Bill Filed To Cancel School Lunch Debt

[#TexasPolitics365]

State Rep.  James Talarico (D - Round Rock) has filed a bill to cancel school lunch debt. "In the richest country in the world, children are accumulating debt," he said. "We are shaming kids because they can’t afford their school lunch. I’ve filed legislation to cancel all student lunch debt in Texas."

His bill, HB 4112, would use state funds to pay off all lunch debt owed by the state's grade schoolers.

(Full story here.)
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Legislation To Expand Medical Marijuana Passes House

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The Texas House gave initial approval on Wednesday to a bill that would expand the state’s medical cannabis program to include those with chronic pain, all cancer patients and Texans suffering from PTSD.

House Bill 1535, by Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, who authored the bill establishing Texas’ initial medical cannabis program in 2015, would also authorize the Department of State Health Services to add additional qualifying conditions through administrative rulemaking, instead of the Legislature needing to pass a law to expand eligibility.

(Full story here.)
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#Texas Lawmakers Vow Support For House Staffer Drugged By Lobbyist

[#TexasPolitics365]

 

Texas lawmakers are rallying in support of a female Capitol staffer who recently accused a lobbyist of drugging her during an off-site meeting.

The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed it was investigating the incident over the weekend, as first reported by the Austin American-Statesman. In the days since, lawmakers have vowed to support the woman, and, in some cases, cut ties with the lobbying firm at the center of the allegations.

House Speaker Dade Phelan has promised to establish an email hotline for members, staffers and Capitol visitors to report any accusations of sexual misconduct. 

House members will be required to advertise the email account on a sign in their offices.

(Full story here.)
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2020 Census Means #Texas Will Get Two More Seats In Congres

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Texas will continue to see its political clout grow as it gains two additional congressional seats — the most of any state in the nation — following the 2020 census, the U.S. Census Bureau has announced.

Thanks to its fast-growing population — largely due to an increase in residents of color, particularly Hispanics — the state’s share of votes in the U.S. House of Representatives will increase to 38 for the next decade. 

(Full story here.)
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#Texas Senate Unanimously Calls For Renaming Places With "Negro" In Their Name

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All 18 Republicans in the state Senate have signed on as co-authors to legislation condemning Texas place names containing the word "Negro," rejecting a Republican Party of Texas official who urged opposition to the resolution.

They joined all 13 Democrats in supporting Senate Concurrent Resolution 29, which says the racially offensive language is "a stain on the Lone Star State" and calls for the names to be changed to reflect and honor the diversity of Texas.

A member of the Texas Republican Party's executive committee, speaking for the party, urged defeat of the resolution during a committee hearing Monday.

(Full story here.)
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Lobbyist Allegedly Drugged Female State House Staffer

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Authorities are investigating allegations by a Capitol staffer that she was drugged with a date-rape drug by a lobbyist during a meeting downtown, Texas Department of Public Safety officials confirmed to KVUE Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski on Saturday.

DPS spokesman Travis Considine said he was not able to provide specifics, including where and when the incident allegedly happened. 

Officials also said they were not yet prepared to name the lobbyist, who has not been arrested and does not yet face charges, and to protect her identity, also would not disclose any additional information about the staffer.

(Full story here.)
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Border Patrol "Pay Fix" Bill Introduced

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San Antonio Congressman Tony Gonzalez Dist. 23) has introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) and Congresswoman Yvette Herrell (R-NM-02) to improve the overtime pay system for border patrol agents. The Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendment Act of 2021 gives border patrol agents more flexibility in choosing their work schedules and how they receive overtime pay. 

This legislation is aimed at correcting bureaucratic inefficiencies that have previously kept border patrol agents from receiving due compensation for the demanding jobs they perform.

(Full story here.)
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George P. Bush Visits Williamson County Repubs Ahead Of Poss. #Texas AG Race

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Texas Land Commissioner George P Bush met with Williamson County Republicans Friday in his pre campaign listening tour as he considers a run for attorney general in 2022.

