Sunday, September 26, 2021
Friday, September 24, 2021
Friday's Lone Star Far Left Round-up
Texas roundup, as drawn by Michael @deAdder https://t.co/6R2GAteaND
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) September 22, 2021
Let's do politics first, with Sly Turner in the barrel. ICYMI:
UPDATED: Housing chief accuses Turner of directing 'charade' bid process to benefit developer
— Mike Morris (@mmorris011) September 21, 2021
We've learned a company with a 10% stake in the deal, per state documents (https://t.co/0g1p9jtFfz) is run by the mayor's longtime law partner:https://t.co/kYnhsoks46
w/@dylmcguinness
"It will be hard for Mayor @SylvesterTurner to wave this one off, and not just because the federal housing department (@HUDgov @SecFudge) and Texas General Land Office (@txglo) have both announced plans to investigate McCasland’s accusations"#TXlegehttps://t.co/Hj4lZbmKPX
— Anna Núñez (@nunez_anna) September 23, 2021
Turner's not been one of my favorites almost since he was first elected, and these accusations of grifting come from an unimpeachable source in McCasland, who was vaunted for his mission upon appointment, again at the start of Turner's tenure after he (McCasland) lost a Council election. The mayor makes "avoiding the appearance of impropriety" look worse with this move yesterday.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tasks his own city attorney with conducting "a full review" of the claims made by now-former Housing Director Tom McCasland. https://t.co/GPZ3BmP4V3
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) September 24, 2021
The old 'we investigated ourselves and found we did nothing wrong' whitewash. Count on Groogan at Fox, as red as the local newshounds get, to take it as far as he can. And don't anticipate reading it on OTK anytime soon, as usual.
Humble ISD president Martina Dixon says she'll challenge Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in 2022 election https://t.co/P5kS6yqSkH via @houstonchron #hounews
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) September 23, 2021
Two Dem groups, @ProgressTX and @AnniesListTX, issue joint call for more progressive women on 2022 statewide ticket: pic.twitter.com/M58u4aRxKy
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 23, 2021
Both of these orgs studiously ignore the most progressive female they could hope for, who's already running (and has been for awhile).
Hey @ProgressTX and @AnniesListTX:
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) September 24, 2021
🌻@DelilahforTexas is running for Governor. She accepts NO corporate or lobbyist money. She supports: #M4All
Publicly owned utilities#GND
CJ reform
$20 min. wage#RCV
Legal cannabis
Donate: https://t.co/MtEVS9hCBU#TXLege #TX2022
Which means they think the definition of "progressive" is limited to Democrats. And that is horseshit.
Democrats get a candidate for land commissioner, backed by @KimOlsonTx and @JulieOliverTX > https://t.co/49TQFlgoxe
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 23, 2021
And as if we needed to be reminded that Eddie Lucio is not a Democrat ...
Happening today/tomorrow: @SenatorLucio holding reelection fundraiser on South Padre Island, w/ @DanPatrick as guest of honor, according to invite #SD27 #txlege
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 23, 2021
#TXLege
— Bonnie Bruce, vaccinated (@BonnieBruce) September 23, 2021
House
1. @chrispaddie
2. @JakeEllzey
3. @BenLemanTX
4. @James_E_White
5. @CeliaIsrael
6. @TanParkerTX
7. @BeckleyforTX
8. @Scott_SanfordTX
9. @RepMattKrause
10. @TurnerForTX
11. @PachecoForTexas
12. @JimMurphy133
Senate
1. @SenJaneNelson
2. @DrBuckinghamTX
This update adds Jim Murphy of west Houston to the growing list of bailouts. A Democrat named Kristi Thibaut was once a candidate for this seat. I wonder if she, or someone she might endorse, would take on the challenge.
A new episode of The Three Stooges aired yesterday, and I missed it.
Three Republican challengers took Attorney General Ken Paxton to task for the legal problems he has accrued in office. https://t.co/ePw0NLO1pl
— San Antonio Report (@SAReport) September 23, 2021
I really don't care who wins this primary. Do You?
How must it feel to be a Trump-endorsed Republican and have lost Tucker Carlson?
Tucker goes after Greg Abbott tonight. He “has refused to come on repeatedly .. so we plan to invite his primary opponents on the show to describe what they would do if they ran TX .. come on and tell us how you plan to save the rest of us from what is happening in your state.” pic.twitter.com/RrF9eSQ0uc
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 22, 2021
Governor Fish Lips' challengers are already whining about equal time.
@TuckerCarlson gave gubernatorial candidate @AllenWest almost five minutes to discuss his border security strategy. I’m assuming that @DonHuffines and I can expect the same consideration. Is this about name recognition or what’s actually best for Texas and America?
