Sunday, October 31, 2021

Texas Sues Biden Admin., Says Federal Worker Vax Mandate Is Unconstitutional

[#TexasPolitics365]



Attorney General Ken Paxton, on behalf of the state, sued the Biden administration on Friday over its coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal contractors.

The federal requirement, which is set to take effect Dec. 8, calls on all federal workers and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Texas lawsuit comes after similar suits filed by Florida and Georgia, along with several other states.

(Full story here.)
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Saturday, October 30, 2021

New Sec. Of State Says 2020 Election "Not Stolen" But Wants Audit To Go Forward

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Texas’ new secretary of state says he wants to restore confidence in the state’s elections, but says the 2020 presidential election was not stolen.

In an interview Thursday, John Scott said there’s no question that Joe Biden is the president and that he has “not seen anything” to suggest the election was stolen.

But Scott stopped short of agreeing with a deputy under his predecessor who said the 2020 election in Texas “smooth and secure.” He did not want to get ahead of an election audit of four of Texas' largest counties, which he called his top priority.

(Full story here.)
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Friday, October 29, 2021

Operation Lone Star Nabs Over 7,000 Illegals On State Crimes

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More than 7,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested by Texas state agencies since Operation Lone Star began this spring, and thanks to the way the project works, not even the Biden administration can release them, reports the Western Journal.

Gov. Greg Abbott created Operation Lone Star as a counterpoint to the feeble attempts by the Biden administration to curb the flood of illegal immigration that’s inundating Texas border communities.

Although immigration violations are the sole purview of the federal government, Operation Lone Star arrests illegal immigrants for the state crimes they commit – from trespassing to drug possession. That means that the Biden administration cannot simply allow these illegal immigrants to be charged and then released into the interior of the U.S.

(Full story here.)
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Thursday, October 28, 2021

House Committee To Launch Library Book Investigation

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The chairman of a Texas state House committee tasked with conducting investigations is launching a probe into books that school librarians keep on their shelves in the wake of a measure the legislature passed earlier this year to bar teaching of critical race theory in public schools.

In a letter to the Texas Education Agency and unnamed school superintendents, state Rep. Matt Krause (R) asked school leaders to identify the number of copies of hundreds of specific books they have sitting on library shelves, and how much money the districts paid to purchase those books.

(Full story here.)
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Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Judge Denies Restraining Order Against Health Dept. Over Delta-8 Cannabis "Illegal" Label

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A Texas judge has rules against a company that sells delta-8 and CBD products that had filed a temporary restraining order against state health officials, alleging that they did not ‘follow the proper procedures’ to claim on their website that delta-8 is illegal.

Court documents show that the judge denied the order from Hometown Hero, an Austin-based company that sells delta-8 and CBD products, because “the plaintiff has not met requirements of a temporary restraining order.” 

The health department responded to the emergency order by stating there was no emergency.

(Full story here.)
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Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Redistricting Maps Signed Into Law, But Democrats Ready Lawsuits

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Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday approved Texas’ new political maps for the state’s congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts, according to Texas Legislature Online.

The maps were drawn to be favorable to Republican candidates across the state. Democrats are already lining up to challenge the maps in court. If they manage to delay the implementation of the maps pass November 15th, the March 2022 primary election could be delayed until May or later.

(Full story here.)
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Monday, October 25, 2021

Abbott To UN Over Oil Criticism: "Pound Sand"

[#TexasPolitics365]


The leader of the United Nations says Texas must end its reliance on oil and gas production to remain prosperous in the era of climate change.

At a UN summit next month, world is leaders will be asked to rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says Texas is well-positioned to lead the way in the production of renewables.

“If Texas wants to remain prosperous in 2050 or 2070, Texas will have to diversify its economy and Texas will have to be less dependent on oil and gas,” Guterres said.

The response from Texas governor Greg Abbott was immediate and fierce. On twitter, Abbott replied:

"Texas to United Nations: Pound Sand

The world is reeling from spiraling fuel costs caused by premature over-reliance on renewable energy.

High fuel costs punish middle class families & stoke the supply chain crisis. Texas oil & gas is needed right now."

