Saturday, April 03, 2021
Thursday, April 01, 2021
Thursday Lone Star Lege (and more) Revoltin' Roundup
Your Texas Legislature, hard at work into the wee hours this morning.
on a party-line vote just after 2am the texas senate gives final approval to sb7, aimed at making sweeping changes to election law : https://t.co/JuBDdtN9hz #txlege
— quorumreport (@quorumreport) April 1, 2021
Among SB 7's provisions:
— Alexa Ura (@alexazura) April 1, 2021
-limits extended early voting hours
-prohibits drive-thru voting
-bans local election officials from proactively sending applications to vote by mail
-allows poll watchers to record voters receiving assistance in filling out their ballots #txlege
Unlike Georgia, where there is a backlash against the corporations headquartered in that state for supporting their voter suppression laws ... here, not so much yet.
1. Corporate PAC donations to the politicians behind voter suppression legislation in Texas (2018-present):@oncor (577K)@ATT (575K)@USAA (370K)@CharterNewsroom (346K)@WeAreFarmers (333K)@BNSFRailway (239K)@StateFarm (217K)@UnionPacific (201K)https://t.co/rX5e4iByKb
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 31, 2021
Gonna be more than a little difficult to fight this now. And previously under the Pink Dome ... Texas women aren't winning, either.
Updated: Texas Senate passes several bills restricting access to abortions, sending them to the House for its consideration, @alex__briseno reports. #txlege #abortion #reproductiverights #womenshealth #healthcare https://t.co/lt4M2MNDiY
— John Gravois (@Grav1) March 30, 2021
Sen. Carol Alvarado speaking against now: "After all we've been through — the storm, the pandemic — our message to Texas women is that we're going to such great lengths to control you and suffocate your access to healthcare that we're willing to throw doctors in prison." #txlege
— Madlin Mekelburg (@madlinbmek) March 30, 2021
But hey! Soon, at least, you can sue Facebook if one your posts gets taken down!
The Texas Senate gave initial approval to a measure that would prohibit social media companies with at least 100 million monthly users from blocking, banning, demonetizing or discriminating against a user based on their views or location within Texas. https://t.co/bzNSpWfD5p
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 30, 2021
That was an injustice just whining for relief.
Before they take a break for Easter, they'll solve our power generation problems.
Disaster capitalism hard at work in the #TXLege https://t.co/cufYOHa8jZ #HB17 #SB3
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) March 30, 2021
So despite the fact that every energy source was curtailed during the storm because of failure to winterize, Republicans in Texas are going to raise the cost of renewable energy sources because they believe their own made up nonsense about frozen turbines https://t.co/j6LxiO5iBP
— Adam Serwer π (@AdamSerwer) March 30, 2021
Quote from a staunch TX Republican to @Dexinvestigates: “When the discussion turns to privatizing the gains for gas companies but socializing the massive losses for the taxpayer, then we know the free market system is failing.” #txlege #TexasBlackout
— Jay Root (@byjayroot) March 31, 2021
New w/ @erinmdouglas23 — Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy is lobbying #txlege for deal to build $8 billion worth of power plants for emergency use https://t.co/RY8otLyfBT
— Cassi Pollock (@cassi_pollock) March 25, 2021
“It’s like trying to fix a broken window by putting in a bigger furnace," said @CES_Baker_Inst fellow @jimkrane. "Let’s fix the broken window. The furnace is fine. It’s the wrong solution for the problem." #Texas #WarrenBuffett #txlege #ERCOT #energyhttps://t.co/oae53oI73Y
— Baker Institute (@BakerInstitute) March 29, 2021
"Experts" should not be conflated with "lawmakers".
Had enough yet? Too bad; there's more.
This is a tough read but I highly recommend you take the time for this @JTiloveTX piece —"Were the Texas Blackouts a Crime?"
