#TXLEGE: Patrick escalates JUVENILE Conflict with Seliger

"Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?"
Proverbs 6:27

We said what we said on Saturday.

Today we're here:

State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, was just trying to head to a meeting with other Republican members of the Senate when Lt. Gov Dan Patrick stood at this door and told him: “I didn’t invite you to this meeting.” pic.twitter.com/UzSKDU0OtF

— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) January 22, 2019

Which begs the natural follow up question:

#TXLEGE: Annnd this is supposed to advance a conservative agenda...how exactly?!? https://t.co/XWDcGCuSAG

— cahnman (@cahnman) January 22, 2019

Followed by this:

PR 01 22 2019 Lt. Gov. Patrick Statement on Senator Seliger Comments by Cahnman on Scribd

Followed by this:

Shorter Seliger: I should’ve told Dan Patrick to kiss my ass instead. https://t.co/DzLMe9QgMl

— Emily Ramshaw (@eramshaw) January 22, 2019

And this:


via GIPHY


It would have been one thing if Patrick and Seliger had had a falling out over a policy issue. Instead, it's over personality.  And the worst part is that Patrick both started and escalated it.

Historically, Dan Patrick has been pretty good at managing the more moderate members of both the R and the D caucuses.  The key is that you allow the moderates in question to pass a lot of small, relatively, inconsequential bills.  Then the moderate either supports Patrick, or stays out of the way, on Patrick's major priorities.  Case in point: Kevin Elitife two sessions ago.

But for some reason, even though it's the obvious play to make with Seliger, Patrick chooses this route.

It's mystifying.

That being said, even at this late date, 3 facts remain the case:

• Dan Patrick needs Kel Seliger more than Kel Seliger needs Dan Patrick.

• Kel Seliger still needs Dan Patrick badly enough that it's in Kel Seliger's interest to find a way to stay on the reservation.

• The price of keeping Kel Seliger on the reservation goes up each time you have one of these public blowups.

Unfortunately, it remains an open question whether anyone in a position of authority recognizes the afore mentioned facts.

Bottom Line:  These are unforced errors.  They need to end.  Right now.

Abbott Fires GIGANTIC Shot Across UT's Bow

"And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand."
2 Kings 3:18

From a write up about McRaven's departure from Horns 24/7:

McRaven’s three-year tenure has been a tumultuous one. While McRaven laid out an ambitious agenda, McRaven became mired in politics after a failed $215 million purchase of 300 acres of land in Houston for a UT campus as well as McRaven’s opposition to the state’s “campus carry” law passed two years ago.

Sources said Abbott and Patrick, but specifically Abbott, who signed SB11 into law (effective Jan. 1, 2016) allowing those with concealed handgun licenses to carry on college campuses, resented McRaven for his outspoken stance that the law would make campuses less safe.

Reports on social media surfaced a person with a concealed carry license drew a firearm to stop a suspect accused of three stabbings (including one fatality) on the UT campus on May 1 from further attacks. But police wouldn’t confirm those reports and credited an officer who arrived two minutes after being called with stopping the attacker.

As far as McRaven leading the UT System’s purchase of 300 acres for a UT campus in Houston, I'm told he did so without clearing it with key Houston politicos, including Abbott and Patrick (both from Houston), as well as key Houston legislators who have to answer to the University of Houston in their districts.

I’m told McRaven didn’t even involve UT president Greg Fenves before the land purchase, which became a bit of a political minefield for Fenves while the Big 12 was exploring expansion a year ago.

Sources said Houston lawmakers put pressure on Texas to help the University of Houston get into the Big 12 as a way of making up for - or even in exchange for - McRaven’s purchase. Fenves played the situation perfectly, announcing in a tweet that if Houston was to be considered for the Big 12, UH would make a great candidate. In the end, the out-of-state members of the Big 12 didn’t want another school in Texas added to the league.

McRaven abruptly abandoned the land purchase, announcing earlier this year the UT System would sell the property after McRaven was undressed in a public forum by UT regent Kevin Eltife, a former state senator from Tyler and perhaps Abbott’s closest confidante on the regents board.

It's very subtle.  And, unless you understand UT politics, you might miss it.  But it's difficult to overstate the magnitude of what just happened.

