Sunday, October 24, 2021
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Sine Died, Autopsied Wrangle
The executive summary, in case you've been taking some time off from the creepshow that the Texas Lege has been for the past ten months.
The Texas Legislature has adjourned from its third special session after a final flurry of activity, including approving new political maps. But lawmakers didn’t pass bills about vaccine mandates or the criminal penalty for illegal voting. #txlege https://t.co/UocIPIdl02
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) October 19, 2021
Lt. Dan has decided he wants a fourth special, but Governor Fish Lips says "not now, asshole". Maybe later. We have a few wieners and loosers ranked.
Winners & Losers of the Third Special Session of the Texas Legislature https://t.co/tf3L4vBIKf via @RANewsTX #txlege
— RA News (@RANewsTX) October 20, 2021
Republicans and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are among the winners, and Democrats and Hispanics among the losers, as the Texas Legislature wraps its third special session of the year. The jury's still out on Gov. Greg Abbott and Speaker Dade Phelan.#txlege https://t.co/V70rdr9VjW
— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) October 19, 2021
And sightless gerrymandering being the hottest topic ...
Republicans say Texas’ new political maps are “race blind.” To some voters of color, that translates as political invisibility. https://t.co/iEegJrEfY8
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) October 20, 2021
Cartoon: "Race-Blind" Redistricting by @Nick_Anderson_ for @RANewsTX
— RA News (@RANewsTX) October 20, 2021
To see more political cartoons:https://t.co/J0Pb5tD3yU#txlege #redistricting pic.twitter.com/O54jbonji4
It wouldn't be the silly boundary season without some litigation.
Before they’ve even been signed into law, Texas’ new maps for Congress and the statehouse are being challenged in court for allegedly discriminating against Latino voters. | via @TexasTribune https://t.co/nFtQzOGMAT
— KUT Austin (@KUT) October 18, 2021
Attention finally turns to 2022.
The controversial issues you’ve heard Texas lawmakers debate for most of the year aren’t going away, @rossramsey writes. Many of them will be argued all over again during the 2022 elections. https://t.co/qACRSavLid
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) October 20, 2021
Kuffner has all the Donkey shuffling covered, and TXElects -- and his Tweet feed of the usual suspects, appearing to the right on his blog's landing page -- covers the Pachyderm dances. I'll wait until after the filing deadline in December to muse about primary challenges. I will say that I like the idea of Julie Oliver taking on Lloyd Doggett, whose reputation far exceeds his current value.
I'm looking forward to blogging on the regular about some things besides our state lawmaker goons, so praise the Lawd for small blessings. First: some housing news, broken out from the criminal and social justice headlines.
Everything that's happened since Mayor Turner was accused of corruption over a housing deal: https://t.co/d2KOg2JcxU
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) October 21, 2021
Here's Kuff's catchup. I note he still hasn't mentioned anything about it.
The Harris County District Attorney confirms a "pending criminal investigation" connected to Houston City Hall. In a letter obtained by 13 Investigates, the DA denies access to documents related to the probe, because in their words, "this investigation has yet to be resolved" and is "in the course of preparing for criminal litigation."
13 Investigates requested documents from the city weeks ago when the City of Houston's now-former Housing Director shocked City Hall with allegations of a "charade of a competitive process" to award millions in housing subsidies. According to sources and documents at that point, the DA was asking about specific payments made to specific individuals starting in 2018.
Landlords filed 1,453 eviction cases last week in Houston, easily the most since the start of the pandemic. (2/6) pic.twitter.com/FRULM5vdcT
— Peter Hepburn (@ps_hepburn) October 19, 2021
In 1940, Black families, displaced by the Dallas Housing Authority housing project in the Hall/Thomas area, began purchasing homes in predominantly White sections of southern Dallas. pic.twitter.com/92xjgu5nGP
— Nathaniel Barrett (@ncoxbarrett) October 19, 2021
It's not all bad news.