— Forrest Wilder (@Forrest4Trees) March 31, 2021
The needless death and suffering that occurred during the blackouts is tragic and infuriating.https://t.co/C6cHA4OaMc pic.twitter.com/9daMu127gb
Federal stimulus funds have been treated like manna from heaven, a free political windfall, and a multibillion slush fund controlled by the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the Texas House speaker. https://t.co/aJldxRSSiS
— San Antonio Report (@SAReport) April 1, 2021
THREAD — Reporters toured the temporary border facility in Donna, TX today.
— Nicole Sganga (@NicoleSganga) March 30, 2021
The Biden admin allowed pooled coverage for the first time.
We saw a “pod” designed for 32 migrant children under CDC guidelines now holding 615.
The facility is at 1700% pandemic capacity.
πΈ:TV Pool pic.twitter.com/cJTPUAxXmc
Those last three might be the most atrocious of all. All of this -- and I am certain, a lot more -- led to the resignations of two of the Texas Tribune's top staffers this week after a year on the job. Neither woman was from Texas; one was working remotely from New York. I don't blame them, frankly.
"These are horrible, stressful, underpaid positions and the last folks to hold them are burned out and leaving...oh and hey we are hiring!"
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) March 31, 2021
Do better, journalism bosses. #txlege
Looks like Scott has the same lofty opinion of Evan Smith as me.
The victories for the good guys are few and small, but we should mark them anyway.
Tejas is proud to announce that our Founder and Co-Director Juan Parras has been selected to serve on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council along with other long-time serving grassroots leaders across the nation. pic.twitter.com/cEW7VC4NPG
— t.e.j.a.s. (@tejasbarrios) March 30, 2021
Lawyers across Houston are ready to help the latest wave of undocumented immigrants. https://t.co/jVXPjOiD25 #khou @KHOUmelissa has the story:
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) March 30, 2021
Update: A Texas appeals court has agreed to review the case of Crystal Mason, who was convicted of casting a provisional ballot in 2016 (which was never counted) while on probation and sentenced to five years in prison. #FreeTheVote! via @srl https://t.co/pvZQH7XLwz
— Sentencing Project (@SentencingProj) March 31, 2021
Two former Williamson County sheriff's deputies have been indicted in the Javier Ambler case.
— KUT Austin (@KUT) March 30, 2021
Ambler, a 40-year-old Black man, died after being tasered by deputies in 2019. | @allysonortegon https://t.co/Alx1utQo7X
REAL IMPACT: In 1989, this man was sentenced to 60 years in prison based on an ID made under hypnosis.
— Lauren McGaughy π (@lmcgaughy) March 31, 2021
One year ago, after we asked about his case, he was released.
Yesterday, Texas lawmakers debated banning evidence gleaned during hypnosis. https://t.co/rclmlYdM39 #txlege pic.twitter.com/PTI0k0dj8F
The rest of the climate and criminal justice news, alas, is not so positive.
Over 5 years, Texas prisons LOST $6.8 million on field crops. That includes the cotton, harvested by unpaid prisoners.
— Keri Blakinger (@keribla) March 31, 2021
So: TDCJ lost millions to be able to continue forcing people - mostly people of color - to harvest crops, w/o pay
h/t @Grits4Breakfasthttps://t.co/IjgGFKaqfi pic.twitter.com/qZv4EdN14k
Grits had this as well.
Footage of @Austin_Police officer Brian Charles Yarger, Badge #6499, throwing quadruple amputee Whitney Mitchell out of her wheelchair. He reportedly has a history of misconduct.
— Fiorella Isabel (@Fiorella_im) March 30, 2021
Whitney was fiancΓ© to the late Garrett Foster, a veteran who was killed at a BLM protest last year. pic.twitter.com/nYss9hbc8W
The most distasteful story about police abuse I read this week (and that's quite an accomplishment). See also Tribune of the People.
