Jodie Laubenberg: One Cheap Date

"A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not escape."
Proverbs 19:5

Empower Texans had a piece yesterday discussing Jodie Laubenberg:

When neighboring State Rep. Scott Turner (R-Rockwall) announced his bid for Speaker, a number of conservatives stepped up to support him. Conservatives knew that Turner would work with Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and the conservative caucus in the Texas Senate to pass a bold conservative agenda, while Straus would obstruct the passage of reforms favored by the electoral majority.

Unfortunately Laubenberg could not be counted among Turner’s backers. Instead of standing with her conservative friends and supporters, Laubenberg capitulated, endorsing Straus to hold the gavel during the 84th session.

Speculation mounted that Laubenberg had sold her support for a seat at the table—believing she would receive a chairmanship of either the Public Health or Human Services committees, where she could advance pro-life legislation. But Laubenberg’s Faustian bargain never came to fruition.

Laubenberg did not receive the chairmanship she allegedly bartered for. In fact, Laubenberg was never even granted a seat on any of the health-related committees. Instead, she was given the chairmanship of the Elections committee.

But even that chairmanship represented only an illusion of power. All major campaign finance and election reforms were routed by Straus away from Laubenberg’s committee to his close allies on the State Affairs and General Investigating and Ethics committees. Laubenberg was left with busy work, and managed to even pass little of that.

We concur with Empower's take, but have one thing to add.  Laubenberg didn't even get to carry meaningful pro life legislation.  Instead, she got to sponsor HB 3446 which was slow walked to death by Byron Cook and Todd Hunter.

Bottom Line: The politics of the pro-life issue have become so one-sided in this state that something was going to pass this session; that leadership didn't include Jodie Laubenberg in this process reveals the contempt in which they hold her.