Clearly, Kevin Eltife is this reporter's primary source.  One of the oldest tricks in the anonymous source book is to say something complimentary about your source after the controversial stuff.  And look how the reporter characterized Abbott's relationship with Eltife.  We also wouldn't be surprised if other members of the Board of Regents spoke with the reporter

Then there's the fact that this report appeared in the sports media, instead of the political media.  One of the ways the U.T. politburo keeps the alumni at bay is via Pravda-esque levels of manipulation of media coverage of the athletic department.  We've never had a reason to discuss it publicly, but we have personal experience attempting to cover the athletic department to back this up.  The result is to create a fan-boy media culture that echoes the Politburo line.

But by leaking to the fan-boy sports media, instead of the Trib or the Statesmen [Note: How much egg do those two have on their face after getting scooped this big?!?], Abbott is essentially telling the politburo "if you guys don't shape up soon (*), I'm about to start taking my case directly to the alumni."

That being said, this is still Greg Abbott (and UT) about whom we're talking.  So it shouldn't surprise anyone if follow though is lacking.  But if you know what to look for, this is pretty huge.

Bottom Line: An Abbott-appointed regent leaking this sort of a BOMBSHELL to the athletic department's fan boy media doesn't happen by accident.

-------

* -- ie. 'by the time I'm re-elected and no longer need your money'

-------

Then there's this: "But sources close to Fenves, who earns $750,000 per year, indicated Fenves has “three to five years” of agenda items he wants to help carry out as UT president."

Considering that Fenves has already been there 2.5 years, does that mean they're laying the foundation for his departure along with McRaven at the end of the current school year?!?

UT Politburo (predictably) begins laying foundation for next tuition increase....

"As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly."
Proverbs 26:11

[Note: This story is actually a week old, but it remains worth noting because it's such a textbook example of how they operate.]

[Note II: You can see our testimony over why reigning in tuition hikes is step one to restoring financial accountability in higher education here.]

LOL, of course:

University of Texas System regents sketched out a strategy Friday to ensure that proposals to raise tuition and fees in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 academic years are warranted and to seek support from local officials, lawmakers and statewide elected leaders before adopting them. The effort to bolster the tuition-setting process with an eye toward enlisting political support comes after a legislative session that saw the Texas Senate vote 29-2 to freeze academic charges for two years at the state’s public universities and to sharply restrict future increases. But the measure, Senate Bill 19, didn’t emerge from a House committee.

“I think more than ever we need to do everything we can to educate them,” Regent Kevin Eltife, a former Republican state senator from Tyler, said of lawmakers. “They may not like it, but we need to be able to say when we go to session in ’19, ‘Look, we had to do this. Here’s the need, here’s why we did it, and we did our best to visit with all of you.’ And we need to target the reps and senators from the area of the institution and we need to target” the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.

Regent Rad Weaver said it will be crucial to find local champions for any tuition increase. “There’ll be one or two within each local delegation, and we need to identify those early on and make sure that they’re informed,” he said.

Regent Janiece Longoria agreed. “They can be very helpful with state leadership in helping frame the message about why it’s so important, assuming that they need a tuition increase and assuming that it’s the right amount,” she said.

Regent Sara Martinez Tucker, who chairs the UT board’s Academic Affairs Committee, said campus leaders would be expected to play a key role in making the case to elected officials for any tuition increase. Her committee signed off on the strategy Friday, and the full Board of Regents is expected to go along with it at a meeting later this month.

....

Chancellor Bill McRaven noted that a political calculation is inevitably part of the decision.

“If you look at the facts that will be presented in terms of the needs for the institutions to generate additional revenue, we are clearly going to have to balance that with the political will, and I think we all understand that moving forward,” McRaven said.

A few points:

• You'll notice that all the regents pushing this (Eltife, Weaver, Longoria, and Tucker) are Abbott appointees; the 3 remaining Perry holdovers all seem to be keeping their heads down.

• This is EXACTLY what we told the Senate nominations committee (and several individual senators privately) would happen if the Senate confirmed the last round of regent nominees.

• All this at a time when, according to the Board of Regents' own numbers, institutions across the system are receiving record revenues AND UTIMCO is more valuable than ever.

Bottom Line: This was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo predictable (which is why we predicted it)....