Sunrise Lofts is being constructed in Houston's East End, and when it's done, will provide housing for youths aging out of the foster care system. https://t.co/12M9x806x6 #khou11
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) October 19, 2021
Here's more criminal and social justice and injustice news from around the state.
"...while [SB6] was called bail reform, it did little to nothing to reform Texas’ unfair use of cash bail to decide who must stay behind bars until their day in court... this new law will do next to nothing to improve community safety." #txlege https://t.co/3lx5UiucVk
— Nick Hudson (@NickCHudson) October 18, 2021
"What I didn’t know was that prisons treat books as restricted commodities, a privilege—not a right—less essential than the right to bear arms, but in the eyes of the state, somehow just as dangerous." https://t.co/Pr0lEQHFrk
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) October 17, 2021
As Texans grapple with issues of race and privilege, the 'Southlake' podcast is a must-listen, writes @iandille, who attended Carroll High School, the setting of the series. https://t.co/RhoLKBjVKj+
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) October 20, 2021
WalletHub's 'best small city' in Texas is same problematic town making headlines last week https://t.co/Cy9nw7rTXw
— Laredo Morning Times (@lmtnews) October 19, 2021
#CorpusChristi I still want the @TxHistComm to remove this plaque, supposed "historical" marker, that disparages the #Karankawa people and says,
— Adán Medrano (@AdanMMedrano) October 19, 2021
wrongly,--"1858 marked the disappearance of the Karankawa Indians." @TexasTribune @erinmdouglas23 pic.twitter.com/EY8QSV9ITb
Can adding four lanes to a downtown interstate solve a city's traffic congestion? https://t.co/9nadG289AZ
— Slate (@Slate) October 21, 2021
And here are a few items specific to the border region of Texas.
(content warning: verbal discussion of racially motivated violence)
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) October 17, 2021
Our REJ director Laura Peña laid out the real-life consequences of Trump's hateful rhetoric for the people of the Rio Grande Valley. Watch this clip with @mmckinnon for @SHO_TheCircus. pic.twitter.com/rN6I7i8h4w
Shawna Chen: RNC targets Texas Latinos https://t.co/keJHWJijln via @axios #Election2022 #txlege
— Rob Parham (@rparham) October 17, 2021
I'm starting to wake up to the fact that Republican Latino/as in the RGV (and elsewhere) don't consider themselves Hispanic. They call themselves Tejanos; they praise themselves for their good fortune based on hard work and Jeebus and not on luck or cronyism, just like whites; and they hate immigrants, 'gobermint handouts', and worship the flag and the military. Sounds like any other MAGAt to me.
ICYMI: Asylum groups on the border sent a strong message to @POTUS this past Saturday: there is no improved version of the 'Remain in Mexico' program. https://t.co/VfYoessYkh
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) October 19, 2021
Since 2017, advocacy orgs have filed dozens of complaints with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on behalf of hundreds of migrants whose medical needs have gone unaddressed.
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) October 14, 2021
From @pubhealthwatch: https://t.co/RX5f5nmdOj
A few environmental updates.
It is "impossible for @txrrc & @TCEQ to argue that they have a handle on flaring or that they have taken reasonable steps to reduce it," pens former TCEQ air quality regulator for @statesman.
— EDF Texas (@EDFtx) October 18, 2021
TX urgently needs @EPA to do the job regulators won't. #txlege https://t.co/vTADcpNf2P
NEW: LyondellBasell has agreed to pay $3.4 million in civil penalties after the EPA accused its subsidiaries of operating flares with too much steam and releasing thousands of tons of air pollution.