Texas is the nation’s largest producer of crude oil and natural gas. But the state is also the largest producer of wind energy in the United States.

(Full story here.)
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Saturday, October 23, 2021

El Paso Billionaire Named New ERCOT Chairman

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An El Paso businessman, billionaire Paul Foster, has been named chairman of the new board for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas - ERCOT.

He is one of the first two members of the new ERCOT board, which is being reformed after last winter's near collapse of the Texas power grid, which ERCOT manages.

Many legislators were surprised to learn after the ice storm that most of the board members did not reside in Texas, and had no connection to the state.

Six remaining ERCOT board positions are to be filled in the coming months, according to the announcement recently made by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which oversees ERCOT. 

(Full story here.)
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Friday, October 22, 2021

Ft. Worth Attorney Appointed Texas Secretary of State

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Fort Worth attorney John Scott as Texas secretary of state.

Scott has 33 years of legal experience, the Texas Tribune reports, and previously served as Texas’ deputy attorney general for civil litigation and as the chief operating officer of the state’s Health and Human Services Commission.

The attorney briefly signed on to the Trump campaign’s ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit seeking to block the certification of Pennsylvania’s election on November 13, after the previous attorneys representing the then-president quit.

Abbott praised Scott Thursday.

"John Scott is a proven leader with a passion for public service, and his decades of experience in election law and litigation make him the ideal choice for the Texas Secretary of State," said Abbott. 

(Full story here.)
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Thursday, October 21, 2021

Texas Nationalist Leader Challenges Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick In GOP Primary

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Daniel Miller, president of the Texas nationalist movement, a group which advocates the secession of Texas from the Union, has announced he will challenge Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and the Republican primary.

In a statement Wednesday night, Miller said:

"For months, Texans who love liberty and independence have asked me to run for office to represent them and their values in Austin. I have made my decision."

In his online biography, Miller is referred to as, "an outspoken advocate for Texas independence since 1996. As the head of one of the largest and most influential political organizations in Texas, Miller has extensively researched and engaged the issue of self-determination, not just for Texas, but as part of a growing global trend."

Miller will challenge Patrick from the Right, likely criticizing the failures of the Senate, which Patrick has been leading, to push through more conservative legislation. Patrick will likely counter that the past year's regular and special legislative sessions were the most productive and most conservative in recent memory.

(Full story here
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Tuesday, October 19, 2021

House Approves $3 Billion For Higher Education Construction Projects

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Higher education institutions would get more than $3 billion for specific capital projects under legislation approved by the Texas House on Sunday. 

With just two days remaining before the end of the special session, the Senate can now decide to concur with the House’s list of construction projects or enter a conference committee to settle differences before sending the bill to Gov. Greg Abbott.

(Full story here.)
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Monday, October 18, 2021

$36 Million In New Funding Announced For Operation Lone Star Immigration Enforcement

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Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that his Public Safety Office (PSO) will award more than $36.4 million in grant funding for law enforcement and prosecution activities in direct support of Operation Lone Star. 

As part of the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year's General Appropriation Act and the House Bill 9 supplemental appropriations bill, these grant funds will assist local law enforcement, prosecutors, jail administrators, medical examiners, and court administration officials in the execution of coordinated border security operations.
 
"Operation Lone Star is critical to our efforts to secure the border, and we will continue to invest in this operation in order to keep Texans safe," said Governor Abbott. "The grant funding provided through House Bill 9 ensures that our local partners along the border have the resources and support they need to respond to the border crisis."

(Full story here.)
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Sunday, October 17, 2021

Abbott Releases Very Early Attack Ad On Presumptive Candidate O'Rourke

[#TexasPolitics365]
 

In one of the first video salvos of the 2022 gubernatorial race, Gov. Greg Abbott's campaign has released a 30-second YouTube video, titled "Wrong Way O'Rourke," attacking presumptive Democrat candidate for governor Beto O'Rourke.

O'Rourke, who has yet to announce his candidacy, but has hinted strongly that he will announce soon, is shown in a cartoon driving his red pickup truck around curves labeled with positions Abbott criticizes him for taking. 