McRaven resigns from UTIMCO Board

"Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?"
Proverbs 17:16

This is interesting; from yesterday's Daily Texan:

UT System Chancellor William McRaven decided last Wednesday to give up his seat on the board of the University of Texas Investment Management Co. in order to have the position filled by a Texas A&M System representative instead.

The announcement came a day before the UTIMCO board meeting, where the board also approved a change in the name to the University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company, but will still be known as UTIMCO for short. The change reflects the inclusion of the Texas A&M System, which is also a part of the investment company.

“(McRaven) has appreciated the experience and the exposure to the process by which the investments of the various funds benefitting the UT and Texas A&M systems are governed and managed,” said Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, executive director of media relations and external communications for the UT System, in an email. “As conversations have unfolded between the two systems over the past several months about the opportunity to increase the A&M presence on the board, McRaven willingly volunteered to give up his role on the board.”

Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said he approves of McRaven’s decision and the adjustment to the investment company’s name. According to the Austin American-Statesman, Sharp has wanted a stronger A&M presence since he became chancellor in 2011.

....

Under state law, the UT System Board of Regents will appoint an A&M System representative. UT System Regent Kevin Eltife told The Daily Texan that A&M deserves to have more representation in the investment company because the decisions made impact A&M’s System.

“The A&M System obviously has a vested interest in the investments that UTIMCO oversees, and I think it’s an effort to give the A&M System a little more oversight,” Eltife said. “I applaud Chairman (Jeffery) Hildebrand and Chancellor McRaven for going in this direction.”

McRaven’s decision to step down from UTIMCO comes shortly after he discontinued his plans for a data center in Houston, which caused controversy in the Texas Legislature. However, LaCoste-Caputo and Eltife said McRaven’s removal from UTIMCO’s board and the Houston land purchase are unrelated to one another.

Keep in mind, this comes on the heels of the UTIMCO CEO's sudden resignation on a holiday afternoon late last year.  While we have no specific knowledge, we've been suspicious of all subsequent news coming out of UTIMCO.  We made this exact point during our testimony in the last regental confirmation hearing.

That being said, it's also plausible in this cast that there's nothing more to this than the publicly stated reason of giving a bigger voice to A&M.

Bottom Line: It's impossible to know what this means, but it's a situation worth monitoring.

U.T. System paid Bill Powers' law firm OVER $450k during Houston land grab fiasco....

"Woe to those who devise iniquity,
And work out evil on their beds!
At morning light they practice it,
Because it is in the power of their hand."
Micah 2:1

Following last month's collapse of U.T's Houston land grab, we sent several open records requests related to the deal.  The requests are currently working their way through the Attorney General process, but U.T. did release some information last week.  Check out this gem from in response to an inquiry from Regent Eltife:

Now who, pray tell, is Jackson Walker?!?

Bill Powers, the former president of the University of Texas, is joining the Dallas-based law firm Jackson Walker as counsel.

Powers said he will continue teaching full time at UT but plans to work a limited number of hours with the appellate lawyers and those who specialize in corporate governance at Jackson Walker.

“I like being part of a team, and I like it that Jackson Walker is a large law firm with diverse practice areas but that it still focuses on Texas,” Powers, 69, told The Texas Lawbook. “I also want to contribute to the professional development of young lawyers and help the firm with client development.”

Bottom Line: Such a typical U.T. move...

Following raw sewage, UT NOW pumping chlorine into Waller Creek....

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience."
Ephesians 5:6

Late last year, we amplified a KXAN report about UT literally pumping raw sewage into Waller Creek; kudos to KXAN for discovering yet another gem:

A pool at the Texas Swimming Center has been leaking water into nearby Waller Creek, the University of Texas at Austin said Thursday.

Officials with the university say they found out about the leak early Wednesday, after swim center personnel found water down in the basement, running along what would be the side of the pool.

Personnel knew the water there was unusual and soon realized there was a leak.

...

Environmental Health and Safety managers admit they’re disappointed but call each incident unique and most importantly – rare.