— Chad Prather (@WatchChad) September 23, 2021
Annnnd that's all of that I can tolerate. Moving on to redistricting and other Lege developments; this being the latest.
There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the secretary of state who oversaw the 2020 election declared it "smooth and secure." https://t.co/bUXiVCkjr6
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) September 24, 2021
The order came via the TX Sec. of State, never mind that the position is currently vacant 🤔😵💫
— Progress Texas (@ProgressTX) September 24, 2021
“Trump demanded that Texas - a state he won! - investigate it’s election. And overnight, just 8 1/2 hours after getting marching orders from his leader, @GovAbbott complied.” #txlege pic.twitter.com/3ouuIKBGkR
That sound is Greg Abbott's wheels, spinning as fast as possible to accommodate -- and return to the good graces of -- his daddy.
The Senate Redistricting Committee will hold hearings this Friday and Saturday. the public may provide testimony/feedback on the proposed maps.#gerrymandering #lwv #txlege
— LeagueWomenVotersTX (@LWVTexas) September 23, 2021
Learn more here: https://t.co/k8WMpY0ygc pic.twitter.com/49rGJIJvvk
Over the past decade, 95 percent of Texas’ population growth came from communities of color. Whites are now a minority in the state—yet 20 of 31 Senate districts still have white majorities.
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) September 23, 2021
This is what extreme gerrymandering looks like. https://t.co/5rgVKjvGP5
This has been a good week for insider info. I highly recommend this piece about my Congresswoman, and these two tweets as well.
The story I've been chasing all year: Are Republicans going to dismantle U.S. Rep. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher's 7th Congressional District? I got surprisingly mixed (but informed) speculation, as we await the map: https://t.co/Y25kf0qQ0o
— Abby Livingston (@TexasTribAbby) September 23, 2021
I'm also not Fletcher's cheerleader. I was not exactly shocked to learn that she has ingratiated herself even to Congressional Republicans like Michael McCaul. Looks like I'm stuck with her unless they draw me out.
Last of the Lege business.
2/2 It is a time-honored strategy of picking on marginalized groups using appeals that stoke the racial and sexual anxieties of the majority.https://t.co/0FjQdYAt8E#txlege#LetThemPlay
— HRC DFW (@HRCDFW) September 20, 2021
Grateful to @SpectrumNews1TX for covering the #txlege Senate hearing on the anti-trans athletes bill so thoughtfully, and for allowing me to offer my perspective.
— Ash Hall (@LGBTActivist) September 23, 2021
Transgender children deserve a real childhood- not discrimination. #ProtectTransKids 🏳️⚧️ https://t.co/bShtg1rlLR
I would also say that I have been surprised by Spectrum News' very fair coverage of the legislative sessions, given their reputation.
A few updates to news items that have previously reported by yours truly earlier this week.
Why anti-abortion groups aren't suing Texas doctor who violated new 6-week abortion ban
— TX Capital Tonight (@TXCapTonight) September 23, 2021
“We believe that this is all a stunt by the abortion industry trying to look like the victim at the same time being the perpetrator," @TXRightToLife #txlege https://t.co/UOOvZYV5qq
Contrary to the testimony of lots of oil and gas industry representatives at the #txlege, nearly half of gas production stopped BEFORE the outages began.
— Doug Lewin (@douglewinenergy) September 23, 2021
Facts. Matter.
Say it with me: We will not solve for February unless the gas supply system is weahterized.#txenergy pic.twitter.com/PaauFITgda
The prosecutor who moonlighted for the judge while working on Young's death penalty case is one of the few to be disciplined for misconduct by the #Texas bar. @texasbartoday @TexasObserver. He was forced to surrender his license earlier this year. https://t.co/wN7ksBK2eN #ethics https://t.co/cS8cCkn0Mg
— Lise Olsen (@LiseDigger) September 22, 2021
Hundreds of students walked out of Irving ISD's MacArthur High School on Wednesday in protest after teachers were allegedly forced to take down "safe space" stickers on their classroom doors that were for LGBTQIA+ students. https://t.co/QOd3lOPFMq
— WFAA (@wfaa) September 22, 2021
Gov Abbott is building a border wall out of cars and it reminds me of some Evel Knievel shit from when I was like 5. https://t.co/KKkEaVA2qK pic.twitter.com/uNF4OX3OGN
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) September 23, 2021
"We'll prioritize other methods of identifying individuals who might be in medical distress," DHS spokesperson George Orwell said. https://t.co/QbBlfJcBJK
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) September 23, 2021
It's been a long time since I posted a "Republicans Behaving Badly".