Over 2 years, 80% of Houstonites that DA Kim Ogg’s office charged with manufacture or delivery of small amounts of Penalty I drugs were Black. Only 20% of the county’s population is Black. https://t.co/bcReCkI8cX
— The Appeal (@theappeal) March 26, 2021
Soil samples collected after Hurricane Harvey by Texas A&M researchers showed increased exposure to harmful chemicals linked to an increased cancer risk in neighborhoods near the Houston Ship Channel. #HouNews https://t.co/I2yvHRJ2BF
— One Breath Partnership (@OneBreathHOU) March 31, 2021
The historical record reveals clear links between white supremacy and the oil industry, from the corporate office and well pad to sites for refineries in communities of color. By @KendraWriteshttps://t.co/dOlqrnQJ3Y
— DeSmog (@DeSmogBlog) March 29, 2021
More pollution is headed for Midlothian, the 'Cement Capital of Texas'. And Downwinders at Risk wants you to know that there are members of Dallas City Council up for re-election this year who do not deserve your support.
Which reminds me to remind you ...
π£ Is your voter registration up to date? The deadline to update your registration is April 1st for the May Election! #ATX https://t.co/VA4UfMewB1
— Gregorio Casar (@GregCasar) March 30, 2021
And no Roundup would be complete without a few Rethugs acting badly.
Living Blue in Texas reports on the Texas Young Republicans' first annual Legislative Dinner spotlighting the War on Women. LareDOS verified that a domestic terrorist was a featured speaker at a TXGOP event in Laredo last week.
Remember that story about an ex-cop being paid by Steven Hotze to investigate an alleged vote harvesting scheme, and the ex-cop rammed a truck and held the driver at gunpoint, claiming the guy had 700K ballots, except he didn't? https://t.co/9QiIwjvpds via @houstonchron
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) March 30, 2021
Elon Musk wants to be the next saviour of the Great State.
Elon Musk says Tesla’s new factory in Austin will need 10,000 hires through 2022, double the previous pronouncement https://t.co/A63WvSqAxf
— Bloomberg (@business) March 31, 2021
NEW: @elonmusk promises millions to Brownsville with new Starbase @News4SA https://t.co/dV60Az1WBr
— Kristina De Leon (@KristinaDeLeon) March 30, 2021
Starbase and greater Brownsville/South Padre area in Texas after @elonmusk tweet: pic.twitter.com/dV3EJrLQOU
— Kenny Lay (Parody) (@EnronChairman) March 30, 2021
And as promised, a few pieces of art.
There’s a 30-foot tall eyeball plopped down in the middle of downtown Dallas.
— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) March 27, 2021
The giant sculpture is one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks, but it turns out it’s still a mystery to some folks. https://t.co/uKiBDNLaBz
Christopher Blay and Christina Rees discuss the recent explosion of murals across the state.
— Glasstire (@Glasstire) March 28, 2021
“I wonder if artists are being commissioned to beautify cities in a way that ignores the time that we live in.”https://t.co/kmNRzTfxkR pic.twitter.com/hgrW7XZOe6
Watch π₯: Mother-son team Donkeeboy and Donkeemom are the duo behind several of Houston's most colorful murals. In this Being Texan video, we spend a day with the artists as they collab on a mural, learning more about their process and their relationship. https://t.co/Jg2w9OSTpX
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) March 31, 2021
And some of the rest that soothes. Except for the snakes.
Here’s a friendly reminder to always look around bluebonnets before you take pictures. In 2020, Jimmy Martin caught two rattlesnakes popping out of a field of #Texas #bluebonnets. @TPWDparks said these male diamondbacks were sparring over a female. pic.twitter.com/38fuXbpapf
— KVUE News (@KVUE) March 31, 2021
Houston Black Restaurant Week is coming back bigger and better in 2021 https://t.co/FLpOcZiBwt via @chron
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) April 1, 2021
Stephen F. Austin's writing desk, now in the @BullockMuseum ."The prosperity of Texas has been the object of my labors ---- the idol of my existence --- it has assumed the character of a religion to me ---- for the guidance of my thoughts and actions."