A few thoughts:

• $25 BILLION endowment and they can't follow through on this level of basic maintenance?!?
• Note: In his confirmation hearing, Regent Eltife specifically spoke about the need for the Board of Regents to be much more diligent in making sure the various campuses maintain existing facilities.  Because he's been on the Board for less than a month, we'll cut him some slack over this one.  But Regent Eltife specifically owns anything that happens after, say, the May Board meeting.

• The silence of the enviros is deafening.

• In a strange bit of irony, perhaps it isn't the worst thing in the world to pump chlorine into the water following two years of raw sewage.

Texas Senate flushes their higher ed credibility down the toilet....

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,"
1 Peter 5:6

Well, isn't this a fitting way for the whole fiasco to end:

Former state Sen. Kevin Eltife, a Republican from Tyler; Rad Weaver, CEO of a company owned by UT-Austin megadonor Red McCombs, and Janiece Longoria, a former vice chair of the UT System board, were named to the board by Gov. Greg Abbott. They replace controversial Regent Wallace Hall and two other board members who were appointed by former Gov. Rick Perry.

The vote was 29-0, with Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, and Borris Miles, D-Houston voting "present" instead of "yes." Miles and West, who are both black, said they supported the nominees Abbott chose but were frustrated that there are no black members on the UT System board.

[Author's Note: Emphasis added.]

Read the whole thing here.

This was the only point of leverage the Senate had over U.T., but it turns out they'd rather talk a big game than back it up with action.

It just is what it is, but the silver lining is that every single senator now owns everything that will come out of U.T over the next two years.

Bottom Line: Remember this day the next time you hear the Texas Senate make a threat.

UT Regent confirmation hearing tests the Texas Senate's capacity for willful self-delusion....

"And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN."
Daniel 5:25

The good news is that they haven't voted yet.  The bad news is that the fix remains as in as it's been and that vote will be a formality when the committee meets next week.  Yesterday, we called this fiasco dirty politics worthy of House of Cards and nothing that occurred in today's confirmation hearing changes that.

Everything you need to know about this process can be summed up in the fact that Kirk Watson said that he was "very pleased" and "looking forward to swift confirmation."  That being said, Watson did ask each of the nominees to define how they see their role as individual regents.  Ironically, it was in response to a question from Kirk Watson that all three nominees admitted they see the the role of an individual regent to be a yes man for the chancellor.

We will confess to being pleasantly surprised by Kevin Eltife's testimony.  He spoke of the need to end "smoke and mirrors" budgeting while committing to ending the practice of building new buildings without sufficient funds raised for ongoing maintenance and operations.  That's a pretty meaningful cost driver and if a potential Regent Eltife can make progress in that area so much the better.

Janiece Longoria was a talking points repository.  She was the president-elect of Texas Exes prior to being nominated by Governor FoxNews Abbott and was previously on the Board of UTIMCO.  Honestly, that's all you need to know, although she also gave winking approval to the admissions scandal.

Rad Weaver is, straight up, not qualified for this position.  We're doing our best to be polite, but it's impossible to be truthful without saying that the word bimbo comes to mind.  His response to every single question from Senators was some variation of the phrase "I don't know."  Well, if you don't know the answer to basic questions about how the system is governed, you shouldn't be serving on the Board of Regents!  If these Senators had any self respect, they would have been offended at how many times they were told "I don't know."

Senator Birdwell sounded like a cuck asked a milquetoast question about whether the new Board will respect the chain of command as it relates to the relationship between the UT system and the legislature, which Birdwell deemed "unsatisfactory" currently.  All three nominees mouthed the platitudes you would expect them to mouth in response to such a question.  But actions speak louder than words and everything you need to know about how these new Regents will view the legislature can be summed up by the fact that Rad Weaver failed to do basic preparation for his confirmation hearing.

In response to various questions from Senators Kel Seliger and Borris Miles, Eltife and Longoria spoke unfavorably about the UT system's Houston land grab.  Meanwhile, Chancellor McRaven was chided for the Houston project in a separate hearing.  But that doesn't change the reality that, even if you take Eltife and Longoria at their word, McRaven has a 7-2 majority on the Board to push Houston forward and the legislature isn't going to do a damn thing to stop him.

To his credit, Senator Van Taylor told a fantastic Aggie joke.

