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Today’s Stories
UT AUSTIN successfully watered down the latest (modest) reform effort. The new “Civitas Institute” is, essentially, irrelevant. That, in and of itself, isn’t news.
Nevertheless, the linked interview with Professor Richard Lowery is the most detailed recounting of what happened, behind the scenes, to date. It’s worth an hour of your time, but here are the primary takeaways:
University President Jay Hartzell was the primary hatchetman.
Hartzell delegated primary authority for implementing the legislature’s charge to two bureaucrats whose primary field was Critical Race Theory.
Hartzell successfully schmoozed the big donors while quietly boxing out the professors who wanted to launch the whole concept.
“There’s a whole industrial complex based on lying to conservatives.”
Justin Dyer, the guy they brought in to run Civitas, was the guy who cleaned up Mizzou’s mess when their football team revolted.
The Board of Regents’ primary interest is to “keep things quiet.”
The politicians are either quietly complicit (Abbott, Phelan) or unreliable (Patrick).
Again, none of this is new; it’s just enhanced detail. Particularly noteworthy is the emergence of “fake conservatives.”
It’s not a secret that the pro-life movement has been plagued by fake groups, at least in Texas. Their MO was to create the illusion of progress while quietly enabling the status quo. It was a very practical playbook until, one day, it wasn’t.
Because, as we sit here in 2022, Abortion is completely illegal in Texas.
“Fake conservatives” can slow a trend, but they can’t forestall it indefinitely. That’s become apparent in abortion. Time will tell, but higher education should follow a similar trajectory.
Expect more of these fights, not fewer.
DEMOCRAT COMMITTEE CHAIRS continue to be a flashpoint between House leadership and the grassroots.
The latest flare-up involves state rep Rep. Cole Hefner.
According to published reports, Hefner lobbied against a resolution in the Smith County executive committee decrying the practice. Hefner repeated the leadership talking point that “we don’t want to be like D.C.”
This tired talking point, like several legislative marriages under the strain of infidelity, is never going to last.
Bad talking points are blood in the water, and the primary Republican electorate has picked up the scent.
The TEXAS TRIBUNE is trying to gin up a mob against a UT-Dallas professor over a tweet. Consider this an analogy to today’s first item and an example of why these fights are likely to become more frequent.
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