Ted Cruz gets stuffed in a locker by Professor Franita Tolson when she tells him to his face that the Texas voter ID laws are racist pic.twitter.com/jp7b8sMIjp
— Wu-Tang Is For The Children (@WUTangKids) September 22, 2021
.@RepBrianBabin: Democrats want to replace Americans "with a third-world electorate that will be on welfare" https://t.co/eH8e7dcb1F
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) September 23, 2021
*Whew* the stench! Closing today with some book news.
Cops removing books from school libraries at night. Politicians banning events just hours before they begin. Join us in fighting censorship and oppression on Tuesday night in Austin. https://t.co/xgrgFqIOfL #txlege https://t.co/1UT4ZA4jVh
— ChrisTomlinson (@cltomlinson) September 23, 2021
Very excited to say that after attending the @texasbookfest for years, this time around I'll be one of the authors!
— Maurice Chammah (@MauriceChammah) September 22, 2021
Full author list here. Includes @cltomlinson, @wesferguson, @HalaNAlyan, @AlbertSamaha and so many more.https://t.co/3GXe28wxJA
The Dallas-based director's short is inscrutable, arty, and part of the excellent anthology 'The Year of the Everlasting Storm.'https://t.co/FG4Az0hzNR+
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) September 20, 2021
See ya there!
— Sema (@_SemaHernandez_) September 24, 2021
Link: https://t.co/dAc6ncw9Ou pic.twitter.com/cTCB6sK8Rc
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Thursday's Wrangle from Far Left Texas
Not enough yesterday to post, and too much today. Let's begin with Beto.
.@BetoORourke told me today “it’s no secret I’m thinking about running for governor” & is motivated by need to preserve voting rights. Also predicted Dems would lose Congressional majorities if they don’t pass federal legislation protecting right to vote https://t.co/rfKEkOvL1G
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) September 22, 2021
The math hasn't changed. The Freedom to Vote Act, watered down to get Joe Manchin's approval but still too injurious to the Greens to get my approval -- not that I matter) still needs ten Republicans ... because Manchin isn't down with killing the filibuster.
Don't take my word for it; do take Ari Berman's.
(O'Rourke) predicted Democrats would lose their congressional majorities if they failed to pass federal legislation protecting voting rights.
“If we, as Democrats or pro-democracy Americans, are not willing to use every tool available to us—while Republicans are using every tool available to them to constrict and reduce and perhaps demolish the right to vote altogether—then we become complicit in the outcome,” he added. “And I’m not in for that one.”
Sounds clear to me. Joe Biden made his pitch to King Manchin on the $3.5T spending bill last week, got nowhere. This week he's begging. So as it relates to busting out the filibuster ... I read this as wishful thinking at best, delusional at worst.
On to redistricting and the rest of the slate at the Lege.
Under the proposed redistricted Texas Senate map, Republicans would gain one seat and shore up two swingy GOP districts, including the district that the senator leading the effort represents. A thread #txlege https://t.co/qcp2aYyj91
— Phil Jankowski 🦇 (@PhilJankowski) September 22, 2021
West Texas likely to lose 1 or 2 House members after redistricting, per discussion with regional Texas House members https://t.co/h5e9bFUtmj via @mwtnews #txlege
— Jim Henson (@jamesrhenson) September 21, 2021
Here’s how to know if your state’s Congressional districts are gerrymandered, like the #txlege has engineered it in Texas:
— John Middleton (@jdmiddleton55) September 22, 2021
64% of Texas’s 36 House seats (23 of 36) are held by Republicans, elected by only 53% of the voters.
1/2 https://t.co/Od3D71KtHv
It should come as no surprise that legislators are bailing out; ridiculously long hours, low pay, the frustrations of having to negotiate with freaks -- this can be taken from either extreme, mind you -- quickly leads to burnout.
Updated list of open Texas House seats in 2022 election (9):#HD9: Paddie (R)#HD13: Leman (R)#HD19: White (R)#HD50: Israel (D)#HD63: Parker (R)#HD65: Beckley (D)#HD70: Sanford (R)#HD93: Krause (R)#HD114: J. Turner (D) #txlege
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 22, 2021
Two other empty statehouse seats, HD10 and HD118, are holding special elections to fill vacancies as this is published. And Celia Israel, who postponed her wedding during the quorum break, might enter the scrum for Austin mayor. She would possibly join former state senator and more recently former dean of U of H's public policy school's Kirk Watson and conservative real estate broker Jennifer Virden, who declared in June. CM Greg Casar and attorney Adam Loewy are also said to be thinking about running.
More politics in the next post; here's more Lege, new business.
