The Texas Minute Email from Michael Quinn Sullivan
Good morning! Texas might still be a “red†state, but Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen are on the verge of delivering a heavily blue-tinged purple legislative session. Are you excited about the results?
Here is today's Texas Minute.
With just days remaining in the legislative session, the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas insisted yesterday “there is still time left†for GOP lawmakers to do more than “make progress†on the five priorities established by convention delegates last year. Cary Cheshire walks through the status of the specific marquee policies promoted by the GOP.
“We have achieved progress toward multiple Legislative Priorities and members of both chambers are working with us to achieve the maximum possible results. There is still time left in this Session and we will continue to work on our efforts to advance RPT platform objectives until it ends.†– James Dickey
The clock is ticking, and your property tax bill isn’t getting any lower...
“Texas House tanks Pro-Life priorities, ignores grassroots supporters and the cries of the unborn†– yesterday’s headline from the Texas Right to Life website. “Other than passing Senate Bill 22, the No Taxpayer Funding for the Abortion Industry Act, the Texas House thwarted all priority bills. Pro-Life advocates everywhere, along with Texas Right to Life, are gravely troubled that representatives abandoned vulnerable Texans and betrayed their constituents in exchange for the left-wing agenda in 2019.â€
Republican state representatives are going to come home next week and brag about how close they are with House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.
“Lawmakers Fail to Protect Texas Families from Harmful Juvenile Curfews†– Matthew Lawson, Texas Home School Coalition
Watch for Capitol staffers to start condescendingly explaining how “outside groups†and the grassroots activists just cannot comprehend the complexity of the deal-making they and their hard-working bosses do behind the scenes.
The National Federation of Independent Business says small business owners are “surprised and deeply disappointed the Legislature failed to reach an agreement on legislation that Gov. Greg Abbott announced as a priority†earlier in the year. At issue was legislation aimed at stopping the “confusing and contradictory patchwork of local ordinances†that has cropped up with left-wing city councils imposing radical social agendas on businesses.
Texas’ small business owners can look to House State Affairs Committee Chairman Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) for the death of that legislation, after he refused to pass it out of his committee until he knew it would be able to die ignobly in the Calendars process.
Meanwhile, the feckless Republican Party of Texas would tell us that everything is just fine... just give them a little more time... tick-tock-tick-tock...
“When I die I want Texas House Republicans as pall bearers, just so they can let me down one more time.†– Fred Flickinger
While an outright ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying is dead for this legislative session, Brandon Waltens reports the Texas House on Wednesday revived a portion of the original legislation that would require government entities to disclose on their own websites any contracts with lobbyists.
A South Texas mayor charged with running a voter fraud scheme to win his election now faces a potential recall election if enough city voters sign a petition recently approved by the city council. Erin Anderson reports Edinburg’s mayor, Richard Molina, allegedly recruited voters residing outside the city to fraudulently register at Edinburg addresses so they could illegally vote for him in his 2017 mayoral election.
First a one-vote victory, then a two-vote flip, then a recount— Cedar Park’s important city council race was a rollercoaster ride that is finally over. Jacob Asmussen reports newcomer Rodney Robinson was officially declared the winner in his challenge to incumbent Heather Jefts.
A longtime Amarillo Independent School District trustee has resigned from his position with about two years remaining on his term. Thomas Warren has the details.
Today in History
On May 23, 1934, the deadly Texas outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed by a former Texas Ranger and other law enforcement officers in rural Louisiana.
Quote-Unquote
“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.â€
– Milton Friedman​