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) March 31, 2021
--- Stephen F. Austin pic.twitter.com/10W4jjNs1h
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
'Election Integrity' extends to Judge Hidalgo, too
We're not speaking of voter suppression today, but actual election integrity, a problem that many people think the new voting machines purchased by the Harris County commissioners have solved. I don't think so, Judge Lina Hidalgo.
It's noon on Tuesday, @HarrisCoJudge @LinaHidalgoTX and judging by your lack of response, I'll presume that you have no interest in addressing these concerns, privately or publicly. Thus I'll move ahead and publish my story. #HouNews https://t.co/9L6FLShSgk
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) March 30, 2021
What were those concerns again?
Harris county, Texas ignores experts who advise pen & paper for most in-person voters. Chooses new Hart touchscreens (BMDs). A recent study shows voters miss 93% of inaccuracies & omissions caused by BMDs in marking the paper. 1/ https://t.co/MWDxHWcxnk
— Jennifer Cohn ✍π» π’ (@jennycohn1) March 25, 2021
That's a thirteen-count thread -- here's the unroll -- and it's pretty alarming. Note in the replies there the experts who express misgivings, and the local activist who lobbied Commissioners Court in vain prior to the county's $54 million buy. I asked Brad Friedman of BradBlog to weigh in; he is, to my experience, one of the nation's pre-eminent experts in the field of what we used to call black box voting, a topic he's covered -- and one detailed by many others -- for 20 years.
Those machines are 100% unverifiable after an election. There is no way to know that ANY computer-marked ballot actually reflects the intent of ANY voter. Ever. Period.
— Brad Friedman (@TheBradBlog) March 27, 2021
Uh oh. What about local authority Dan Wallach, of Rice University? He's expressed no concerns that I can find about the Hart InterCivic Verity Duo, this new tech from the same vendor which supplied our old e-Slates with the scrolling wheel. Wallach testified last week (.pdf) before the Texas Senate's State Affairs committee about election security; he writes at Medium, his Twitter page contains more geeks talking voting tech, and he's been published frequently, including by Zach Despart of the Houston Chronicle in October of last year about this topic.
My interpretation of his recent remarks is: "these latest machines are better than what Harris County had before, but that's not saying much". (Professor Wallach, if you read this and I have you mistaken, please feel free to correct me.)
Of course if Judge Hidalgo, or Elections Aministrator Isabel Longoria, or whoever monitors the Twitter accounts of Harris Votes or Hart InterCivic had wanted to respond to my concerns, they could have done so already. Maybe they're all too busy to do so. Maybe they have their Twitter notifications turned off. Maybe I'm just a lowly blogger who isn't worthy of a response. Maybe they didn't know about these issues (that doesn't fly for Hart); maybe they just don't give a shit. We don't know, because nobody has said anything.
Somehow I expected more from a public servant whom I have voted for, donated to, and praised on these pages as a "rising star in the Democratic Party".
At any rate, if you want to take a look at how the new voting machines work, Judge Hidalgo and John Coby have a preview.
Our incredible new voting machines are in the house, and we took them for a test drive. Look out for them in an upcoming election near you. pic.twitter.com/OxqCF9OzFp
— Office of Judge Lina Hidalgo (@HarrisCoJudge) March 26, 2021
As for me, I'm voting by mail. With an actual hand-marked paper ballot.
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Taco Tuesday Wrangle from Far Left Texas
ICYMI: I got the scoop from @TexasMonthly on the World Taco Day proclamation from @houmayor @SylvesterTurner, which was spurred by @ArnaldoRichards @picosrestaurant & Mexico's own taco day. Everyone should get behind it & every city celebrate. https://t.co/eSACHwNQt6
— JosΓ© R. Ralat (@TacoTrail) March 29, 2021
Efforting today to get everything I can into two posts; this early edition and another
This toon commemorates the bastardizing of Toby Keith's "Beer for my Horses" by Rep. Chip Roy, who tried to normalize lynching as an excuse for the way AAPI Americans have been treated since the pandemic began ... a story about two weeks old. Roy has had almost as much trouble with 'old sayings in Texas' as did GW Bush. Stupid is as stupid does.