With the state awash in unspent federal #COVID19 relief funds, Texas @GovAbbott joins Lt. Gov. @DanPatrick in calling for taxpayer relief, asking lawmakers to use $2 billion of state's surplus for more #propertytax cuts, @RobertTGarrett reports. #txlege https://t.co/cHVPW2laJ4
— John Gravois (@Grav1) September 22, 2021
According to this conservative source, COVID funds can't be used to lower taxes. So once again we see the state's leaders acting defiantly.
Or just stupidly.
NEW: Delayed projects, lax oversight cost Houston region $64M in federal transportation funds https://t.co/1ge5Q8Itxp) via @houstonchron #hounews
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) September 21, 2021
This could be stupid or just plain old lying. Hard to tell.
Texas anti-abortion leader says SB 8 was not intended for lawsuits to ever be filed, just put the fear of liability into providers https://t.co/avS7Ja2iry
— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) September 22, 2021
So ... kinda not surprised at this polling.
Texas Legislature job approval: (August 2021 UT/@TxPolProject Poll)
— The Texas Politics Project (@TxPolProject) September 21, 2021
28% approve (8% strongly)
48% disapprove (29% strongly)https://t.co/2ryNm3zLH7 #txlege pic.twitter.com/oGiOt8A4hQ
More updates on the abortion law include:
Yikes. Opposition to the “bounty” element of Texas’ SB8: 81% -- including 67% of self-identified Republicans https://t.co/4KK1ijL4dK
— Jessica Shortall🧂🥴 (@jessicashortall) September 22, 2021
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas -- which operates clinic in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Paris, Tyler and Waco -- turned away more than 200 people seeking an abortion between Sept. 1 and last week, a spokesperson told me. 1/
— Ashley Lopez (@AshLopezRadio) September 20, 2021
And the Texas Standard spoke to Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at UT-Austin, who explains why suits filed against SB8 may not result in a SCOTUS showdown.
Sepper says that when the U.S. Supreme Court chose not to block SB 8, it set up the likelihood that state suits against the law would begin working their way through Texas courts. The Supreme Court could eventually hear one of those cases and could then rule on whether the law is constitutional.
Before that happens, Sepper says Texas courts might look at issues raised by the law, like who can actually file suit.
“SB 8 purports to allow anyone, anywhere to file a lawsuit,” she said. “Texas courts might not be able to go along with that. Usually in order to file a lawsuit you have to have standing, which requires some kind of injury.”
Beyond the standing issue, Sepper says SB 8 effectively bans abortion in the state.
“SB 8 is an unconstitutional law,” Sepper said. “It is unconstitutional because it has banned abortion in the state of Texas, contrary to the basic rule of Roe v. Wade for the last 50 years.”
Sepper says the lawsuits against (San Antonio physician Alan) Braid could move through Texas courts and eventually end up at the U.S. Supreme Court, or a lower court could dispatch the case before that happens.
“It is entirely possible that Texas courts won’t be played in this way, and they will say that these plaintiffs don’t have standing, and that the Legislature does not have the power to grant everyone in the country, or everyone in the state, the ability to use the courts to bounty-hunt against other citizens,” Sepper said.
I'll take that as my segue to these criminal and social justice updates.
After six years of fighting in court, Gov. Abbott agrees to foster care summit on solutions for kids stuck in unsafe placements https://t.co/Q32J7dbI9g via @houstonchron #hounews
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) September 22, 2021
Hundreds of organizations from mostly southern parts of the U.S. are pleading with Congress to expand Medicaid in the 12 states that have refused to do so. Among those states is Texas, which has the highest uninsured rate in the country. | @AshLopezRadio https://t.co/qrvQyOxfJ8
— KUT Austin (@KUT) September 21, 2021
The average housing wage in Texas for a 2-bedroom rental home is nearly $22/hr. Minimum wage earners must work 100 hours/week (or 2.5 full-time jobs) to afford a 1-bedroom unit at fair market rent in Texas. This is unacceptable. We need #Housing4UsAll https://t.co/JAvku785P2 https://t.co/UWqCTZ33pd
— Texas Homeless Network (@TXHomeNet) September 22, 2021
Black babies in Tarrant County are more than twice as likely to die than white babies, according to recent data from the local health department. Local groups and officials are working to rethink how they approach birth outcomes. https://t.co/aQzTvz5gO5
— Fort Worth Report (@FortWorthReport) September 21, 2021
