By gaveling in and out within minutes last week, the clown car that is our Texas Legislature is making obvious its plans to take the long way home this session.
To be fair, this is as much about the coronavirus ravaging us all as it is the wait for the
Block-level data needed for redistricting may not be available until after July 31 -- at least two months after the regular legislative session ends -- according to the latest timeline released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been exacerbated by the need to correct “irregularities” in the data.
More (granular, for you data nerds) from TXElects. This early snail's pace is imposing another hardship on Lege staff.
Soooooooo the Texas Senate is adjourning till February 9th; I have only seen my Austin apartment ONCE but my landlord is gonna want all the rent; y’all could have told me this was what we doing before I signed my lease #texlege #txlege pic.twitter.com/0HgY66ZGwC
— Camille Lasin (@CamilleLasin) January 26, 2021
There were five public hearings last week of the state Senate Subcommittee on Redistricting, all of them socially distanced and all covered by Reform Austin. Here's their report from last Friday. You have two opportunities this week, via ACLU Texas, to get a Zoom briefing that previews the session (if you need to catch up). Here's that schedule.
Tuesday, February 2nd 2021, 6p-7:30p CST
Thursday, February 4th 2021, 6p-7:30p CST
Among the many items you can keep an eye out for:
The amount of landmass that is required to nullify Austin/ Travis County representation in the US Congress is stunning. pic.twitter.com/jmXHcssNO3
— Luanne Platter (@fabalasays) January 29, 2021
"No matter what type of health insurance they have, every Texan should be able to get the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion. Rosie's Law would make the right to abortion a reality for Texans." - Kamyon Conner (@TEAFund) #TxLegehttps://t.co/KYRSwnV2p3
— Planned Parenthood Texas Votes (@PPTXVotes) January 28, 2021
Nearly 3/4s of Texans ‘strongly’ support passing the #GeorgeFloydAct. The#txlege bill by @RoyceWestTX And @Senfronia4Texas will reform our broken criminal justice system and how police interact with the public. https://t.co/ozEYkP2TwT
— ACLU of Texas (@ACLUTx) January 29, 2021
What's also weird about this is that most testimony on bills comes at the behest of lobbyists. If we axe lobbyists, then I suspect the only testimony to show up -- good or bad -- will be the testimony lawmakers like. #txlege #txed #creepyandwrong #87th https://t.co/v9drhuGQeL
— Kimberly Reeves (@edwonkkimmy) January 28, 2021
In this year's #txlege, Republican lawmakers hope they can make Texas' anti-abortion laws among the most restrictive in the country.
— Rebekah Allen (@rebekahallen) February 1, 2021
via @ShannonNajma https://t.co/GPsZSnnz2Q
Equality Texas warns of the forthcoming attack on trans kids.
The survey mentioned above (in ACLUTx's tweet) opened a few eyes.
From the @hobbyschooluh #txlege survey on #Marijuana:
— Mark P. Jones (@MarkPJonesTX) January 28, 2021
86% Support Medical Marijuana.
71% Support Decriminalization (~traffic ticket-$250 fine).
66% Support Legalizing & Taxing Sale of Marijuana.
61% Support Legalizing Possession (small amounts).https://t.co/fgvq2Ygrkw
.@hobbyschooluh poll on new revenue sources:
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) January 27, 2021
- Casinos: 70% of Texans support (78% of Democrats/67% of Republicans/72% of independents)
- Marijuana: 66% (83%/44%/70%)https://t.co/Gs1LiWnY8O #txlege
"only 19% and 27% [of Texans] favor an expansion of coal mining and fracking respectively" https://t.co/YtcRYEsUGa
— Jay Blazek Crossley (@JayCrossley) January 27, 2021
Despite those approval ratings on legal weed (we already knew he was a pessimist on casino gambling), Speaker Dade Phelan is dour about its chances.
Phelan also offers more of his personal view on another potential new revenue source: "I think we're doing just fine without legalized marijuana" in Texas. #txlege https://t.co/da50ZgjeZL pic.twitter.com/abLoOygnNp
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) January 29, 2021
Perhaps one day Texas will elect representatives who will follow the will of the people. That day appears to be a long way off. Behold the stupidity as it relates to fossil fuels (refer back to the polling about fracking and coal mining above).
Four Texas Democrats in the U.S. House have come out against President Joe Biden’s executive order directing the secretary of the interior to halt new oil and gas leases on federal public lands and waters “to the extent possible.”
In a letter, Democratic Reps. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen, Henry Cuellar of Laredo, Lizzie Pannill Fletcher of Houston and Marc Veasey of Fort Worth called Biden’s order “far-reaching” and demanded he rescind it, arguing that banning “responsible energy leasing” would eliminate jobs, decrease the country’s gross domestic product, increase crude imports from foreign countries and chip away at federal revenue, among other concerns.
In this piece, titled "Gov. Greg Abbott Vows To Fight Joe Biden’s Energy And Climate Agenda", even he is smart enough to acknowledge what these four damned Blue Dogs cannot.
