JUST IN: Gov. Abbott calls third special session. Some items on the agenda: Redistricting, transgender sports, and local governments' vaccine mandates https://t.co/Hqj8qojjQa
— CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) September 7, 2021
The real threat. #GregAbbott #Abbott #texas #TexasWarOnWomen #WomensHealth #WomensRights #RoevWade #AbortionBan #abortionrights @MaggieJordanACN @1mimi4ever @AprilDRyan @laloalcaraz @ElayneBoosler @co_rapunzel4 pic.twitter.com/MMIzyZAAGG
— Ed Hall (@halltoons) September 8, 2021
People keep asking me: "Why do you call him Governor Fish Lips?"
Gov. Greg Abbott said Texans have ‘at least’ six weeks to get an abortion. It’s more like 10 days. https://t.co/byes3x8xeK
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) September 8, 2021
SB8 -- the Texas abortion ban -- has been the hottest topic of the week, with more than enough media coverage to link to. So I selected only a few of the secondary headlines, in case they got buried in your news review.
Why companies with #Texas ties have been relatively quiet on state's #abortion ban, in contrast to public objection to controversial election law@washingtonpost
— ChickenFriedPolitics (@ChkFriPolitics) September 5, 2021
-Southern politics are on the menu at ChickenFriedPolitics.com-https://t.co/2hqa3xrtw5
A 13-year-old learned she was pregnant after being raped by her grandfather. She can no longer get an abortion in Texas. @jblackmanChron @taygoldenstein @_yichinlee @egconley https://t.co/6Uo3NprGrM
— Gabrielle Banks (@GabMoBanks) September 5, 2021
50% supported and 44% opposed a ban on abortion “once a fetal heartbeat is detected.” But when the pollster then said it happens “around six weeks into pregnancy and before most women know they are pregnant,” the numbers flip: 56% oppose and 38% support. https://t.co/d0ECIt3ERn
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) September 7, 2021
FWIW, in 2019, there were about 14,700 *reported* rapes in Texas, according to state police stats.
— Jolie McCullough (@jsmccullou) September 7, 2021
Recent DOJ surveys have found 2/3 to 4/5 of rapes go unreported. https://t.co/A7GxibK7LS
It is beyond parody that the company now hosting the Texas anti-abortion bounty site, run by a guy literally named Rob Monster, is a last stop of resort for Neo-Nazi content pic.twitter.com/864AJusma8
— steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) September 4, 2021
Only rapists who are arrested, tried, & convicted in the 6 week window when abortion is legal are unable to sue the victim. The rest CAN SUE FOR $10,000 bounty. #txlege #AbbottFailedTexasAgain #TexasAbortionLaw #TexasHatesWomen https://t.co/KTd3wbucrl
— C. Denby Swanson (@cdenbyswanson) September 9, 2021
I'm leaving a lot out: the DOJ's announcement this morning, Mimi Swartz at Texas Monthly identifying the legal mind behind the bill, AOC's description of Abbott's ignorance. Here's Amanda Marcotte from Salon about that.
Greg Abbott is not ignorant — he's a liar: Why the difference matters for the future of democracy https://t.co/yL5wrtjsl1
— Salon (@Salon) September 8, 2021
Marcotte has it exactly right. More Texas politics in the next post, under construction; wrapping up the Lege-between-specials business with a few more items before moving on to the rest.
Texans only give the #txlege 28% approval rating as special session wraps up https://t.co/b3HzB7TQYE via @maggie_glynn1
— Jim Henson (@jamesrhenson) September 5, 2021
Doctors with the @cmteetoprotect says Texas leaders failed to stop COVID-19 from spreading. | via @TPRNews https://t.co/9HHkca7a5C pic.twitter.com/CT27O5VdBU
— KUT Austin (@KUT) September 4, 2021
The lawsuit is for "gross negligence and wrongful death"https://t.co/HxP0RvAiRd
— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) September 8, 2021
.@rossramsey writes: Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed legislation designed to protect dogs earlier this year.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 8, 2021
Now he's asking the Legislature to fix it — before next year’s elections. #TXlege #TX2022 https://t.co/PHWdMNc18j
Another fix-what-I-vetoed.
I thought I was caught up on environmental and criminal and social justice posts this week, but I wasn't. So here's more of that news.
