West Resigns As TXGOP Chair

[#TexasPolitics365]

Texas GOP Chairman Allen West announced his resignation Friday morning, raising speculation he could run for statewide office.

West will remain chair until a successor is picked on July 11, the party said.

The party said in a statement that West “will take this opportunity to prayerfully reflect on a new chapter in his already distinguished career.”

it is widely expected within Republican circles that West will seek to challenge Governor Abbott in a primary next year. West has been openly critical of Abbott, especially regarding the mask mandate.

If West runs for governor, he will face not only Abbott, but former State Senator Don Huffines, who has already announced, and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who is expected to announce a run in the coming weeks.

(Full story here.)
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Texas State Senator Proposes $3 Billion State Agency To Fund Disease Research

[#TexasPolitics365]

 

Texas state Sen. José Menéndez, (D-San Antonio) has proposed the creation of a state agency to provide grants for research into emerging infectious diseases and development of vaccines and other treatments for them. 

The Austin American-Statesman reports that the new agency would be funded up to $3 billion, in increments over several years. Issuance of bonds to pay for the agency's grants would require voter approval.

His proposal – detailed in Senate Bill 264, which he filed in advance of the state legislative session that began this week – would create an agency called the Texas Research Consortium to Cure Infectious Diseases, or TRANSCEND for short, based loosely on its initials. 
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