His meeting at a watering hole in Round Rock drew about 20 local activists in the Republican Party, including Williamson County Republican Chairman Steve Armbruster.

Bush told them, as he has told others elsewhere, that he would be making a decision on a run shortly, and that an Attorney General needs to be "beyond reproach."

Attorney General Ken Paxton has been indicted twice while in office. Numerous members of his staff have resigned after public controversies.

George P. Bush is the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush. If he takes on and defeats Paxton in the Republican primary early next year, he may be taking on former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski, grandson of Watergate-era Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski.

Jaworski has announced an AG run as a Democrat and has a jump on Bush, raising over $300,000 in the opening weeks of his campaign.

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#Texas House Bill Would Limit Liability Of Builders

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A bill moving through the Texas House of Representatives would cut in half the amount of time homeowners have to sue developers or builders over construction defects.

House Bill 3595 would amend the Residential Construction Liability Act, cutting the statute of repose — the amount of time homeowners have to sue — from 10 years to five.

"The statute of repose for residential construction has not been addressed in over 30 years," said the bill’s author state Rep. Jim Leach, R-Plano, as he introduced the measure at a hearing of the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee.

(Full story here.)
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Sen. Cruz Speaks Out Against CD-6 Candidate Ellzey, Perry Supports

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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is opposing a state lawmaker's bid to replace the late Rep. Ron Wright (R) in Congress after he died from complications related to coronavirus. 

Texas state Rep. Jake Ellzey (R) is running in the state's special election to replace Wright, but has garnered opposition from Cruz and The Club for Growth, the national anti-tax group, according to The Texas Tribune. 

He has received a contribution from Bill Kristol, the anti-Trump activist.

Ellzey is one of 11 Republicans who are running to fill the seat on May 1. He has raise the most money in the race, $500,000.

He has received support from former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who said in a video that the attacks on him are unfair.

(Full story here.)
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Actor McConaughey Has Double-Digit Lead On Gov. Abbott

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Actor Matthew McConaughey has a 12-point lead over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a hypothetical matchup for the governorship, according to a Dallas Morning News and University of Texas at Tyler poll.

Why it matters: The numbers bode well for the Oscar winner's viability, as he already has strong name recognition in his home state. The "Interstellar" star has been flirting with a gubernatorial run as he toured to promote his new book, "Greenlights."

By the numbers: 45% said they would be more likely to vote for McConaughey than Abbott, while 33% said they would vote for the incumbent governor. 22% of all those polled said they'd vote for another candidate.

The polling data comes before McConaughey has weighed in on any controversial issues such as abortion or immigration, which might affect his support. It's unclear whether he is a Democrat or a Republican oh, but he has criticized both parties in the past.

(Full story here.)
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#Texas Democrat Says He'll Use Term "Illegal Alien"

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A senior US House Democrat from a border district in Texas plans to use the term "illegal alien" despite the Biden administration's orders that federal immigration agents drop it in favor of language not seen as offensive by liberals.

"I can understand some people are trying to be a little bit more politically correct, but if you look at what the statutes say, they do use the word 'alien.' That's what the statute does, so until the statute changes, some of us will continue to be using the word 'alien' on that," Rep. Henry Cuellar told reporters during a video briefing Monday afternoon.

Biden and his administration have had other issues with words to describe what's occurring on the southern borders of the US.

Until recently, Biden has avoided the use of the term "crisis" to describe the massive number of illegal aliens entering the country on its southern border. He did use the word last week, but his press secretary immediately walked back his comments.

(Full story here.)
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#Texas House Approves Constitutional Carry Legislation

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The Texas House has approved a Constitutional carry bill that would allow handguns to be carried without a permit, marking a win for gun rights activists who have for years pushed the measure at the Legislature.

