Showing posts sorted by date for query voter suppression. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query voter suppression. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Thursday, December 16, 2021

As the Filing Dust Settles Wrangle


Really am enjoying everything Nick Anderson and his gang are doing.

Beto's wave is building.


Candidly I've seen this before.  First in 2006 when David Van Os went to every single county courthouse in the state in his bid against Abbott for attorney general.  And nobody in my estimation had more momentum to defeat Governor Fish Lips than Wendy Davis in 2014, when she delivered a filibuster that shook the Capitol.  Literally, some will recall.

A lot of things have changed in the Lone Star State since then, not the least of which is that it's gotten redder and more extreme.  And now, of course, there's fresh gerrymandering and voter suppression to contend with.  So you'll have to forgive me if I don't deem this early enthusiasm all that contagious.


The marquee race remains, IMO, the state's attorney general contest, in both the GOP and Democratic primaries.  Just yesterday K-Pax was rebuked by the appeals court for overstepping his authority in prosecuting alleged voter fraud charges.

An election code provision granting the Office of Attorney General the ability to prosecute criminal election fraud cases is unconstitutional, the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled in an 8-1 decision. The case arises from an alleged campaign finance violation by the Jefferson County sheriff, a case the county district attorney declined to prosecute.

Section 273.021 (of the Texas) Election Code provides that the “attorney general may prosecute a criminal offense prescribed by the election laws of this state.” The Court ruled that power properly resides with county and district attorneys, who are part of the judicial branch, and not the attorney general, which is part of the executive branch.

“Absent the consent and deputization order of a local prosecutor or the request of a district or county attorney for assistance, the Attorney General has no authority to independently prosecute criminal cases in trial courts,” wrote Judge Jesse McClure for the majority (PDF). “Any attempt to overlap the Attorney General’s constitutional duties with county and district attorneys’ constitutional duties in the sense of a Venn diagram of sorts is unconstitutional.”

The CCA is all Republicans.  And none of them are moderates.  They're death penalty freaks like Sharon Keller.  (Sidebar: Regarding the death penalty, there's good news on that front.)  So let's hope the TXGOP primary voter can scrounge around and find enough logic to follow their lead and rebuke Paxton themselves in March.


Without straight-ticket voting it might be easier than in the past to dislodge some of these squatters from office in November, but that's too far away to be concerned with just yet.  Focus on spring turnout, Ds.  Media will make hay if your numbers are lower than the Pachys'.

Stace reviews his favorites for the statewide Donkey races and also Harris County, linking to the Erik Manning spreadsheet.  The San Antonio Report profiles the race for Bexar County judge, sure to be as spirited as the one in Harris.

I have some catch-all items.


A couple of environmental headlines:


An expansive collation of border and immigration developments.


And the criminal and social justice news.


Two items regarding critical race theory.


And today's soothers.

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Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Hump Day Wrangle


Let me first update a pair of 2022 election developments since Monday.


-- Gohmert has decided it's on him to hump Ken Paxton out of the attorney general's office.  So while his announcement was logistically challenged and math-deficient, should he take the plunge it probably forces a couple of announced entrants *ahem*MattKrause* to reconsider their bids.

Two more things:

1) He'll easily raise the million bucks  he says he needs in five weeks in order to decide.  If it's $10 million he wants ... well, I would be stunned if he got that much.  So all of this exploration is perhaps just shilling for his Congressional re-election (is that how campaign finance law works?  I don't want to bother Kuffner.)

2) Should he bid for AG, win the primary (runoff likely), and then lose to the Democrat in November, I'd fully expect to see him running for his old seat in 2024 ... and right back in Congress in '25.  Bicho malo nunca muerte.

-- E-Rod Tres made his TX-35 bid official this morning, joining Greg Casar.  With TMF opting out, these two would have to be considered the front-runners for the runoff, much to Claudia Zapata's chagrin.  She should run as a Green.

And some new politics business; the lathering up for Beto is under way.


I have been posting often that O'Rourke would not go for it.  That was because I took him at his word: that because the US Senate has been unable to use its workaround (i.e. abolishing the filibuster) in order to pass an elections bill watered-down for Joe Manchin, that Texas would be far too hamstrung to elect any statewide Democrats in 2022.  With the exception of attorney general -- provided that the GOP nominee's name is Paxton or Gohmert -- I believe Beto is/was correct.  So he must be reading this news and deciding he was wrong about that.


The result is at least 1 of every 5 voters in Texas never cast a ballot in the Lone Star State prior to 2014 -- a remarkable wild card in a state that had stable politics and a slow stream of new voters for a generation before that.

“You have a largely new electorate that is unfamiliar with the trends and the personalities in the area,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor. “That rapid turnover leads to a lot of uncertainty for candidates.”

It’s all setting up for a 2022 election cycle that is more competitive, more expensive and more uncertain than statewide candidates are used to seeing in Texas.