— Emily Foxhall (@emfoxhall) October 14, 2021
This includes flares at four Harris County facilities.https://t.co/PYpMf0qhS6
Arsonist who is burning down your house:
— Rebecca Parson for Congress, WA-06 (@RebeccaforWA) October 19, 2021
“I can help you reach your goal of being flame-neutral by 2050. Excited to announce my interest in advancing flame capture & storage in your area. In a year, my technology captures 0.00001290323% of annual flame emissions.” pic.twitter.com/w7JUxHo2EP
Texas natural gas industry showing limited progress in winter storm prep, experts say https://t.co/XtiLRbWSVX
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) October 19, 2021
A guest column penned jointly by environmentalists Xandra Treviño, Michelle Serrano, Patricia Rubio, Juan Mancias, Dave Cortez, and Freddy Jimenez. https://t.co/OVM7KzQHKc via @RioGGuardian
— Rio Grande Guardian (@RioGGuardian) October 18, 2021
A canal system designed more than a century ago for agriculture still delivers water to the Rio Grande Valley's fast-growing towns and cities. Experts say it could contribute to steep water shortages in coming decades. #txlege #txwater #RGVhttps://t.co/GdSpArlDQR
— Texas 2036 (@Texas2036) October 19, 2021
And the soothers.
The South Texas Music Festival is this Saturday, October 23, in San Benito.
T'is the spooky season, so get out there and get scared of something beside the Texas GOP.
Driskill Hotel named most haunted spot in Texas according to Yelp's list of Top 20 Most Haunted Spots in Texas.
— CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) October 19, 2021
Austin-based Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, Clay Pit, 1886 Cafe & Bakery, and The Tavern, follow close behind.https://t.co/qBUWiTQH8h
A horror show broke out last night at Fenway 😱@markdero7 | @astros | #ForTheH | #MLBCentral pic.twitter.com/YXw7TQIuSH
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 20, 2021
Texan Steve Martin (center) with the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia (right) and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's John McEuen jamming at a bluegrass festival in 1974. Many Texans don't realize that Steve Martin was born in Waco. Really cool shot. pic.twitter.com/MvN7UeAfAQ
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) October 19, 2021
Monday, October 18, 2021
The Monday Wrangle from Far Left Texas
#texas #redistricting #texasgop pic.twitter.com/SH9DzfhJbt
— John Branch (@Branchtoon) October 4, 2021
ICYMI: It was a busy weekend for the #txlege. The Texas House approved a Senate amendment to #HB25, a bill that restricts transgender athletes participation in school sports. The bill is now headed for governor approval https://t.co/QOK87EwDGG
— Allyson Waller (@allyson_renee7) October 18, 2021
Social workers warn Texas' abortion ban is causing psychological harm to sexual assault survivors.
— Rebecca Marques (@_RebeccaMarques) October 18, 2021
Thinking about this and the fact that #hb25 also passed this session. All the harm that lawmakers in #txlege knowingly inflicted on folks this year. https://t.co/538Q9RDWis
“Shortly before Texas' new abortion law went into effect, the SAFE Alliance, a nonprofit that supports survivors of sexual abuse, was counseling a 12-year-old girl who had been repeatedly raped by her father.”
Any minute now, Governor Strangelove is going to eliminate all rape in Texas. He told us so. And he always speaks the truth.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues an executive order banning vaccine mandates by private businesses for employees and customers.https://t.co/Cs2j9eYy5V pic.twitter.com/DnbuWrvqM1
— Ann Telnaes (@AnnTelnaes) October 13, 2021
Current Status of #txlege bills.
— Mark P. Jones (@MarkPJonesTX) October 18, 2021
39 hours until the end of the 3rd Special Session.
Passed H & S#HB25 Transgender UIL Athletes
In Conf. Comm.#SB1 Property Tax Relief#SB8 Federal COVID $ Distribution
Passed by H w/Amends, Now In S#SB5 Dog Tethering#SB52 Higher Ed Rev Bonds
After taking a General Strike break at the end of last week, I have more than enough for a very long post. I'd rather not subject either you or me to that, so let's just hit the highlights. Or lowlights and lowlifes, if you prefer.