Initial approval came Thursday in a 84-56 vote after several hours of some of the most emotionally charged debate yet this legislative session.

(Full story here.)
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Bills Seek To Ban Testimony From Hypnosis

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Senate Bill 281 and House Bill 1002 aim to ban evidence gleaned through the use of hypnosis from being introduced as evidence in a criminal trial.

So-called hypnotically-refreshed testimony is inadmissible in court in at least 21 other states.

(Full story here.)
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#Texas Senate Passes Bill That Penalizes Cities That Defund Police Departments

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Gaining stronger than expected Democratic support, the Texas Senate has approved a Republican priority bill that would penalize cities and counties that cut spending on police.

Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, said Tuesday that her bill was intended to promote public safety and show support for law enforcement amid calls to defund police during last year's protests over police brutality after George Floyd died under the knee of a Minneapolis officer in May. Groups like Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA have championed the "Defund the Police" efforts in that city and elsewhere.

The Democrat-controlled Austin City Council last year partially defunded their police department, by cutting nearly a third of its budget.

(Full story here.)
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Rep. Kevin Brady Won't Seek Re-Election To Congress

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Rep. Kevin Brady (The Woodlands) the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, is retiring at the end of his term.

He announced Wednesday that he’s leaving partly because Republicans’ internal term limit rules will force him to step down as the top Republican on the panel.

Brady has been his party’s point man on the committee for six years, where he was a chief architect of Republicans’ seminal 2017 tax cuts.

(Full story here.)
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Near Unanimous Support In #Texas Senate For National Anthem Bill

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Democrats in the Texas Senate overwhelmingly crossed the aisle on Thursday to vote in favor of the “Star Spangled Banner Protection Act,” a conservative-backed bill that would require any professional sports teams with contracts with the state government to play the national anthem before the start of a game.

Ten of the 13 Senate Democrats joined all 18 Republicans in supporting the bill. Just Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, of Austin, and Sen. Nathan Johnson, of Dallas, opposed it, while Democratic Sen. José Menéndez was absent from the chamber Thursday. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the 28-2 vote in favor of the bill “one of the more surprising votes” in his career. 

(Full story here.)
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Cedar Park City Councilor Accuses 3 Colleagues Of Misusing Taxpayer Funds

[#TexasPolitics365]

Cedar Park City Councilor Tim Kelly is accusing three of his colleagues of misusing taxpayer funds and has filed complaints with the state ethics Commission.

Each member of the Cedar Park City Council receives a monthly stipend to cover the cost of mobile phone service - a necessity for an elected representative in a growing community and in an interconnected age.

 

But according to Kelly, three of his council colleagues have been misappropriating their $100-per-month city cell phone funds by using my the phones for campaign purposes.

 

In sworn complaints with the Texas Ethics Commission, Kelly said three of his colleagues -- Mayor Pro Tem and Place 3 Council member Anne Duffy, Place 5 Council member Rodney Robinson, and Place 6 Council member Heather Jefts -- maintain their officially listed phone numbers also on their Facebook Pages. Those social media pages, while retitled to reflect their current elected offices, still contain campaign images, disclaimers, and verbiage and are clearly promotional in nature, he said.

 

"Using taxpayer funds to campaign is a flagrant violation of the public trust," Kelly said. "There is a reason why state law does not treat this abuse of elected office lightly. I look forward to a quick turnaround on this by the Texas Ethics Commission, and referral to the proper authorities or Texas Attorney General's office for further investigation."

Duffy is currently a candidate for re-election to Place 3 on the May local election ballot. Kelly and Robinson are not seeking re-election. Jefts's seat is up for re-election in 2022.

There has been a good deal of bad blood between Kelly and the rest of the council in the past year. In 2020, Kelly was censured by the board for making comments on Facebook that were said to be disrespectful and violated the city's "code of ethics."