Wallace's piece goes on to laud the voter registration efforts of Battleground Texas and O'Rourke's own PoweredxPeople, as well as Voto Latino, MOVE Texas, and Jolt.

All those new voters have made Texas politics more competitive as well as more difficult to predict. In 2018, O’Rourke lost to Cruz in the U.S. Senate race by just 2.6 percentage points. (Lt. Gov. Dan) Patrick, (Paxton), and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller all won 51 percent of the vote or less in their re-elections.

Four years earlier, each of them had won at least 58 percent of the vote.

Certainly there have been bigger jackpots won on wild cards in Vegas, much as a lottery ticket of all random picks can hit the big one once in a great while.  I sincerely wish the best of luck to Beto and his cohorts who are betting on the come.

Be reminded that in the redistricting process just completed, every single Congressional district except the two new ones were drawn to be safer for the incumbent.


Be reminded that the TXGOP has strengthened voter turnout in the boondocks.  And more significantly, in the RGV.  Twenty-twenty and 2022's results are examples of their success.  It seems that the long-awaited Hispanic voter turnout is finally showing up ... for Republicans.

Last, this.


Again, it's always possible that the Supreme Court or Merrick Garland's DOJ can somehow, some way, ride to the rescue, saving Texas Democrats from the avalanche of voter suppression laws they've been buried under, through litigation and TROs and legal what-not, just in time, a year from now.

And donkeys might fly out of my ass.  Personally, I'll be voting more pragmatically next year.


BTW, if Joy Diaz decides to run for something, I hope it's lieutenant governor, and I hope she will do so as a Green and not a Democrat.
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Monday, September 27, 2021

The Monday Morning Wrangle from Far Left Texas


Just not sure where to begin with today's round-up of the best of the left of Texas from the past few days, so I suppose I'll start with what pisses me off most.  As usual that's Governor Strangelove.


The election audits "actually began months ago".  That is new news, as you can tell from these two reporters and this account.  The public needs answers.


Not enough in the state, as John Whitmire would say.

A few random fails by our Lege.


Li's thread below is one of two must-reads in this post (not a "must-read" like Evan Smith sells it six times a day; a real, actual must-read).


As this post was published, the new Congressional maps were released; I'm Tweeting the reactions (top right).  More on that subsequently.


Still planning on going long regarding last week's border catastrophe, but need to keep up on the most recent developments.


John Oliver also excoriated WH press secretary Jen Psaki for avoiding blame for the MAGA Mounties in Del Rio.

"(S)aying ‘this is not who we are’ about White people chasing Black people on horses is a bit of a stretch. Historically, we’ve been yes-and-ing that idea since 1619,” Oliver said. “If you listed the top three things that make America America, it’d be regional sandwich differences, flyovers at halftime, and White people chasing Black people while on horseback. I’m not saying that’s what made America great. Just what made America America."



Here's the other thread you should read.


KTSM reports that an El Paso shelter began caring for Haitian migrant families flown from Del Rio. Single adults were being returned to their country.  And Stace at Dos Centavos reminds us of what is really happening on the border: a human rights crisis.

Why is it always the least among us who help the most?


Let's talk about water.


The Texas Railroad Commission will cease issuing saltwater disposal permits in the Midland area after a rash of earthquakes there.  And El Paso Matters discusses the fight between New Mexico and Texas over the Pecos River, and the implications of that in the battle for the Rio Grande.

Texas Democrats are ticking me -- and each other -- off again.



By contrast, Beto nails Alrightx3 for his popularity.


There is simply no logical reason -- desperation to remove Governor Fish Lips doesn't count -- to support Matt Mac for public office.  For openers, he'd like to keep being an actor while governor.  Hard pass on any part-timers.

Criminal justice latest:


A few weeks ago I told you about Tesla's Giga factory coming together just outside of Austin.  This account says that the annual shareholders meeting for the company will be held there on October 7; it's virtual, and the public has access.

I've got more but I should stop here, as the latest redistricting will prompt an extra post this week, and I'm long enough here as it is.  The calm-me-downs ...

Houstonia welcomes Top Chef to Space City.


And congratulations to Lisa Gray on her move to CityCast and the forthcoming debut of CityCast Houston.

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Thursday, August 26, 2021

Voter Suppression Day Wrangle *update


Update 2 (8/27):


Hold the phone ...


I'll check back in tomorrow evening (with a fresh post).

Update 1:


Original post:


Follow the action at the #TXLege hashtag or in my Tweet feed at the top right. In other news ...


Yes, the very bad is upon us, with the worst to come.


On this travesty, there is considerable pushback.


Others, not so much.  And new dangers loom.


With a few political updates:


Dowd would be primarying Mike Collier if he takes the leap; another Republican turned Democrat.  Moldy Caucasian conservatives are about all Texas Dems are good for any longer, I guess.