Early voting begins today in #Texas for eight constitutional amendments, multiple local elections, and a special runoff in #HD118. Check out ATPE's @TeachTheVote guide to the constitutional amendments: https://t.co/5OjcAU2JUR #txed #txlege #txedvote pic.twitter.com/UXaMawx1yL
— ATPE (@OfficialATPE) October 18, 2021
Conference cmte report for the proposed map for Texas' 38 Congressional Districts, #SB6, is out. It was signed by all 9 Rs on the cmte & wasn't signed by the 1 D on it, @Senfronia4Texas.
— RA News (@RANewsTX) October 18, 2021
Here's an interactive viewer of the map: https://t.co/c0iSNsCZre #txlege (h/t @by_jmiller) pic.twitter.com/GZOwe9gg5b
Conference committee report for congressional map keeps @RepAlGreen and @JacksonLeeTX18 unpaired, also keeps @RepGonzalez in #TX34 (open Vela seat) instead of his current #TX15 https://t.co/5yCLmGpCEo #SB6 #txlege
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) October 18, 2021
NEW from @rossramsey: You won’t hear much about turning Texas blue in 2022. Thanks to redistricting, it’s pretty much impossible https://t.co/xnkXaBLOt1 #txlege
— Evan Smith (@evanasmith) October 18, 2021
Yes. Well, Texas Democrats in the Lege could have honored the general strike, or perhaps thrown some other wrench in the gears, but I feel certain they did not have the stomach for a fourth special session. They all -- mostly -- want you to re-elect them next year anyway. To keep fighting. Something.
My personal general strike extends to voting in this current election. I see no point in weighing in on constitutional amendments. Similarly, I won't be voting n next spring's Democratic primary. They can choose who they like and I'll choose whether to vote for any of them in the fall.
There is -- as I have come to understand -- a messsage being sent to government's leaders in not voting. And that message ranges from "FU" to "IDGAF".
Ted Cruz pitches Rockets job to Kyrie Irving over vaccines; Twitter responds with ridicule https://t.co/fHYjOo1jof
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) October 16, 2021
I'll move on while I still have the will, or the interest, to provide these news updates. Documenting the atrocities is hard.NEW: Texas Republicans want to use billions in federal pandemic relief to send checks to homeowners just ahead of next year’s November elections.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) October 15, 2021
Not all households would benefit. Excluded from that relief are millions of renters. https://t.co/5gEw2AN3FQ #TXlege
Environmental developments:
To Address The City’s Wildfire Risk, Austin Firefighters Look To California https://t.co/7ZJ1FgV5rZ 8/8
— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) October 16, 2021
In the Rio Grande Valley, a century-old, leaky canal system delivers water to a $500 million farm industry and low-slung, growing cities.
— Suman Naishadham (@SumanNaishadham) October 16, 2021
Texas water planners expect the losses to worsen shortages expected in coming decades. My dispatch from McAllen: https://t.co/1NvZGgglYP
Must read #txwater reading for today. @H2OWonk makes the case on why state policymakers need to focus on water infrastructure. The key equation: population growth + infrastructure decay + extreme weather = need for infrastructure investment. #txlegehttps://t.co/DGhJYfU94f
— Jeremy B. Mazur (@jeremybmazur) October 18, 2021
“Despite the pandemic, the United States built more utility-scale solar power plants in 2020 than any other year, with Texas leading the way.” #txlege #txclimate https://t.co/gP19HHtIH1
— SPEER (@EEpartnership) October 18, 2021
Texans want to reduce methane pollution: 72% support requiring oil and gas companies to slow methane leaks, and 59% are more likely to back a candidate who supports stronger methane regulations. —@ClimateNexus @YaleClimateComm @mason4c #txlege #txenergy https://t.co/p0oFoPQ7Uk
— Public Citizen Texas (@PublicCitizenTX) October 18, 2021
The Axios Dallas newsletter (subscribe here) says that illegal emissions were lower across the state in 2020. But...