League City classmates turn in 2 fellow alums as Capitol rioters https://t.co/QRbddHXRLG
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) March 29, 2021
Prosecutors say that when officers arrested a Capitol riot suspect at his Dallas home, he was wearing a T-shirt with “I Was There, Washington D.C., January 6, 2021" emblazoned on it. Garret Miller didn't say anything as he was taken away. https://t.co/DSTZl1p3vy
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 29, 2021
If you haven't read this yet, please do so.
About a week after the March 10th order went into effect, I was working a closing shift with two other young women. A man came in with a mask on but pulled it down to order. My 18-year-old coworker asked him nicely to keep his mask up. He pulled the mask down farther, and she asked him again. He went off the rails: "I am a 40-year-old man, I can scratch my nose if I want to. Give me your manager's phone number. I don't think he's going to be impressed with your attitude. I was going to give a tip to you and your friends, but your attitude just lost it." And on and on until he finally left.
My co-workers and I were shaken. If we had asked him to leave, he might have gotten more agitated. If my other co-worker or I had stepped in, he might have seen it as a threat and the situation might have escalated. We had heard about violent, even fatal attacks on customer service workers who were trying to enforce mask policies. Despite all the signage on our doors and our manager's policy to not serve those without masks, we still had to sweetly listen while this man berated a young woman less than half his age who is working to pay her way through college. We felt completely helpless.
While leaving the decision up to businesses and "individuals" sounds like a very Texan way to handle a global health crisis, it's not protecting Texans.
Thanks again, Greg Abbott.
Here's a few legislative updates to yesterday posted in non-chronological order.
#txlege Senate Abortion Pkg all passed to 3rd reading 2day by same vote patterns 19Y/12N#SB8 Heartbeat Bill#SB9 Abortion Prohibition#SB394 Pill-Induced Prohibition#SB650 Taxπ° Prohibition for Logistical Support#SB802 Every Mother Matters Act#SB1173 PRNDA#SB1647 Combo
— Jeramy D. Kitchen (@OpinionatedK) March 29, 2021
Texas isn't alone in seeing a shift in the Medicaid expansion debate w/stimulus funds. See: WY, NC.
— RA News (@RANewsTX) March 29, 2021
We see the first GOP co-sponsored expansion #txlege bill since 2013.
& yet @GovAbbott has not made a clear statement about expansion since ARP's passage.https://t.co/ma3eQjUELs
HB17 is a bad bill, according to Luke Metzger at Environment Texas, who says it makes the state less secure from electrical blackouts, like what happened with Winter Storm Uri. Metzger also has a list of the best and worst bills his organization is supporting. (More eco-news in the next Wrangle.)
Phelan says creditors for the State of TX encourage investment of the Rainy Day Fund (which he said is $10-$11B) for infrastructure. He said they will look at the ARP as well. A bill for an infrastructure fund similar to the 2013 SWIFT fund, #HJR2, will be heard next wk. #txlege
— RA News (@RANewsTX) March 29, 2021
#Chapter313 is costing the state $1 billion/year to replace foregone school property taxes. Shouldn't there be tighter oversight?
— Dick Lavine (@dlavine) March 24, 2021
"Energy Transfer Partners May Have Misled State to Secure Tax Break"https://t.co/9wiKU87gkl #txlege #txed
As the #txlege makes broadband access a priority amid #COVID19, @BexarCounty and Floyd County tell us how they are meeting the broadband needs of their residents. Read the cover story of the March/April issue of @TexasCountymag. https://t.co/az1gPnreCr pic.twitter.com/JH8pnjs4Ju
— Texas County magazine (@TexasCountymag) March 29, 2021
The Mexican American Legislative Caucus stands in solidarity with Rep. Carl Sherman, the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the family of Botham Jean and so many other other families who have unjustly lost loved ones at the hands of law enforcement. #txlege We must pass HB 929. pic.twitter.com/rPRLysBhzH
— MALC (@MALCTx) March 29, 2021
There's my segue to the aggregation of BLM, social justice, and 'cops behaving badly' stories. This rally, below, was yesterday.
