Nearly 1,500 Bills Filed For January Legislative Session

[#TexasPolitics365]

Two weeks ahead of the Texas’ 88th Legislative Session, nearly 1,500 bills have been filed by incoming and returning legislators.

In the last week, several new bills target school accountability, the electric grid and voting rights, among other issues.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Edgewater Republican Files Bill To Strengthen Grid

[#TexasPolitics365]

Sen. Bob Hall recently filed Senate Bill 330 to address the resiliency and reliability of the Texas electric grid.

During each session he has been in office, the Edgewood Republican has advocated for strengthening the resiliency of the grid and implementing measures to harden the grid against both natural and man-made threats.

As seen during Winter Storm Uri, the grid is vulnerable. The natural threat of the winter storm took the lives of over 200 people, had a direct/indirect economic impact of over $130 billion, and brought the state to within four minutes of a statewide grid failure, which would have meant weeks or even months without electricity.

(Full story HERE.)

--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Bill Would Ban Texas Children From Social Media

#TexasPolitics365

A North Texas lawmaker has put forward a bill that would ban children in the state from using social media.

Texas Republican State Rep. Jared Patterson has introduced HB 896 which would require social media users to be at least 18-years old in order to open a social media account.

"Once thought to be perfectly safe for users, social media access to minors has led to remarkable rises in self-harm, suicide, and mental health issues," Patterson said, likening social media to cigarette use before it was widely deemed unsafe in the 1960s.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Abbott Fires Back At Biden, Media Criticism Of Migrant Busing

[#TexasPolitics365]

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday pushed back against the White House's criticism of him busing more migrants to Washington, D.C., over the weekend -- where they arrived outside Vice President Kamala Harris' home on Christmas Eve.

"The White House is full of a bunch of hypocrites, led by the Hypocrite-in-Chief .... Instead of their hypocritical complaints about Texas providing much-needed relief to our overrun and overwhelmed border communities, President Biden and Border Czar Harris need to step up and do their jobs to secure the border—something they continue failing to do," Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Abbott, said in a statement.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Karnes County,Texas Sheriff Switches To Republican Party

[#TexasPolitics365]

Karnes County Sheriff Dwayne Villanueva announced he has officially switched parties and is now a Republican.

Sheriff Villanueva said “I look forward to continuing the strong tradition of excellent law enforcement in Karnes County, which requires us to come together for a common cause and seek out leaders of integrity and merit.”

In a press statement, Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi said “I am proud to welcome Sheriff Villanueva to the Republican Party. As Democrats increasingly abandon and cripple law enforcement, it is no wonder more people are turning to the Republican party.”

Karnes County is located southeast of San Antonio and has (as of 2020) a population of nearly 15,000.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Former Texas Congressman Hurd Wants Homeland Security Chief Fired

[#TexasPolitics365]

CNN hosts Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins clashed with former Republican lawmaker Will Hurd on Monday while discussing the border crisis and the end to Title 42.

Hurd, who represented a Texas border district in Congress, said President Biden's border policy was worse than former President Trump's. 

"This crisis has escalated under him. There’s other ways to do expedited removal. You also have a Title 8 authority, and what a new secretary of Homeland Security should be coming in saying ‘Listen, we’re going to use Title 8 authority to the same level that we’re using Title 42.’"

Hurd also suggested Biden get rid of border security officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, because of a lack of "credibility."

(Full story HERE
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Washington Post: Paxton Requested "List of Those Who Had Sex Changes"

[#TexasPolitics365]

Employees in the Texas Department of Public Safety were asked to provide a list of people who changed their sex on state documents in the past two years to the state attorney general’s office, according to The Washington Post.

The Post obtained through a public records request DPS documents from the agency that show employees discussing the attorney general’s office’s request. The records request was titled, “AG Request Sex Change Data” and “AG data request.”

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Texas Republicans To File Election Legislation

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas Republicans are prefiling bills aimed at creating an election police force similar to a unit deployed in Florida during the 2022 midterm elections.