Among those positions are open borders and tearing down the wall between Mexico and Texas, the confiscation of guns, and single-payer healthcare. All are positions strongly opposed by Republicans.

The video, which may not air on TV stations until a general election, if then, is certainly designed to boost Abbott's conservative credentials with those who criticize him for not being active enough in promoting conservatism while in office. These include his GOP primary challengers Lt. Col. Allen West and former State Sen. Don Huffines.

The end of the video shows the cartoon version of O'Rourke driving his famous red pickup truck off a cliff. While clearly a metaphor for his alleged bad policy positions (the subtitle of the video is "don't go down that road") it will also surely be seen buy some as a subtle dig at O'Rourke's controversial 1998 DWI crash, in which he left the scene of an accident in in which he had been driving drunk.

(Full story here.)
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Saturday, October 16, 2021

House Passes Bill Aimed At protecting Girl Teen Athletes

[#TexasPolitics365]
 

The Texas House has passed a bill requiring public school athletes to play on teams corresponding with their biological sex at or near birth.

The debate on House Bill 25 went on for several hours Thursday but came to an end with a 76-54 vote. The bill will now move to the Texas Senate, where it's expected to pass. 

HB 25 lets girls play on boys' teams if a girls' team is not offered or available.

“Biological males, in addition to having much higher testosterone levels, have many other physiological advantages that girls just cannot overcome,” said Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring), one of the bill’s authors. 

(Full story here.)
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Friday, October 15, 2021

Texas Democratic Party Chair Endorses Collier In Lt. Gov. Primary

[#TexasPolitics365]
 

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilbert Hinojosa has issued a statement taking sides in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, a week after Matthew Dowd entered the race. 

Hinojosa said that he supports Mike Collier, a Houston accountant who was the Democratic pick for lieutenant governor in 2018. Collier is the establishment favorite over Dowd, a former independent who worked for Republican George W. Bush in the 2000s and Democratic Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock in the 1990s.

Hinojosa, elected chairman of the state's  Democratic Party in 2012, is the party's first Hispanic chairman.

(Full story here.)
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Thursday, October 14, 2021

Democratic State Rep. Moving To Austin After Redistricting

[#TexasPolitics365]


Vowing not to be kept off the state House floor by Republican redistricting plans, State Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, announced Wednesday he is moving to run for reelection in a different House district because his current district is being redrawn to be more favorable to Republicans.

Talarico said he would run in nearby House District 50, where the Democratic incumbent, Celia Israel, is not seeking reelection as she prepares to run for Austin mayor. 

He announced the new campaign with the support of the biggest names in Democratic politics in Texas, including Beto O'Rourke, Wendy Davis and Joaquin Castro.

Talarico, who earlier this year fled to Washington with other Democrats to prevent a quorum in the state House of Representatives, would likely have faced a very difficult race in district 52, which lies in conservative Williamson County. There is already a contested primary on the Republican side of that race, with both candidates campaigning heavily against the young liberal Democrat, whom they say is politically out of touch with the district.

(Full story here.)
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Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Class Action Suit Filed Against ERCOT Over Winter Storm Failures

[#TexasPolitics365]


More than 270 Texans from across the state are suing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for “negligent management” of the power grid during the February winter storm.

The February winter storm knocked out power for millions of Texans and kept them in single-digit temps and the dark for several days. Officials say generators not being properly weatherized for the plunging temperatures were the cause.

The lawsuit was filed Sept. 28 in Travis County District Court. It states each of the plaintiffs were among the Texans who lost power at their residence. 

In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law two bills focusing on an overhaul of ERCOT.

One reformed the ERCOT board, and the other requires electricity providers operating on the Texas grid to weatherize equipment and improve communication with customers during outages.

(Full story here.)
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Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Abbott Orders No Forced Vaccinations "By Any Entity"

[#TexasPolitics365]


Gov. Greg Abbott yesterday issued an executive order stating that "no entity in Texas" can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination by any individual, including an employee or consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19. 

Abbott also sent a message to the the Chief Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate adding this issue as an item to the Third Special Session agenda. The executive order will be rescinded upon the passage of such legislation. 