... but North Texas saw an increase in unauthorized pollutants, according to a report from the Environmental Integrity Project and Environment Texas.
Why it matters: 2020's pollutant decline was mostly due to pandemic shutdowns of manufacturing and oil and gas production and not due to increased enforcement of environmental protections, the report says.
The Dallas Observer's Jacob Vaughn writes about a west Dallas neighborhood's concerns about yet another concrete plant's pollution. HPM says that Galveston Bay researchers are literally fishing for data on chemical runoff. And the Statesman's op-ed board says that the EPA must save Texas from itself. In more newspaper news, D Magazine says that the DMN should retire its editorial board, and El Paso Matters reports that the El Paso News is now printing the paper in Cuidad Juarez.
A few too many criminal and social injustice updates.
Days ago a migrant was found hanging from a tree in Brooks County. Many have died on the border, but this heinous incident is now a homicide investigation. I spoke with Sheriff Martinez for @TPRNews for an update. https://t.co/YrOePALTFe
— Pablo De La Rosa (@pblodlr) October 9, 2021
Think it's rare that sexual abuse of children results in pregnancy? Seven pregnant 12-year-olds and their caregivers sought help in a recent month at Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, which handles the county's most serious criminal sexual abuse cases. https://t.co/k7tzp8Hbne
— Sharon Grigsby (@SharonFGrigsby) October 15, 2021
What would you do if your ancestors were murdered, buried in the courthouse lawn, and then a confederate statue was built over their bodies? (Thread) /1 @TonyCra13323593 #txlege #BlackLivesMatter #Justice4Weatherford4 #ScarsOfAmerica #DoTheRightThing pic.twitter.com/rPCCLYzW7q
— Shell_Seas (@LivingBlueTX) October 16, 2021
Thank you to @NBCDFW for covering the Texas House hearing on the state's foster care crisis.
— Texans Care for Children (@putkids1st) October 18, 2021
Watch the story here:https://t.co/ecjcZXYcPx #TXlege pic.twitter.com/kQqU05gjdi
Court schedules sentencing for December 9 in US Capitol case of former Houston police officer Tam Pham.
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) October 17, 2021
Background here: https://t.co/kydztac0NH
BREAKING: Border groups, including RAICES attorneys, just walked out of a meeting with the Biden administration in protest of their recent plans to resume the inhumane #MPP program.
— RAICES (@RAICESTEXAS) October 16, 2021
We will not work with the administration to resume this cruelty against migrants.#EndMPP
A Century Ago, 1 Lawmaker Went After the Most Powerful Cops in #Texas Then They Went After Him https://t.co/xm0um1PsIC #txlege #BLM #BrownLivesMatter #TxEd @esntx2 @AztecMuse @MotherJones #TexasRangers @TXlege #RazaStudies @EthnicStudiesCA @utexascoe @UT_DDCE @LatinoUSA @TxTLEEC pic.twitter.com/wHf34qjQiU
— Angela Valenzuela (@vlnzl) October 16, 2021
One spot of good news here.
Yesterday, a bad bail bill died. SJR 1 would have allowed judges to deny bail in more cases, forcing people to stay in jail for weeks or months before their day in court. Read this statement from Liyah Brown, our Director of Law and Policy for the Criminal Injustice Program. pic.twitter.com/7Nm2k7D9Tm
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) October 15, 2021
And a few calm-me-downs.
The wait is over. An all-new Top 50 list, featuring an all-new generation of pitmasters, is here. https://t.co/vP5Uqc0JIE pic.twitter.com/oBBlJyt4LE
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) October 18, 2021
Houston's Billy Preston is the answer to a cool trivia question: who is the only non-Beatle to be credited on a Beatles record? The ‘Get Back’ single was credited to “The Beatles with Billy Preston”, as was its b-side, ‘Don’t Let Me Down’. He later became a star in his own right. pic.twitter.com/wFa3G4Usdu
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) October 17, 2021