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Bill To Halt Gov't Closure Of Churches Passes #Texas House

[#TexasPolitics365]

A bill designed to protect religious freedom and ensure that no governmental entity has the power to close a house of worship has passed the House of Representatives, in a vote of 117 to 29. 

House Bill 1239, sponsored by Rep. Scott Sanford, had over 50 co-sponsors, and was among the priority issues outlined in Governor Greg Abbott’s State of State Address in February. 

The bill prohibits any governmental entity from issuing an order or passing an ordinance that would close houses of worship. In addition to adding a prohibition on closures, the bill also creates a defense against prosecution under the protection of the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

Backers argued that the unprecedented closure of churches, mosques, and synagogues in 2020 negatively impacted many who were struggling with isolation and stress during the pandemic. 

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George P. Bush Considers Challenging #Texas AG Paxton in 2022

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush said Thursday he is "seriously considering" running for attorney general in 2022 — and detailed how he would challenge the incumbent, embattled fellow Republican Ken Paxton.

Bush spoke in an interview with Dallas radio host Mark Davis, saying, "Personally I think that the top law enforcement official in Texas needs to be above reproach."

Bush, the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush, went on to say a Paxton challenge would not be centered on "conservative credentials" but how the incumbent has run his office. "I think character matters and integrity matters," Bush said.

(Full story here.)
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Mike Collier Plans Another Run Against Lt. Gov. Patrick in '22

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Mike Collier, the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor who lost to Dan Patrick by 5 percentage points, is gearing up for another run.

Collier is launching an exploratory committee to challenge Patrick again next year, though he said it is more of a "confirmatory" committee and that he is "intent on doing this."

(Full story here.)
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#Abbott Refuses To Throw Out First Rangers Pitch Over Atlanta #MLB Pull-Out

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declined the Texas Rangers’ offer for him to throw out the first pitch on opening day over the league’s decision to pull the All-Star Game from Georgia.

The Rangers are set to play their home opener on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays. The team offered Abbott the opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, which he participated in two years ago and did so virtually last year.

(Full story here.)

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Gov. Bans Vaccine Passport Use To Deal With Public Agencies

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order Monday that restricts the ability to require coronavirus vaccinations and so-called vaccination passports.

According to the order, no governmental entity can require a person to receive a COVID-19 shot. State agencies are also prohibited from requiring people to provide proof of a vaccination as a condition of receiving a service or entering a place. The order also applies to any public or private entity that is receiving public funds “in whole or in part.”

The order apparently does not apply to private businesses not doing business with the state.

In this, it apparently does not go as far as a similar executive order signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who issued an executive order last Friday prohibiting businesses from requiring patrons or customers to show vaccine documentation, or risk losing grants or contracts funded by the state. 

 (Full story here.)
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#Texas AG Paxton Defends Rule Limiting Immigrant Use Of Welfare Benefits

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is defending a rule that limits entry for immigrants based on their likely use of public benefits. 

"It cost the country billions of dollars," Paxton stated on "Sunday Morning Futures," on Fox News, "If we're going to invite people in, we've got to make sure they can take care of themselves and that they're not going to end up on food stamps and Medicaid and health care insurance from our country."

Paxton explained that the "public charge" rule, put in place to set boundaries on public assistance for immigrants, was never official until the Clinton administration federally enforced it. The rule was halted in 2020 after a court order.

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#Beto O'Rourke Sends Mixed Signals About '22 Gubernatorial Race

[#TexasPolitics365]

Will he or won't he run for governor against Greg Abbott? Beto O'Rourke is being coy, and sending mixed signals.

"I’ve got no plans to run, and I’m very focused on the things that I’m lucky enough to do right now — organizing, registering voters and teaching,” the El Paso Democrat for an upcoming segment on Lone Star Politics on KXAS-TV (Channel 5). “I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing now.”

But hours later, afut O’Rourke’s comments was published, the Democrat told The Dallas Morning News that he had not ruled out a run against Abbott. He has until the December filing deadline to decide.

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