The only Senator who demonstrated a basic grasp of reality during this hearing was Dawn Buckingham.  She asked pointed questions about admissions and tuition and disdainfully left it at "we will see" when she received buzzwords and truisms in return.  But Senator Buckingham did everything we asked her to do when we discussed this issue on the campaign trail.

We are working on technical issues related to the video of our personal testimony and will share it in a separate post; the indefatigable Jon Cassidy has more here, the Statesman has more here.

Abbott and Eltife: Even More Mendacious than Originally Thought....

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

Yeah:

Once again, Abbott Kneecaps Higher Ed. Accountability....

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

See no evil....

An era of disunity on the University of Texas System Board of Regents could soon be ending, as the most controversial member of the board, Wallace Hall, and his two closest ideological allies have been passed over for reappointment to the board.

On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott chose to name three new regents, including recently retired state Sen. Kevin Eltife, a Republican from Tyler.

....

That means the tenures of Hall, Regent Alex Cranberg and Regent Brenda Pejovich will soon likely end, as long as the Senate opts to confirm the appointees.

In addition to Eltife, Abbott named Rad Weaver, CEO of the company owned by UT-Austin mega-donor Red McCombs, and Janiece Longoria, a former vice chair of the UT System board.

It’s no surprise that Hall has not been reappointed. But it’s still a major development for the UT System. His six-year tenure has been a time of near constant strife. He clashed frequently with Bill Powers, the man who was president of UT-Austin for much of Hall’s tenure. And more recently, he sued current UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven to win access to confidential student records.

Hall’s time helped lead to some major changes. Most notably, he helped bring to light a scandal at UT-Austin over the admission of students with powerful connections who might not have been qualified.

Read the whole thing here.

Bottom Line: We'll have more to say in due time, but we must say that appointing a former Senator is a particularly audacious act of mendacity.

Sanctuary Cities: Patrick leads; Abbott, Legislature follow....

"So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands."
Psalm 78:72

During his 2014 campaign for Lt. Governor, Dan Patrick explicitly campaigned on his desire to end sanctuary cities:

"Make no mistake - everything is on the line in this election," he once told a crowd. "You need a lieutenant governor who is going to secure the border, end sanctuary cities, end in-state tuition, lower your property taxes, pass campus carry and pass school choice."

[Author's Note: Emphasis added.]

Unfortunately, during the 84th legislative session, holdover legacy Republicans managed to squelch the bill in the Texas Senate; the Governor and House didn't want to have anything to do with the issue.

Then Kevin Eltife retired and, tragically, Kate Steinlie was murdered by an illegal alien in a sanctuary city.

In early August, Patrick revisited the issue:

AUSTIN – With debate over the nation’s immigration policies once again approaching full boil, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday pledged that the Senate next session would pass legislation to address so-called sanctuary cities.

Patrick lamented that the Legislature this year didn’t pass a measure to bar local rules that prohibit police from asking the immigration status of people they stop. A vote short this year from bringing up the bill on the Senate floor, he vowed that 2017 would be different.

“I’m totally confident that we now have the votes,” the Republican said. “I’m totally confident that one of the first measures we will pass in 2017, when we come back, will be to ban sanctuary cities in Texas.”

Over the next few months, Patrick continued to address the issue in lower profile settings; suddenly, in October, Greg Abbott made a big announcement:

Texas Governor Greg Abbott admonished Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez over her recent decision to consider honoring immigration detainers on a “case-by-case” basis. The governor said sanctuary city policies like this will “no longer be tolerated in Texas.”

Governor Abbott wrote the tersely worded letter to Sheriff Valdez after her decision to scale back on honoring immigration detainers sent to her jail by the federal government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Her announcement was reported by Breitbart Texas on October 12.

“’Sanctuary City’ policies like those promoted by your recent decision to implement your own case-by-case immigrant detention plan will no longer be tolerated in Texas,” Abbott began in his letter attached below. “Your decision to not fully honor U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) requests to detain criminal immigrants poses a serious danger to Texans. These detainers provide ICE with the critical notice and time it needs to take incarcerated immigrants into federal custody.”

“Your refusal to fully participate in a federal law enforcement program intended to keep dangerous criminals off the streets leaves the State no choice but to take whatever actions are necessary to protect our fellow Texans,” Abbott continued. “Now more than ever, it is essential that state, federal, and local law enforcement work collaboratively to protect our fellow Texans and to ensure that our laws are upheld, not disregarded.”