"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," said Governor Abbott. 

(Full story here.)
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Monday, October 11, 2021

McConaughey Criticizes Parts Of Heartbeat Law

[#TexasPolitics365]


Matthew McConaughey still isn’t ready to say if he’s running for governor, but the Hollywood actor offered a sliver of insight into his political position on abortion during an interview on a podcast with the New York Times.

McConaughey repeatedly veered away from policy specifics but made clear he is not a fan of Senate Bill 8, the legislation that has effectively banned abortion in Texas.

McConaughey said parts of the law, which was blocked by a federal judge Wednesday, are “a little juvenile” and said he didn’t agree with not having any exceptions for women who are victims of rape or incest.

During the podcast, he explicitly refused to go further in describing his views on abortion.

(Full story here.)
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Sunday, October 10, 2021

DHS Terminating Border Wall Building Contracts In Texas

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The Department of Homeland Security will terminate all border-wall contracts within the Border Patrol’s Laredo and Rio Grande Valley sectors, the agency announced Friday. 

In late July, CBP announced the first two cancellations of border wall contracts issued during the Trump administration for the South Texas city of Laredo.

(Full story here.)
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Saturday, October 9, 2021

BREAKING: GOV. CANDIDATE WEST HAS COVID PNEUMONIA, WIFE TESTS POSITIVE, ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL

[#TexasPolitics365]


Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen West says his wife Angela has tested positive for COVID and he says he's experiencing symptoms of the disease.

West made the announcement on Twitter:

"I want to thank all of you for your prayers. Angela and I just completed the monoclonal antibody infusion therapy and are in the observation period. There’s a concern about my oxygen saturation levels, which are at 89 and they should be at 95.

"My chest X-rays do show COVID pneumonia, not serious. I am probably going to be admitted to the hospital."

Subsequent reports showed that he had indeed been admitted to the hospital.

West says he is already taking Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin protocols. 

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Huffines Would End Commercial Trade With Mexico

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines says he will cut off commercial trade across the Texas-Mexico border, a move that he says would pressure Mexico to stop migrants from coming to the border.

Trade through the Texas-Mexico border is valued at $400 billion per year, and the Texas stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border is the gateway for more than half of all U.S.-Mexico trade.

Huffines, who is challenging incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott in the Republican primary, said during a recent appearance on Fox News, “Most people don’t realize, we have 25 bridges over the (Rio Grande) river. I’m going to make sure we stop all inbound commercial traffic from Mexico. And this is strategic to make sure we put the economic pressure on Mexico so they secure their side of the river.”

(Full story here.)
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Friday, October 8, 2021

GOP Governors Have 10-Point Plan To Solve Border Crisis

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Republican governors have unveiled a 10-point plan to end the crisis at the southern border as they called on the Biden administration to act to solve the continuing surge of migrants, and reverse policies they say is fueling those record numbers.

(Full story here.)
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Thursday, October 7, 2021

Taxpayer Group Sues Round Rock ISD Over Tax Rate Hike Vote

[#TexasPolitics365]


The Travis County Taxpayers Union is suing the Round Rock Independent School District in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

The lawsuit comes after a few disruptive school board meetings, including one on Sept. 14 that ended with two arrests. That’s the same meeting where board members approved a new tax rate.

In the lawsuit, the union claims RRISD didn’t have enough trustees to vote on a new, higher rate, saying they tried to circumnavigate the Texas tax code.

(Full story here.)
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Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Senate Reworks Vetoed Animal Cruelty Bill

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Animal rights activists hope new legislation that would protect dogs from dangerous restraints and shelter conditions will become law after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a similar bill in June.

Senate Bill 5 would prohibit tethering unattended dogs outdoors unless the owner provides clean water, protection from excessive animal waste and adequate shelter. 

The bill also would ban restrictive restraints such as leashes less than 10 feet long or five times the length of the dog, and small collars.

(Full story here.)
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Paxton Wants Most Charges Against Him Dismissed

[#TexasPolitics365] Lawyers for impeached Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday sought to have most of the charges against...