Abbott acknowledged that in Texas, there is “either zero or close to zero” federal lands where drilling is done, so Biden’s order does not impact the state as much as it does New Mexico, for example.
Abbott is, naturally, overly suspicious that Biden “will be trying to take actions that will make it harder, more difficult and more costly” for oil and gas businesses in Texas. Jeebus, I would hope so. Loren Steffy for Texas Monthly timely observed that the oil industry didn't do so well under Trump.
While I'm here, let me drop in these links to more news on environmental topics.
The EDF survey found that roughly 1 in 10 flares in the #PermianBasin were either unlit or malfunctioning. And a new report adds another layer onto this problem—whether the flares are even permitted in the first place. https://t.co/NzZobtw61Y
— DeSmog (@DeSmogBlog) January 29, 2021
As Earthworks blogger Sharon Wilson has written: flaring is (still) flamingly stupid, but unlit flaring is worse. All yell: "How stupid is it"?
This is impossible to ignore. Capturing natural gas can help us fight the immediate threats of a warming planet AND oil companies could make millions. https://t.co/IjA01YsZwF
— EDF (@EnvDefenseFund) January 28, 2021
"We have to get together as a community to defend ourselves."
— Houston Public Media (@HoustonPubMedia) January 31, 2021
A look back at the Deer Park ITC fire and its aftermath, on Ep. 2 of the podcast Fire Triangle from @HoustonPubMedia and @TPRNews. https://t.co/XISfuaNaOu
Texas will soon start testing drinking water for lead and copper in roughly 25,000 schools and child care facilities following an update to federal standards.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 30, 2021
The change comes in the aftermath of the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. #txed https://t.co/B1EJy9cbJn
I won't have anything to say today about a possible Beto for governor run. I already have my candidate. I also won't have any Trumpists 'Behaving Badly'. Had enough of those for a lifetime. (Still might be forced to update later in the week.) Here's a couple of things regarding the pandemic.
If you're over the age of 65, or you are over the age of 16 and have an underlying health condition, you are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in Texas. But eligibility is one thing and getting a dose, quite another. https://t.co/DSL56YhvOF
— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) January 31, 2021
Dos Centavos however had a successful Harris County vax portal registration.
Thousands of incarcerated people and employees at Houston’s jail have tested positive for COVID-19. Sheriff Ed Gonzales recently recommended over 1,500 bail reductions, but DA Kim Ogg agreed to only 60. And police keep arresting more people.https://t.co/vGMhTAQfO0
— The Appeal (@theappeal) January 27, 2021
There's my segue to the social justice -- and injustice -- updates.
A survivor of the El Paso Walmart shooting has been deported after a traffic stop on Wednesday, according to the Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services.https://t.co/GKnHOAEUI5
— KTSM 9 News (@KTSMtv) January 30, 2021
"Jimenez, who suffers from stage-four kidney disease, could now finally get decent medical care—including a transplant. Being freed would save her life." https://t.co/hUDOI0Dh3l
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) January 31, 2021
THREAD: #ATXCouncil took a big step forward by buying another hotel to house those experiencing homelessness. We’ll be using funds diverted from our police budget to run the hotel and provide services like job aid, mental health care, & more. @theappeal https://t.co/YtDPdYw0eD
— Gregorio Casar (@GregCasar) January 28, 2021
Grits for Breakfast expresses cautious optimism about new Travis County DA Jose Garza.
Each year TX police jail thousands of ppl for offenses that carry fine-only punishments. These are often "contempt of cop" situations like Sandra Bland's arrest. Will the recent uprising over race & policing push TX lawmakers to finally curb these arrests? https://t.co/r63bNhgr17
— Michael Barajas (@michaelsbarajas) January 26, 2021
Today my office dismissed 36 alleged sex workers from the County’s Bissonnet Track lawsuit. We are committed to finding solutions on street trafficking, but using a civil injunction to back door sex workers into the justice system is not the answer. https://t.co/2GfjvtoAfM
— Christian D. Menefee (@CDMenefee) January 28, 2021
With the lighter side items to wrap this Wrangle ...
Shari Biediger for the San Antonio Report writes about the death of the publisher of Castroville's newspaper, which has almost unraveled the entire community. Jason Guerrasio for Insider spoke with Lizzie Gottlieb, whose father, Robert, and LBJ biographer Robert Caro are the focus of her documentary, 'Turn Every Page'.
Corpus Christi woman's crocheted Bernie Sanders doll sells on eBay for more than $20,300 https://t.co/fN4H7Paa6G
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) January 27, 2021
For one San Antonio kid, the GameStop stock saga ended simply, triumphantly, and with $3,200 in hand. https://t.co/rpUHAslU6z
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) January 31, 2021
Austin-based director Jason Neulander and two Texas actors bring a play about homelessness, police violence, and illness to the screen.https://t.co/q7FaEyjWtF
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) January 30, 2021
The only known photo of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Texas blues and gospel singer-songwriter and musician. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s and has been called the "Father of the Texas Blues. Taken in 1926. He is buried in Wortham, Texas. pic.twitter.com/JPipv0Vuoc
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) January 31, 2021