Here's the latest from the southern border.


Beginning my segment on the environment with an anniversary.


With a new storm brewing and taking aim at the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast, keep in mind that personal responsibility is all you can count on in our headlong rush to "freedumb".  Take all necessary precautions now.


COVID, and then criminal justice news.


A union update:


And two calm-me-downs.

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Friday, August 20, 2021

The Friday Texas Fold 'em Wrangle

"I’ve always said in politics, your enemies can’t hurt you, but your friends will kill you."
-- Ann Richards

Karl Rove, writing in the WSJ, made himself look prescient with the headline I borrowed.  He's also back to teaching his master class in projection.


You're excused for not wanting to read the whole thing, whether because the paywall stops you or your gag reflex does.  Still, for purposes of understanding the modern-day Goebbels in his favorite environment, you might give ol' Turd Blossom a click at his shop.

And yesterday, as if by magic, three Houston Democrats bent their knee (bad pun intended) and let the statehouse have its quorum.


There was considerable dissension in the Blue ranks.


And while there were questions as to whether a quorum was legitimately present ...


... the shitshow must go on.


Though out of the office until Monday, Dan Patrick does not cotton (another lousy pun intended) to staying out of controversy.


Rep. Bernal has really been spittin' the facts of late.

I could make this post longer with the SCOTX's latest, some Permian environmental bad news, and the usual Republican suspects saying stupid things (like Louie Gohmert's exploding birds, Ted Cruz's book sales, and John Cornyn's US troops in Taiwan), but I got a lot of shit to do, including prepare to visit my brother for what will quite possibly be the very last time.  So the rest will appear in the Tweet feed to the right ... or not at all.
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Monday, July 26, 2021

The Waiting Game Wrangle from Far Left Texas

A very solid analysis by Reese Oxner of where Greg Abbott, the Lege -- those under the Pink Dome and those in DC -- and all of us watching are today.


The Texas Supreme Court has been asked to rule whether Gov. Greg Abbott’s unprecedented line-item veto of Article X in the state budget -- which pays for the Legislature and its staff -- is constitutional.

Abbott issued the veto after the regular legislative session ended, pulling one of the few political levers at his disposal to try to force Democratic lawmakers to show up for a special session if they want their staffs to keep getting paid when the next fiscal year starts Sept. 1.

It didn’t work. Enough House Democrats left the state to deprive the chamber of the quorum needed to conduct business.

Now the state’s all-Republican highest civil court -- with four of eight members appointed by Abbott and one seat vacant -- has been asked by the House Democrats who broke quorum to overturn the veto.

Legally, the case hinges on whether the Texas Constitution allows a governor to cut off funding for an equal branch of government. Politically, it’s unclear whether the court would be doing Abbott a bigger favor by upholding his veto power, or by extricating him from a stalemate that’s not going his way.

All the way back here -- before the special session began -- I suggested, referencing Quorum Report's plugged-in coverage, that this was likely the endgame.  For those who can't be troubled to keep up.

(Seriously.  If you're writing 'like I said, what else is there to say' on a regular basis, why are you even bothering?  One post a week versus three posts a day and still two weeks behind.  SMDH)

“This is well beyond the Schoolhouse Rock version of how government works,” (U of H political science professor Brandon) Rottinghaus said, referencing a children’s animated series that simplified political concepts into cartoons. “This is a political story as much as it is an institutional separation-of-powers story. So it’s going to really push the boundaries of what’s allowable in Texas, especially in its governor.”

[...]

It’s unclear when the Texas Supreme Court could rule on the issue -- or if it will at all. It could rule any day now, delay a decision or decide the court does not have jurisdiction over the case at all. The justices could also rule to disallow part of the veto — for example, legislators are allowed a per diem payment under the Constitution -- or find that the issue is not yet ripe and punt it down the road to decide at another time. Attorneys for House Democrats asked for the court to expedite its decision “well before” the new budget comes into effect.

“If I had to really put money on it, I would say that the court would back the governor’s veto, in part because they might view this as being a temporary political skirmish that can be resolved,” Rottinghaus said.

Anything short of striking down Abbott's veto is a wipeout for the Q-Breakers.  That's actually less of a long shot than expecting Joe Biden to suddenly support killing the filibuster, though.

Talk about being left to twist in the wind ...


As for Beto: he's already said he will wait for the final outcome of the voter suppression bill before he decides to run for something (Donks pray every day it's governor).  I've already said -- and this requires no crystal ball -- that the bill will eventually pass, Beto won't run, and Texas Democrats will be drowned in a red tide in 2022 unless they can break through in the AG race with Joe Jaworski (or, I suppose, Lee Merritt).

Maybe the best hope for the Blues is another statewide power outage. This week?

I think I can get around to more blogging as long as I don't lose electricity.  For now, let's chill.

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