Texas Republicans' bad week is stretching into a month.
During the event in Houston today, Commissioner Miller repeatedly said there was nothing to the accusations against his top political consultant who has now been indicted by a Travis County grand jury #txlege https://t.co/ErCNETLbLa
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) January 19, 2022
Dan Crenshaw gets upset at a 10 year old girl at an event and gets heckled by the crowd. “Don’t question my faith.” pic.twitter.com/EYEXYpXKIB
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 18, 2022
Yes indeed--how in the world does a British national (not Pakistani) land in Texas and get a weapon? I mean, they're so hard to find https://t.co/2ejyS6cmOR
— Bud Kennedy / #ReadLocal (@BudKennedy) January 16, 2022
The massive Bastrop fire was the result of a "controlled burn" apparently initiated by Texas Parks and Wildlife chaired by Arch H. "Beaver" Aplin, III, chairman and CEO of Buc-ees. #txlege #quorumreport pic.twitter.com/PjOSeUWXtc
— harvey kronberg (@HKronberg) January 19, 2022
Buc-ee Aplin is a big buddy of Dan Patrick. The $65 million question is: does any of this matter to the TXGQP primary voter? I am inclined to say 'no'.
The Dallas QAnon Cult believes JFK was disguised as Trump at Arizona rally https://t.co/x55LBebeZ1 via @vicenews
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 18, 2022
After all, there are things happening that this subset of humanity is very likely applauding.
There are a lot of reasons to oppose Senators who use words like "hijacking" when talking about American #elections. From the man who will no longer support legal safeguards to protect the right to #vote. #txlege #VotingRightsAct https://t.co/pAYpirLsfC
— Lyndsey Rodriguez (@lyn13191) January 19, 2022
The Texas Secretary of State’s office says supply chain issues have limited the number of voter registration forms it can give out. | @AshLopezRadio https://t.co/5JOcXL7B3f
— KUT Austin (@KUT) January 18, 2022
When you registered to vote years ago, did you put your SSN or your DL number on the form? Better guess correctly if you want an absentee ballot in Texas. You have one chance.
— Patrick W. Watson (@PatrickW) January 16, 2022
Also, it is a felony for election administrators to help you find the answer.https://t.co/8XIZoCJfSm
The Texas Supreme Court is not going to strike down that state’s wild gerrymander. Under that gerrymander, even if Ds win 58% of the vote in Texas, they get 37% of seats. That’s a gerrymander, moreover, accomplished disproportionately at the expense of communities of color. 3/
— Michael Li 李之樸 (@mcpli) January 18, 2022
Fifth Circuit punts Texas abortion law to #SCOTX, prolonging restrictions https://t.co/fNAGT45axv #SB8 #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 18, 2022
School districts have said they will abide by the law, but it’s still unclear how they will determine if a birth certificate is original. https://t.co/cEXhJ2ek47
— San Antonio Report (@SAReport) January 18, 2022
Texas’ transgender sports ban went into effect yesterday. When I was approached to testify against this bill, I didn’t think I had anything to offer since my child didn’t play team sports. But the hearings exposed it was NEVER about sports. It was about votes. Disgusting.#txlege pic.twitter.com/M6EviC8ytW
— Molly Wills Carnes (she/her) (@mwcarnes1) January 19, 2022
The largest corporations in Texas and the nation are complicit.
A pair of watchdog groups called out companies and trade groups that continued to financially support the 147 congressional Republicans who voted last year to overturn the 2020 presidential election results even after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. [...] General Dynamics ($233,500), and Valero Energy ($207,500) are (among) the top corporate donors to those who objected to the election and their party committees,” the report says.
More:
Irving-based ExxonMobil and San Antonio-based Valero Energy joined other Fortune 500 corporations and trade groups in 2021 in spending $8.1 million to financially back these members. [...] The recipients include House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and nine Texas lawmakers: Reps. Brian Babin, Jodey Arrington, Randy Weber, John Carter, August Pfluger, Beth Van Duyne, Troy Nehls, Ronny Jackson, and Michael Cloud.
More:
Pharmaceutical company Merck signed a pro-voting rights statement that was published as an advertisement in the New York Times on April 14. [...] After signing the ad, Merck donated $1,000 in October to Texas Republican state Senator Lois Kolkhorst, the primary sponsor of one of the state’s two new voter suppression laws and a cosponsor of the other one. [...] JPMorgan Chase also donated to a cosponsor of SB 1, giving $1,000 from its PAC to Sen. Dawn Buckingham in September.
Then there's the rich country folk who aren't all that fascist-freaky but still send Greg Abbott millions of dollars like it was loose change in their pocket.
