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Today’s Stories

GREG ABBOTT, in response to the Uvalde shooting, has called for dual committees. It’s a stall tactic.

Neither side of the political divide is satisfied by the classic “Abbottian” maneuver.

It immediately reduces (but doesn’t eliminate) the odds of a Rahm Emmanuel-style exploitation of Uvalde. That beats any other realistic alternative. Still, for the discussion to have ever entered this territory is dangerous.

Meanwhile, the left has decried the committee call for laundry listing but walling off gun control as something to be explored. They’re also unhappy that a special session isn’t being convened.

Bobby Francis O’Rourke is back to supporting gun confiscation.

Just because these (Democrat) proposals are unlikely to pass does not, however, mean your liberties are safe (from the Republicans). The current political baseline gives them room in which to operate.

Consider Abbott’s suggested “alternatives” (in descending order of threat):

“Mental Health'' - We cannot overemphasize the **DANGER**

This is, almost certainly, the public policy equivalent to a five-alarm fire.

“Mental health” initiatives are a not-infrequent motif in the Texas legislature. They’re always boondoggles and usually threaten civil liberties. It's an old playbook. While on the subject, keep an eye on state representative Four Price.

In 2019, following Santa Fe., Abbott and the company created a so-called “mental health consortium” that checked all the wrong boxes. Besides shoveling money to bad political actors, the measure posed a grave threat to Texans’ rights under the fourth, fifth, and sixth amendments.

The 2019 initiative stank to the point that it required lawless measures to cram through the Texas House.

“School safety” - This one isn’t much better.

Last year, Round Rock ISD made national news when concerned father/taxpayer Jeremy Story was arrested following public objections to school board policy. For this newsletter, the relevant detail is the school district’s police force arrested that Story.

Now Greg Abbott wants to give every school district Police Department a huge budget increase in the state. It doesn’t take a genius to see that that’s a dangerous idea.

It’s also likely to be (incredibly) expensive. A mandated school district hiring spree will inevitably complicate efforts to abolish property taxes.

“Firearms Safety” - No idea what this means, especially in the context of the Uvalde shooting, and as such, it sounds bad.

“Social Media” - Similarly, no idea what this phrase means. It also sounds bad.

One small caveat: You already have zero privacy on social media. Thus, when people with ill intent post messages describing their plans on social media, you want those in authority to listen.

“Police Training” - This is the one Abbott proposal that might be worth something. It doesn't take a genius to see that the status quo is terrible.

Nevertheless, the possibility of widespread unintended consequences exists.

This current flap over guns is reminiscent of (former TPPF President) Brooke Rollins’ line: “When they say the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, I never realized how eternal ‘eternal’ meant.”

AUSTIN, along with other liberal cities within red states, is gearing up to fight if Roe is overturned in the coming days.

Democrat-controlled cities are proposing to decriminalize abortion, circumventing state law. Where they aren’t flat-out decriminalizing the activity, city attorneys are saying prosecutions won’t be a priority.

One wonders why lawlessness is on the rise.

Of course, this isn’t anything new. It's akin to sanctuary city law and ad hoc legalization of illegal activity that Republicans will be familiar with.

Still, cities are entities of the state. If Republican lawmakers are as they claim pro-life, there will be recourse.

Hit the Links

5 Indicted APD Officers Sue City, DA Garza, SJW Groups

Texas Softball opens the Women’s College World Series with a Win…

…will face OU Saturday

Congressional Republicans court climate change believers

Democrats worried about PA U.S. Senate candidate’s health.

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THU brief 6.2.22