the governor needs to be restrained.
SB7 is taking a while to get out conference committee. The report is a good candidate for a Friday afternoon dump (3 PM).
Always discounting leaks from the capitol, it’s safe to assume there are struggles between the House and Senate regarding the provisions added by Democrats in the House and what has to go back into the bill from the Senate’s passed version.
If the Texas Monthly’s description of the dynamics on SB7 night in the House are the same in these negotiations, Chairman Briscoe Cain is entirely out of the loop.
While we wait for the marquee bill (it has to pass), a few meaningful election integrity measures have made it through both bodies, including SB 1113, which ties voter roll clean up to funding, and HB 2283 forbids corporate cash from running elections.
Stay tuned.
THE BIDEN-HARRIS administration was issued a defeat in court yesterday. It turns out giving cash based on race is itself racial discrimination.
Hit the links
Border crisis worsening to two-decade high
Cruz: Israel Has a Right to Defend Itself—Despite What Democrats Say
Hospital in Temple wants to end a responsive man’s life
Waco further restricting short-term rentals
Appeals court rules Paxton's trial should be in Collin County.
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