Interesting: Texas GOP mega donors Michael & Mary Porter step up, push pro-Abbott, not hard-right agenda.
— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) January 18, 2022
Her dad Frank Batten was giant in my industry: His Norfolk paper won 1960 Pulitzer for editorials urging school deseg. It's #BobsBreakdown:https://t.co/CHaQAjx7yv #txlege pic.twitter.com/kuyeRudbJb
Unlike Michelle, I see no path to anything for Texas Democrats but "a few small wins in targeted races", which I've been hearing since Boyd Richie was chairman.
Still, the young and the brave soldier on.
Join this live conversation this Thursday, January 20th @ 7pm CST with co-host @RamonaMassachi.
— Sema (@_SemaHernandez_) January 17, 2022
https://t.co/hIUpszmyKA
Houston DSA has re-endorsed @franklinbynum for Harris County Criminal Court 8 & endorsed @MollyforTexas Senate for the 2022 primary! Donate to our PAC to support our electoral work: https://t.co/8C4eHOrPVx More details to come for a PAC fundraiser event & canvasses for our slate. pic.twitter.com/OcPaqnzUql
— Houston DSA (@HoustonDSA) January 18, 2022
Best of luck to those good guys and gals. I won't be holding my breath that the TexTrib is suddenly going to realize there's more than two political parties, however.
Tell voters that there are more than two parties on the ballot in Texas. Tell them about the parties that nominate by convention @TXGreens @LPTexas. Report on ALL ballot-qualified candidates, not just those from the duopoly.
— Bexar County Greens 🌻💚 (@BexarGreensTX) January 17, 2022
Here's a few more Tweets that point to the challenges we're all facing.
Last year, the Texas grid came within a couple minutes of collapsing & leaving the state without power for weeks.
— Russell Gold (@russellgold) January 18, 2022
What I learned about what happened - and if it could happen again. #TexasBlackouthttps://t.co/IJXtk2njYX
The Texas power grid and the natural gas drillers, wind farms and solar arrays that supply it are facing their second test in a less than a month as sub-zero weather bears down on the Lone Star state https://t.co/tk5mtvM0Fe
— Bloomberg (@business) January 18, 2022
Need to jump that Bloomberg paywall? Here you go.
In climate developments: what's good for Texas is often bad for the planet.
The latest in Exxon's long series of attempts to bully its critics into silence:https://t.co/QT1DyAMKQs
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) January 18, 2022
A few criminal and social justice updates which add to the litany of grim news in this post.
1/ Texas Ranger James Holland is famous for getting serial killers to confess to their crimes. But have some of his controversial methods — from lying to suspects to having witnesses hypnotized — ensnared innocent people, too? https://t.co/yM4cA7iyG7 pic.twitter.com/6hVqRQZJhn
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) January 18, 2022
Dr. @peterhotez and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, professors at the Baylor College of Medicine and co-directors of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, revealed that their open-source vaccine had received zero funding from G7 countries.https://t.co/e4v3FC0OMK
— MySA (@mySA) January 18, 2022
A Michigan facility housing Texas foster care children was missing its front door while it was 28 degrees outside and there hadn’t been indoor heat for 24 hours.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 16, 2022
Staff didn’t make calls to get either the heat restored or the door fixed. https://t.co/RHH1LkTPEM
Reupping this reminder that in addition to being closed today for MLK Day, Texas state agencies are also on skeleton crew operations Wednesday in remembrance of... *Confederate Heroes Day* https://t.co/UUhqgWblAb
— Keri Blakinger (@keribla) January 17, 2022
"Given the scale and urgency of the need, it is extremely disappointing that the proposed redevelopment of the old Austin American-Statesman site, a prime tract in the heart of the city, offers precious little in the way of affordable housing."
— Austin Statesman (@statesman) January 16, 2022
https://t.co/yEUw8W7DfQ
So we should find a laugh where we can.
Politics is fun, actually: City Council edition https://t.co/wcUkTuOlkW
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) January 19, 2022
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Dallas City Council, the people of Dallas were greeted with perhaps the most perplexing public comment yet: a man dressed in blue surgical scrubs, shouting a pro-vaccination song.
Alex Stein, a YouTube comedian, hit the podium and performed a rap to the tune of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady,” with lyrics including “vaccinate me in my thong” and “Dr. Fauci, give me that ouchie.” His audience: some two dozen council members in a largely empty and silent conference room.
Are you craving a big plate of petty spaghetti this Valentine's Day season?
— Maddy Skye (@MaddySkye) January 18, 2022
The San Antonio Zoo is recruiting cockroaches and rats to help exterminate feelings for your ex.
🖊️: @camillesaccount https://t.co/lXs5QBCndh @mySA @SanAntonioZoo @MananaZoo