A recap over where things stand with Dr. James Whitfield of Colleyville Heritage high school in north Texas. This school’s first Black principal was accused of promoting critical race theory (he has not). But this is Texas and we’re in the midst of a CRT panic. https://t.co/1w4DTifco5
— Jessica Montoya Coggins (@JessicaMCoggins) September 22, 2021
The state’s highest criminal court smacked down a last-ditch request from Harris County prosecutors to withhold documents and evidence long requested by former Houston police narcotics officers charged with overtime theft and other crimes. https://t.co/rkfMDaVJdn
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) September 23, 2021
BIG NEWS. Tx Court of Criminal Appeals vacated the death sentence of a man (@ClintonLeeYoung) after a Midland County prosecutor in the case worked for judges on his case and hundreds of others. I first reported on this stunning misconduct for @USATODAY https://t.co/ep7UotM9i1
— Jessica Priest (@jessica_priest) September 22, 2021
Chacon was better than some of the other options, if not my first choice. But the fact that he can't be fired under state law is a HUGE red flag. Been there, done that. https://t.co/z3OTUwQ8H4
— Grits for Breakfast (@Grits4Breakfast) September 22, 2021
Two juries next year will hear cases alleging that El Paso police used fatal excessive force against people with mental health issues. The lawsuits say the deaths are a result of poor leadership by Police Chief Greg Allen, @elida_s_perez reports. https://t.co/RlOShC7PiM
— El Paso Matters (@elpasomatters) September 22, 2021
Which sounds better: Hundreds of demolished homes and businesses, or a future-thinking transportation plan that prioritizes affordability and mass transit? You’ve got four days to tell @TxDOT that widening highways isn’t what Austin needs. https://t.co/n39cJMlHyR
— Texas Signal (@TexasSignal) September 20, 2021
I keep going back to the fact we were ready to invade Cuba a couple weeks ago cause of “human rights abuses.” https://t.co/Ji7L9voXru
— Max (@Maxxjd_33) September 22, 2021
As promised earlier, a longer post coming on this disaster. Here's a couple of environmental pieces.
I can't overstate how significant Shell's exit from the Permian Basin is with it's $9.5 billion sale of all Permian assets to ConocoPhillips. But don't be fooled, Shell didn't make the sale out of a deep commitment to solving the climate crisis as is being widely reported. /1
— Antonia Juhasz (@AntoniaJuhasz) September 21, 2021
Oil, natural gas and coal prices are jumping, which is good for the fossil fuel industry. But it's great for renewable energy too. My latest on how the next oil and gas boom could be the last: https://t.co/5XHfErurB1 @HoustonChron #txlege
— ChrisTomlinson (@cltomlinson) September 22, 2021
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is expected this week to release some details of its months-long inquiry into Texas' deadly February blackout. | @MoseBuchele https://t.co/9k5QVAdHz5
— KUT Austin (@KUT) September 22, 2021
And since I haven't posted anything about COVID lately ...
El Paso becomes first city in Texas to reach COVID-19 herd immunity, officials say https://t.co/EUMXqMfGYn
— mySA (@mySA) September 22, 2021
(New Mexico reached 70% of its adult population vaccinated this week. Just two died of invermectin poisoning. If you're thinking of relocating, there are lots worse places.)
Okay then. It's a beautiful day, looks like it will be a beautiful weekend. You should get outside, feel the grass, do something fun, eat some delicious food.
Galveston Island is a seafood lover’s paradise all year round, but this weekend (Sept. 24-25) Yaga’s Entertainment Inc. brings foodies a little taste of heaven at the Galveston Island Shrimp Festival in Downtown Galveston.
— Galveston Island (@GalvestonIsland) September 20, 2021
Learn more at https://t.co/rZeRaSB7GB#LoveGalveston pic.twitter.com/PoZvyXaGbS
The Fair is almost here y'all! 😌🤠 Join us with a discount on Premium Tickets! Use promo code "21txfairCOMBO" for $30 off a 4-pack or $15 off a 2-pack combo at https://t.co/MIo87eQ1DH. #StateFairofTX #BigTex pic.twitter.com/gtGmuQI60J
— State Fair of Texas (@StateFairOfTX) September 22, 2021
The 40th Oktoberfest occurs across the street from Crockett Haus in Fredericksburg Texas
— Crockett Haus Event Venue (@CrockettHaus) September 22, 2021
October 1st -3rd 2021
When do you get here?#Houston #Dallas #DFW #Austin #SATx #txlege #Aggies #Longhorns #TXState #beer https://t.co/u2Rg2sZ65P
From New Braunfels's Lindheimer's House Garden to the cacti of the Chihuahuan Desert and the azaleas of East Texas, our state has a remarkably diverse and lush array of gardens. Below, we've rounded up sixteen of our favorites. https://t.co/zRTjgiZqJ3
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) September 20, 2021