π¨ HAPPENING NOW π¨
— Texas Organizing Project (@OrganizeTexas) March 29, 2021
We’re in Dallas w/@BlackVotersMtr on their TX tour to call out @ATT @ their HQ for not speaking out against & being complicit in the voter suppression law that was signed into law in GA, & the attacks taking place right now in TX!#SilenceIsComplicity pic.twitter.com/VwnFEyeeDU
"We're not anti-police, we're anti-abusers, we're anti-racism, we're anti-oppression," longtime East Side activist Mario Salas said. https://t.co/4Q2kBKXDel
— San Antonio Current (@SAcurrent) March 28, 2021
HOUSTON’S FIGHT TO END CASH BAIL: Councilmember @CMPlummer4, Commissioner @RodneyEllis, and law professor @MeganTStevenson discuss on #AppealLive the urgent need for bail reform. https://t.co/HyMQSNIdR7
— The Appeal (@theappeal) March 25, 2021
The man who helped police unions gain their power is a former Mesquite cop who "has likened a police union going after an elected official to a cheetah devouring a wildebeest." https://t.co/1uu78X2cCW
— D Magazine (@DMagazine) March 12, 2021
What if activists could shrink the footprint of law enforcement while leaving city departments untouched? https://t.co/g63S0ZP1f0
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) March 29, 2021
San Antonio's police union should not get hung up over the right of the police chief, with the help of a citizens advisory board, to fire bad cops. https://t.co/Qej3GtCfay
— San Antonio Report (@SAReport) March 29, 2021
I am thinking today about the family of Javier Ambler on the second anniversary of his death.
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) March 28, 2021
This week, a grand jury will decide if Williamson County deputies will face charges for possible excessive force in the moments before he died. pic.twitter.com/ImN5fArnqW
On Feb. 8, the Houston Police Department arrested a homeless man, 57-year-old Israel Iglesias, for allegedly handing about half a gram of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. Iglesias died the next day in the county jail. https://t.co/bcReCkZJBx
— The Appeal (@theappeal) March 29, 2021
“The truth will be revealed, and we will get justice. It may not be immediate, but I’m in it for the long haul.”https://t.co/z61jMuT2jb
— Dallas Observer (@Dallas_Observer) March 22, 2021
Darius Tarver. Israel Iglesias. Botham Jean. Javier Ambler. And Mike Ramos. Say their names. As you watch the trial of Derek Chauvin this week, keep in mind that these are not isolated cases. Police killing POC for minor offenses, or no offense at all -- and not killing extremist white men who've slain multiple people, often POC, with guns -- is an American epidemic. It will require the full urgency of white men and women to make it stop.
Environmental news and a few of the more uplifting stories, including what I intend to be a regular feature, art and the arts, will be in
RIP: Attorney Roy Minton was a legal legend in Austin https://t.co/4nKvTSHJ6f via @statesman
— Michael Barnes (@outandabout) March 29, 2021
Texas just got less original. Goodbye and thank you to a Texas treasure. Beautiful obit by Andrew Dansby. Beloved Houston Chronicle columnist Leon Hale dies https://t.co/JQBi9gqiek
— Lisa Falkenberg (@ChronFalkenberg) March 27, 2021
And the passing of Don Bankston, husband of "Juanita Jean", also an associate judge and the former Fort Bend County Democratic party chairman, is a loss that reverberates throughout southeast Texas politics. My most sincere condolences to Susan, their sons, and her extended family.