THU brief 5.27.21
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Today’s stories
DAN PATRICK wasn’t serious yesterday calling for an immediate special session to address conservative measures killed by the House.
If Patrick were serious, he could have held the budget hostage.
Instead, so that Patrick’s actual limpness could be seen in the boldest relief possible, he whined about wanting a special session, waited a few hours, then passed the budget, surrendering his leverage.
Suggestions that the Senate failing to vote on agency extending measures (notably the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement) might trigger a special don’t appropriately weigh Greg Abbott’s comfort level with abusing executive authority.
Related: Representatives (who surrendered the session) “want” a special
QUINNIPIAC POLLING is garbage meant to bolster the left.
Still, its latest iteration, despite under-sampling Republicans (22%) compared to Democrats (33%), has Biden underwater on immigration, the Second Amendment, foreign policy, and Israel.
It also shows President Trump’s political star maintaining a positive trajectory:
A majority of Americans (53 - 39 percent) say they would prefer to see candidates running for elected office that mostly disagree with Trump.
That’s Americans, not Republicans folks.
BROADBAND EXPANSION in Texas will not include the protection of children from pornographic content, a more pervasive issue than many of Patrick’s preferred culture warrior bills.
Instead, a study will be conducted to show the detrimental effect pornography has on family health, productivity, and its role in the ongoing epidemic of sex trafficking in the U.S.
Lawmakers are twiddling their thumbs while Rome burns.
Hit the links
Texas Senate Amends House Medicaid Expansion
Charter School Network Fires Leaders for Embezzlement
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