The Texas legislature has moved to block a company’s plan to ship highly radioactive nuclear waste to West Texas, but federal regulators could still allow the plan to move forward as early as this month. #txlege
— Marfa Public Radio (@MarfaRadio) September 9, 2021
via @travisbubenik https://t.co/DYjoF8wjv7
Elon Musk's plans to dig a tunnel through the RGV's sensitive, diverse coastal habitat is absolutely horrible and destructive! https://t.co/kIePEEgyDY
— Bekah Hinojosa (@beksbot) August 23, 2021
More Musk further down. And a story I've been tardy on: meet the new Downwinders at Risk.
ICYMI: “The legacy of racist zoning perpetuates unless you fundamentally redraw the map through these land use plans" https://t.co/dZsVBxop6o
— InclusiveCommunities (@ICPDallas) August 23, 2021
That's my segue.
If you're looking for a pretty accessible, easy to read primer on environmental justice / environmental history in Texas (San Antonio specifically!) I would def recommend West Side Rising, which I reviewed here for @TexasObserver: https://t.co/GNUJsuh70c
— Amal Ahmed (@amalahmed214) September 8, 2021
The U.S. Supreme Court halted Wednesday’s scheduled execution of Texas death row inmate John Ramirez. It’s the third time in recent years that justices delayed an execution over the state prison system’s rules for religious advisers in the death chamber. https://t.co/eNHvDAVBFm
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 9, 2021
A complaint to the federal Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights argues UT-Austin is creating a "hostile environment" for Black students by continuing to play the “The Eyes of Texas,” which was likely first performed at minstrel shows. https://t.co/Zeh83vX7ax
— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) September 9, 2021
In Reality Check, a limited series produced in partnership w/ @HoustonPubMedia, we look at what being asset limited, income constrained, employed means, the true number of families struggling in our area & explore how we can help break the cycle. More at: https://t.co/a6p6Nal8xh. pic.twitter.com/c74bWF1wsg
— UnitedWayHouston (@HouUnitedWay) September 9, 2021
At least 53 Texas workers have died of heat in the last decade, an investigation by @columbiajourn Investigation and The Texas Newsroom shows that’s nearly twice as many deaths as in the 2000s. Many of the dead were workers of color.https://t.co/Kl1FfxRnrz
— Houston Public Media (@HoustonPubMedia) September 7, 2021
Surveillance footage reveals police assaulting an unarmed man on his own property. While the video is shocking on its own, what’s even more shocking is the fact that the state of Texas is currently threatening the victim with 10 years in prison. https://t.co/MkxFyYx460
— The Real News (@TheRealNews) September 5, 2021
Elizabeth Rossi of Civil Rights Corps and Amanda Woog of the Texas Fair Defense Project, writing at Grits for Breakfast, excoriate Harris County DA Kim Ogg and the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board for lining up behind the "tuff-on-crimers". And Law and Crime tells us about a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas who has appointed himself the Emperor of ICE.
A couple of state policy developments worth noting:
NEW:
— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) September 7, 2021
The CEO of @TexasCentral says the bipartisan #Infrastructurebill is key to building the bullet train between Dallas and Houston.
Carlos Aguilar revealed a lot more in the @Yallitics episode that just dropped.https://t.co/cl6FTqPWqd
Elon Musk is about to become a Texas power broker—literally.
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) August 30, 2021
The entrepreneur has established a new subsidiary of Tesla that filed in mid-August with the Public Utility Commission of Texas to sell electricity on the retail market. https://t.co/uZIdFWwNx3
If you still want to understand why Musk can pick up the phone, call Abbott, and say, "stop whatever it is you're doing and come out here and eat my ass", this time-lapse drone video of Musk's truck factory on the east side of Austin -- still under construction but nearing completion -- is nothing short of mind-blowing.
Wrapping today with these.
The Certified Lover Boy himself showing love to the city π€πΎπ
— HTX Hip-Hop Museum (@HTXHipHopMuseum) September 3, 2021
• Drake shows appreciation to OG Ron C, Texas Southern University and Swishahouse in his new song “TSU”
• Drake samples “Get Throwed” by Bun B in the first half of “In 2 Deep” pic.twitter.com/RX9M5CrHIa
Traces of Texas reader Terrance Devlin was born in Texas & raised here until he was 14, when he moved to Arkansas. He went to college at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and just sent me these photos of old Texas-Arkansas programs, saying "Let the Hate Flow!!!" Indeed. pic.twitter.com/P6CCv1vKJv
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) September 8, 2021