The push for increased law enforcement involvement in Texas elections comes as GOP lawmakers are casting doubt on the outcome of Harris County's election results and District Attorney Kim Ogg probes for alleged criminal activity following issues with paper ballot availability and adjusted polling hours. Harris County leaders have defended the election's integrity.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Abbott Seeks Investigation Of NGOs Over Immigration

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday asked his top law enforcement official to investigate nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the state over their role in assisting immigrants to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Thousands Flood Texas Border Days Before Law Change

[#TexasPolitics365]

Officials in El Paso, Texas, a border city that has seen an increase in migrants crossing over into the United States from Mexico, told city leaders on Monday that the numbers of people illegally crossing into the city "are unsustainable," days before Title 42 is set to expire.

El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D'Agostino was speaking to the City Council when he laid out the latest migrant figures. He said the city was seeing an average of 2,500 apprehensions daily. Over the weekend, the Border Patrol's El Paso Sector saw a daily average of more than 2,400 migrants.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

O'Rourke Returned Donation From Disgraced FTX Crypto Financier

[#TexasPolitics365]

Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke returned a $1 million donation from disgraced cryptocurrency financier Sam Bankman-Fried four days before Election Day, his campaign told The Texas Tribune this week.

Bankman-Fried founded FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange that was valued at $32 billion before collapsing abruptly in a matter of days earlier this month, setting off an industrywide panic. Many customers of the popular crypto platform may lose all or part of the money they invested. O’Rourke’s team said they returned the million-dollar donation a week before FTX filed for bankruptcy and Bankman-Fried stepped down as its chief executive, but that the decision was made prior to Nov. 4 and took time to execute.

Bankman-Fried has been revealed as a prominent and generous donor to Democrats around the country.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Texas Republicans In Congress Unveil Border Security Plan

[#TexasPolitics365]

The Texas Republican delegation in the US House unveiled a new border security proposal to push back on White House assertions that the GOP has no 'plan' to fix the southern border. 

The framework, which is made up of both legislation their delegation has already introduced and new proposals as Republicans prepare to take the House, is split up into four categories: completing the border wall, fixing border enforcement policies, enforcing laws in the interior, and targeting cartels. 

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Abbott Bans TikTok On Gov't -Issued Devices

[#TexasPolitics365]

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all Texas state agencies to ban the use of the social media platform TikTok on any government-issued devices.

Abbott sent letters to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas Speaker Dade Phelan and state agency leaders raising concerns about cybersecurity.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Lt. Gov. Patrick Lays Out Agenda For 2023 Legislative Session

[#TexasPolitics365]

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has unveiled a list of 21 legislative priorities including property tax relief, improving the reliability of the electric grid and continuing to spend money on border security funding.

Patrick, who presides over the Senate and wields tremendous power over legislation, also said he will focus on issues like boosting border security, law enforcement, state investment in mental health facilities, restoration of the Alamo, education, school security and tightening the state’s election laws.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Sec. Of State John Scott Resigns

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas Secretary of State John Scott announced Monday he is resigning from his office, effective at the end of the year. Scott began his tenure as Texas secretary of state in October 2021, following an appointment from Gov. Greg Abbott.

In his announcement, Scott said he would be returning to his private legal practice following his departure. During his time in office, Scott oversaw four statewide elections in 2022, as well as a forensic audit into the 2020 General Election in Texas. The findings of that audit will be released after he leaves office on Dec. 31.

(Full story HERE
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

Texas House Speaker Phelan Endorsed By GOP Majority

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on Saturday easily cleared a hurdle long-demanded by the most staunchly conservative members of his party — endorsement by the House Republican Caucus, by secret ballot, of a would-be presiding officer of the chamber.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.

GOP Legislator Plans Anti Woke Legislation

[#TexasPolitics365]

A growing movement is underway to force investors/consumers to adhere to the “woke” political agenda. Rep. Cody Harris (R - Palestine) has filed HB 709 to prohibit financial institutions from using ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ratings when considering a consumer’s application.

(Full story HERE.)
--------------------------------------------------

** We are dedicated to bringing you Texas Politics, 365 days a year! Tips? texaspolitics365@gmail.com

Advertisement

For advertising opportunities, email us.