Suddenly, the Texas Legislature's  participation trophy caucus was forced to weigh in:

Members of the Texas Conservative Coalition sent Governor Abbott a letter of support for his position on sanctuary city policies, prompted by Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez’ new policy on immigrant detentions.

Following that, it now looks like a MAJORITY of legislators support ending Sanctuary Cities:

A majority of lawmakers in both the Texas House and Senate back Gov. Greg Abbott's recent moves to rein in "sanctuary cities" that don't comply fully with federal immigration policies.

As conservative lawmakers continue to press for a special session on the issue, The Texas Tribune has confirmed that a majority of state representatives support Abbott's crackdown against sanctuary cities.

A letter sent to Abbott by the Texas Conservative Coalition on Oct. 28 contained signatures from 43 representatives, and another 14 state representatives have since added their names. At least another 19 representatives also support the measures according to responses to emails or calls from the Tribune, surpassing a majority of the 150-member body.

Bottom Line: Recent developments suggest there's a good chance sanctuary cities legislation will finally pass the Texas Legislature next session; in the event that happens, conservatives will have Dan Patrick to thank.

U.T. Admissions: Usual Suspect Bush Cronies BUSTED All Over Again!!!

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
Galatians 6:9

Yesterday's Dallas Morning News reconfirmed everything Watchdog reported on over a year ago:

AUSTIN – Dozens of highly influential Texans – including lawmakers, millionaire donors and university regents – helped under-qualified students get into the University of Texas at Austin, often by writing to UT officials, records show.

Among those who wrote directly to then-President Bill Powers and then-Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, bypassing the admissions office, were famed golfer and UT grad Ben Crenshaw, former UT regent H. Scott Caven Jr., Austin lawyer Roy Minton and Sens. Kevin Eltife and Carlos Uresti, records obtained by The Dallas Morning News show.

Dozens of others, many of them famous UT alumni, also helped tip the scales. They include House Speaker Joe Straus, former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, former regents Jess Hay and Thomas Hicks, former chairman of the state University Coordinating Board Larry Temple and former UT quarterback Randy McEachern.

....

The Kroll report found that the students were admitted by Powers, and it suggested that political or personal connections may have influenced the decision

The admissions issue and suggestions of favoritism have become a flashpoint on the UT governing board. Regent Wallace Hall of Dallas has relentlessly questioned the administration and pushed for the ouster of Powers, who stepped down in June.

....

House Speaker Straus wrote to the director of the admissions office in November 2012 requesting consideration of the daughter of a close family friend. Later in 2013, Straus directed a committee to investigate Hall, who had doggedly been pursuing investigations into UT operations.

....

Hicks, the Dallas multimillionaire who once owned the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars, is a former UT regent and brother to current UT regent Steve Hicks. Tom Hicks wrote to the office of admissions in 2011 on behalf of an applicant whose grandparents “have been longtime generous supporters of UT-Austin.”

 Read the whole thing here.

Which Texas Senate Republicans are defending Travis County's DA?!?

"The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
1 Samuel 2:10

Update (3/31/2015): The Houston Chronicle reports that Eltife's colleagues have fingered him out while Seliger has confessed; Empower Texans has more here.

Hmm:

A Republican bill to transfer the Public Integrity Unit out of Travis County is snagged in the Senate, where the legislation does not have enough support to force a floor vote.

News that Senate Bill 10 has been blocked came in a Monday letter by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate and who has made moving the Public Integrity Unit out of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office a legislative priority.

....

Legislation must have support from 19 senators to allow a floor vote — a requirement that was lowered from 21 votes at the start of the session to let the body’s 20 Republicans move forward on GOP priorities. Watson’s letter indicates that at least two Republicans are not on board with SB 10.

[Author's Note: Emphasis Added.]

While the article never identifies the Republican holdouts, common sense guided by history (combined with the fact that Craig Estes and Troy Fraser voted for the bill in committee) leads one to conclude that Kevin Eltife and Kel Seliger are the likeliest suspects.

Senator Kevin Eltife: (512) 463-0101; @KevinEltife
Senator Kel Seliger: (512) 463-0131; @KSeliger