Not thrilled to read about this dude again.
The quota on "alright, alright, alright" ledes has now been reached. Future stories on this topic should riff on Failure to Launch, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, or literally any line from True Detective, Season 1 https://t.co/0dx3NJkWnL
— Aman Batheja (@amanbatheja) May 16, 2021
Delilah for Texas issued a challenge to the erstwhile, unaffiliated, indecisive gubernatorial maybe-candidate.
Alright, I see your making calls @McConaughey that's good! I'd like to call on you to pay for my ballot access so this will be a fair game. I hate asking hard working blue collar folks for money but you're my opponent. Fair game.#GovernorsRace #democracy
— DelilahForTexas💚☮🌻🌎 (@DelilahforTexas) May 17, 2021
https://t.co/zsX9dVbgPb
Be a lot cooler if he did.
And while I have spent much time and effort denigrating Texas Democrats, and will likely be compelled by their own ignominous conduct to continue to do so *coughBetocough*, the fact of the matter is that Joe Jaworski is the best -- indeed the only -- choice to replace Ken Paxtoon (not a typo) as attorney general of our Great State.
Thank you! Check out my website at https://t.co/1ippwlV5OX to learn more about my campaign and priorities, and consider making a donation.
— Joe Jaworski (@JaworskiForTX) May 17, 2021
I believe that Lee Merritt is an outstanding candidate, and is someone I could support in the general election (absent a Green nominee). But I've known Joe Jaws a long time; I know who he is, and he's the best man for the job.
George Pee Bush, on the other hand, is a running joke. I care not whether he can dethrone the top criminal in the state. It's as important that we dispense with these legacies as it is the celebrities who think they're entitled to political careers.
All dovetailing nicely with this segment of Republicans Doing That Dumbass Shit They Do.
.@SethRogen rails against @TedCruz on @StephenAtHome: He's a 'fascist' whose 'words caused people to die' https://t.co/dJQOd8VCwl
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) May 14, 2021
Dan Crenshaw doesn't like Chuck Todd bringing up the fact that he signed onto the Texas lawsuit to toss out swing state votes, then says "you guys in the press" like doing this because they're "largely liberal."
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 16, 2021
Todd: "Don’t start that. There’s nothing lazier than that excuse." pic.twitter.com/FGRS7tF8UL
Perhaps I'll make the segue to the Lege follies by devoting some space to Greg Abbott's latest cave to profits over people.
#BREAKING: Gov. Greg Abbott informed the U.S. Department of Labor that Texas will opt out of further COVID-19 federal unemployment compensation, effective June 26. This includes the $300/weekly unemployment supplement. #txlege #breakingnews #texas #txnews https://t.co/atLBddnziH
— KYTX CBS19 (@kytxcbs19) May 17, 2021
This wasn't costing the state a dime. Abbott swallowed the lie that "nobody wants to work". So like other conservatives -- including Joe Biden -- they will try to force Americans to take starvation-wage jobs with no benefits, no paid time off, and no hope for advancement.
The groups blame the extended unemployment benefits for a labor shortage at Texas businesses like retail stores and restaurants. https://t.co/J4FHdxKN04
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) May 13, 2021
The appropriate market solution would be, as anyone who's passed Econ 101 would know, to raise wages to attract employees. But in Texas, companies are on the government dole, so they actually run themselves more like what they think communism must be like.
Texas is giving out $10.8B in tax breaks to corporations this year in exchange for job creation that often misses expectations.
— Zach Despart🖊️ (@zachdespart) May 14, 2021
To close that gap, the state must get more revenue from avg taxpayers — homeowners & small businesses.
Is this fair? ⬇️https://t.co/zsvqsCgi5b
Here's the front page coverage of the problems with #Chapter313. Essential reading for #txlege and #txed. HB 4242, which would extend the program for 2 years past its current 2022 expiration, passed the House and was referred to Sen Natural Resources & Economic Development Cmte. https://t.co/kCXMV19dsb
— Dick Lavine (@dlavine) May 17, 2021
“The case for passing the largest economic development incentive program in the Texas history may have been based on the fear incited by a magazine’s typographical error.”
— Zach Despart🖊️ (@zachdespart) May 16, 2021
Wow.
Hell of an intro to this @mmorris011/@John_Tedesco/@stephanierlamm series➡️ https://t.co/H7uyQuO9ft
I think Team Elephant would be horrified to learn that they were as Red as China ... if they were smart enough to figure it out.
