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Today’s stories
RUTH HUGHS is stepping down as Secretary of State, but frankly, she’s been rejected.
Her resignation marks the second Abbott appointee to SoS, who’s failed to be confirmed. In 2019, Democrats reneged on a deal to green light David Whitley’s confirmation in the waning days of the session.
Hughs’ failure puts the lie to the save face quote the leftist hack media breathlessly repeats, that the 2020 election was “smooth.” For the citizenry, unless that universe is defined as Mark Zuckerberg, the election was not smooth.
In fact, it was jarring, and vast swaths of the electorate don’t have faith in the result. Hughs’ office did little to help this perception in Texas, allowing election administrators to run roughshod over election procedures.
Election legislation contemplated in Texas and other states this year has nothing to do with the misdirection that machines altered the 2020 result and more to do with manipulation of the election by 1) outside cash goosing turnout for one party over another and 2) the circumvention of state law and legislative intent by the malcontents running elections in Texas’ largest counties.
Randomly ask Chris Turner if Dallas the time of day, and the answer is likely to be some TDS rage fit about the “big lie” and tambourine-waving grannies running around the U.S. capitol. Lowest common denominator stuff.
Still, this squirrel was directionally oriented toward the proverbial nut on Sunday.
During the debate of SB 1113, a bill to punish voter registrars for not maintaining voter rolls in a timely fashion, Turner proposed the SoS be confirmed before the state could levy fines.
To be clear, the intent of his amendment was nefarious (gut enforcement of the bill) to protect his election rigging pals in Dallas, Harris, and other large counties. Still, the 2020 elections were a game of altering election administration in plain sight, a miscarriage of good governance to which the SoS played a role.
Texas should have either an SoS that is accountable (checked/confirmed) by the Senate or elected by Texans. Giving the SoS more power before these checks are in place makes little sense.
CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY (after a final Senate vote) is going to become law.
TRANSPARENCY in government has taken a giant step backward during the pandemic.
According to multiple reports, public record requests have gone unanswered for months. Access to lawmakers by even mainstream reporters has been cut off, further insulating lawmakers from an already sheltered existence.
Texas lawmakers, primarily Republicans, have for years insulated themselves from scrutiny by banning right-leaning publications from the capital, but even the largely leftwing media has been cut off.
It’s not clear this has any impact on legislative results, but the legends in their minds will likely try and make the case.
GREG ABBOTT is in trouble electorally if there are more than three candidates in the GOP primary, especially if the mix of candidates is right.
In 2010, Rick Perry, among polled GOP voters, had a 63% approval rating. Abbott is currently sporting a 77% approval but has been on a downward trajectory since April 2020, falling 11 points over that time.
The mix of candidates in the 2010 race Kay Bailey (moderate), Perry (center-right), Debra Medina (right-Libertarian) with Medina having a cult-of-personality following could be a preview of what we eventually see in the 2022 race.
Right now, the 2022 primary field is Abbott and former Senator Don Huffines, but Abbott could face a very similar mix of candidates if one or two rumored runners enter the field.
Baring an interview assist to the Perry campaign by Glenn Beck. Medina was very publicly marred as 9/11 truther adjacent. She may have done well enough to force Perry below the 50% needed to avoid a run-off.
The 2022 primary election is likely to be delayed till the late spring or summer, similar timing mechanics that lead to the underdog win of Ted Cruz against David Dewhurst in 2012.
Related: Beto contemplating another loss
Hit the links
Texas middle-class taxed higher than California’s?
Trump voters remain primarily engaged
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