Border Patrol "Pay Fix" Bill Introduced

[#TexasPolitics365]

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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