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Texas Republicans Behaving Badly Round-Up *Updated

Far too long a post, y'all.  Starting with yesterday's news and the latest from the worst governor in the long history of the Great State.

As retribution for Democrats walking out of the #txlege to block the GOP elections overhaul bill, @GovAbbott just vetoed funding for the Texas Legislature, its staff and legislative agencies.

House Dems "exploring" legal options

via @cassi_pollock https://t.co/yYJ7jBRrPE

— Rebekah Allen (@rebekahallen) June 18, 2021

Gov. Abbott not only defunded the legislature, he also vetoed these 20 bills: https://t.co/lDIhphn1Zc #txlege

— James Russell, vaccinated lightning rod (@jamesfortexas) June 19, 2021

In Texas, The Governor Has Essentially Unchecked Veto Power, by @DavidMartinDavihttps://t.co/N7z5xjKjCg #txlege

— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) June 19, 2021

.@GovAbbott has vetoed at least two bills from @DadePhelan's criminal justice reform agenda:
- #HB686, juvenile sentencing reform
- #SB281, restricting use of hypnosis in criminal investigations #txlege

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 19, 2021

@GovAbbott, WHY would you do this? As an animal welfare advocate and as your supporter, I welcome an answer that makes some sort of sense! I can’t imagine your not wanting to protect Pancake & Peaches…🤨🙁 #SB474 #txlege https://t.co/ysH5Gk0JDd

— Stephanie Arnold Long (@Steph77520) June 19, 2021

Update:

Gov. Abbott vetoes bipartisan anti-dog chain bill. Twitter responds with #AbbottHatesDogs. https://t.co/YmrOju590y

— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) June 21, 2021

Abbott was determined to make this past week all about him and his Trump-ish agenda, and he didn't necessarily fail at that.

🤔Notable bills Gov. Abbott signed today: #txlege#SB4 Star Spangled Banner Prtctn Act#HB1927 Constitutional Carry#SB24 Law Enfrcmnt Transparency Act#HB1239 Freedom to Worship Prtctns#HB385 Removal Arbitrary Barriers to Probation#HB1280 Prohibit Abortion 'Trigger' Bill

— Jeramy D. Kitchen (@OpinionatedK) June 16, 2021

The same week that GOP Senators voted to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday, Gov Greg Abbott & the GOP #TXLege made it illegal for teachers to discuss, in public schools, why Juneteenth exists. #ThisIsTexas #RepresentationMatters https://t.co/NmI7Xt9d5m

— WoolridgeForThePeople (@CW4ThePeople) June 16, 2021

It's particularly insulting that this occurred as Juneteenth, a state holiday since 1979, finally became a national holiday.

"I see dead people."https://t.co/ea6mYRXrU5

— Free Dumb (@usaFreeDumb) June 16, 2021

He also managed -- along with several of his friends -- to show his ass at the gun bill signing at the Alamo, just prior to the start of Fiesta in San Antonio.

F'n Dan Patrick with the white power sign https://t.co/lJ4LLhkxXX

— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) June 17, 2021

During a question-and-answer session, one reporter asked the governor about the timing of signing these bills after a recent shooting in downtown Austin that killed one and hurt 14 others. The crowd behind Abbott booed, and he remarked, “you must be from out of state,” at which the crowd cheered.

NEW: Austin police update on 6th Street shooting:
* 15 people shot or injured; 13 'stable,' one 'serious;' Tourist Doug Kantor died.
* The juvenile suspect is 15. He is charged with deadly conduct.
* 17-year-old Jeremiah Tabb remains in jail on aggravated assault charge.

— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) June 17, 2021

Then there's his wall.

Since there’s a lot of talk around #Texas building its own #borderwall after @GregAbbott_TX announced his plans, I thought it would be a good opportunity to go over what @jinatx and I found last year via @texastribune @propublicahttps://t.co/Nb7Xoe6yLV

— Perla Trevizo (@Perla_Trevizo) June 17, 2021

Critics denounce Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick’s “invasion” rhetoric on immigration, saying it will incite violence https://t.co/OLqi2GfTb3 via @TexasTribune

— James Barragán 🌟 (@James_Barragan) June 17, 2021

He also made sure critics of the electricity grid's second potential failure this year clearly got his message: contempt.

.@GovAbbott: “Everyone who’s been trying to make a big deal out of the power grid over the past two days I found were the exact same people who called me a Neanderthal” for fully reopening Texas. "They were hoping there would be a power failure."

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 16, 2021

For the record, I don't think Abbott is a Neanderthal.  I DO think he is a menace to society, a devoted plutocrat, and a self-loathing sociopath.

We're all taking steps to curb our energy usage, and @GregAbbott_TX is making us pay for it.

Texas ratepayers will ultimately be saddled with at least $37.7 billion in excess energy costs from our leaders' failure to fix our energy grid. #txlegehttps://t.co/w4f1E1AAMU

— Progress Texas (@ProgressTX) June 15, 2021

I know Greg Abbott’s mansion is not at 78 degrees right now.

— Jessica Mason for Congress (@JessicaMasonTX) June 16, 2021

Texas loses to Oklahoma on electric vehicle company Canoo’s ‘mega-factory.’ Power grid cited as one reason. https://t.co/fPsiGwFgR6

— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) June 18, 2021

pic.twitter.com/gHivdzTox0

— Nurse Ratched (@veggie64_leslie) June 16, 2021

But Abbott wasn't alone in his atrocious conduct.

Senator @JohnCornyn said earlier this week at the Senate Judiciary Hearing on the Dream and Promise Act that it is radical to provide a pathway to citizenship to undocumented immigrants.

80% of voters disagree. https://t.co/DFfACoaQrm #WeAreHome #ItsNotRadical pic.twitter.com/34pDgkdm1S

— America's Voice (@AmericasVoice) June 17, 2021

you tried to overturn an election like 5 months ago https://t.co/bTpz7juiY7

— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) June 17, 2021

Updates:

ICYMI: Texas Reps. Cloud, Gohmert and Roy vote against awarding Capitol police gold medals for actions on Jan. 6 https://t.co/csVU41Bg5n

— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) June 20, 2021

Rep. Ronny Jackson: "We have redistricting coming up and the Republicans control most of that process in most of the states around the country. That alone should get us the majority back." pic.twitter.com/45U4dFyibh

— The Hill (@thehill) June 18, 2021

Sanford Nowlin at the San Antonio Current had the "Louie Gohmert, Space Cadet" news.  And the Lege never fails to get in on the act, even out of session.

Oh look! We've even got a cartoon from Ben Sargent to sum it all up. https://t.co/IVQHJDM5M7 pic.twitter.com/iQSuzAhnn8

— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) June 14, 2021

https://t.co/F6usVVHUFS

— Nathan Johnson (@NathanForTexas) June 14, 2021

Reform Austin also shined a light on the Legislature's lack of transparency.  I would still like to do a separate post on Texas Monthly's Best and Worst listings, since they're always so good, and include some thoughts about Mark Jones' far right-to-far left rankings of the statehouse and Senate, but I still have an environmental and a criminal justice post to get to, so I'm not sure if anything I have to say about those will be timely.  We'll see.  You can enjoy them without my commentary.

As teased, lots more on the way.