Let's see; the Lege, was it?
Texas Senate votes to NOT CONCUR with changes House made to SB 7, the sweeping GOP election/voting bill.
— Chuck Lindell (@chucklindell) May 17, 2021
Conference committee: Hughes; Buckingham; Bettencourt; Kolkhorst; Powell, a Democrat.
Background:#txlegehttps://t.co/hDnrBkAWF1 via @statesman
Yes, as Scott Braddock noted, that's five Caucasian state senators -- four Republicans and one very conservative Democrat -- meeting behind closed doors to resolve issues on a bill codifying discrimination against Texans of color and their voting rights.
On that topic, some justice in another arena -- the appeals court -- might be forthcoming. Don't hold your breath, but be marginally encouraged.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reviewing Crystal Mason voter fraud conviction, question of intent included as part of Texas election voting bill debate #txlege https://t.co/xUpiZZja5I by @chucklindell
— Androvett Legal News (@AndrovettLegal) May 17, 2021
And with respect to other social justice developments:
Senate Bill 21 — which wasn't taken up in the House but has now taken the shell of the very different House bail bill — will keep more people accused or previously convicted of violent crimes in jail before trial unless they have cash.
— Jolie McCullough (@jsmccullou) May 17, 2021
More: https://t.co/Occ76dE2Re #txlege
Back in Feb, the TX House released 1000s of pages of public comments submitted in the wake of the blackouts. As the #txlege session starts to wrap, as lawmakers fail to meaningfully hold gas cos accountable, it's worth reflecting on what Texans actually experienced in this crisis https://t.co/xnNy41UfbL pic.twitter.com/T7D8g36OxB
— Kelly Mitchell (@kellyemitchell) May 14, 2021
.@KXAN_News investigators asked all TX lawmakers on the House Public Health and Human Services Committees and the Senate Health & Human Services Committees if they’ve received the COVID-19 vaccine. Which ones didn't answer... and why? Explore: https://t.co/p7moxoE6dw #txlege
— Josh Hinkle (@hinklej) May 12, 2021
And that's my segue to COVID.
.@UTAustin/@TexasTribune poll suggests we should expect that with increased number of vaccinated people without masks in public, there will be many among them who are unmasked but unvaccinated, by @jamesrhenson & @JoshuaMBlank https://t.co/QKFFteCBnG via @TexasTribune #txlege pic.twitter.com/jUm9zh8nQf
— The Texas Politics Project (@TxPolProject) May 15, 2021
Do I need to blog again why, even though I've had both my shots, I will keep wearing my mask?
Opinion: Count me among those who judge the CDC's recommendation that vaccinated people can unmask to be premature. https://t.co/s39EuUkG81
— San Antonio Report (@SAReport) May 16, 2021
Let Governor Wheels take his victory lap. What goes around comes around.
@GregAbbott_TX said Texas reported 0 COVID deaths Sunday, the only time that has happened since they started tracking cases. The state's dashboard confirmed the number, though some counties have limited reporting on weekends. https://t.co/BcF1VZrX4m #khou11 @KVUE takes a look:
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) May 17, 2021
We're all glad about this good news, but as Harvey Keitel said in Pulp Fiction ...
I have lots of green posts that I'll save for another day, perhaps its own post this week. Here's a little something I've been enjoying lately.
Calling all bird fans: The @nature_oregon 24/7 Sage-Grouse Lek Cam, hosted with @exploreorg & @USFWSPacific , is now LIVE! Tune in between 6am-9am PST for a chance to witness it live or just rewind the feed to catch the morning's action. https://t.co/NBCKUsAnec
— The Nature Conservancy (@nature_org) May 14, 2021
Lesser prairie chickens, the slightly smaller cousin to the greater prairie chicken, can only be found in five states: Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Following the original petition to list in 1995, lesser prairie chickens were listed in 2014 as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A lawsuit challenging the listing ended in a judge vacating the decision in 2015. Another petition for listing was received in 2016, with a finding anticipated in mid-May 2021.
— César Hernando Castellanos Orozco (@castellanosce_) May 15, 2021
And my artiste soother.
"The Black Yearbook" is a fine-art piece that consists of more than 200 images and 50 interviews with Black students at UT Austin—where only 4 percent out of 52,000 students are Black. https://t.co/fDhPo3tlb1
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) May 16, 2021