#TXLEGE: Hunter confirms something we've LONG Suspected

"For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."
Galatians 6:8

PushJunction this morning:

TEXAS COMPETES, a “pro-business” group, is promoting a fringe LGBT normalization agenda while roughly 50% of the state's economy remains shuttered.

Yesterday, Democrats joined by two Republican-ish members of the House Sarah Davis, and Todd Hunter promoted an LGBT bill months way from the 2021 session. Davis, if she manages to win shouldn't be allowed to caucus with the GOP, she's a Democrat. 

The bill's cabal claims it will bolster business, but our state's current circumstances beg the question if there are no businesses open who is there to discriminate against? Texas Competes has not issued a call for the state to reopen and did not respond to a message asking for a position on the matter.

Most of this isn't surprising.  Left-wing Democrats pushing left-wing social policy is to be expected.  Likewise, Sarah Davis.

Todd Hunter's presence, however, is more interesting.

Unlike Sarah Davis, who needs to pick up crossover votes in West University Place, Todd Hunter represents a safe Republican district.  Thus, Hunter's motivation goes beyond naked politics.  What gives?!?

Consider Hunter's day job:

If you weren't aware, Todd Hunter is a trial lawyer.

Now...who gets rich suing people over alleged violations of so-called "non-discrimination" law?!?

That's right: TRIAL LAWYERS!!!

We've suspected for several years that the push in recent sessions to label everything under the sun as "discriminatory" was a sop to trial lawyers.  We just couldn't prove it.  While it's not iron clad, Hunter's ascension on this issue certainly lends credibility to the hypothesis.

Bottom Line: More lawsuits over alleged "discrimination" certainly means more business for trial lawyers.

#TXLEGE: Davis, meanwhile, attempting to set up Health Care Rationing

"having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"
2 Timothy 3:5

Never let a crisis go to waste:

pic.twitter.com/MtpH0Nc6x2

— Sarah Davis (@SarahforHD134) March 26, 2020

This is actually a couple weeks old (the letter is dated March 20), although we just discovered it this morning.

The problem, of course, is that Davis doesn't propose doing anything to increase the supply of Health Care providers.  She just wants to pour more people (and, one presumes, more money) into the status quo.  In other words, make current challenges worse.

Medicaid already suffers acute shortages.  That's the whole reason why a bunch of left leaning organizations want to scale back (*) scope of practice restrictions.  Yet, Sarah Davis has never lifted a finger on scope of practice (**).

Instead, the medical cartel gets more power.

Bottom Line: Politicians gonna politician, but still....

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* - We'd prefer to see scope of practice abolished outright, but the proposals the lege has discussed the past few sessions are nevertheless a gigantic improvement over the status quo.

** - Rumor has it that she's a (very strong) opponent behind the scenes, but to our knowledge she's never said anything publicly.

TAL Endorses Incumbent Congresswoman who told MSNBC she's "pro-choice"

"How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,"
Jeremiah 23:26


Shot:

Chaser:

Pretty self-explanatory.

It's been a running joke for years that TAL would endorse Sarah Davis if she cut them a big enough check.  Granger is...pretty much the federal equivalent.  You can learn about her record here.  At best, it's weak.

Bottom Line: Just...wow.

#TXLEGE: Davis Completes Final Humiliation of Abbott

"The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
Ecclesiastes 7:8

Classic:

With the filing deadline for candidates now officially in the rearview mirror, Gov. Greg Abbott has made a shocking announcement, endorsing openly pro-abortion State Rep. Sarah Davis (R–West University Place) for re-election.

In a press release on Tuesday morning, Abbott praised Davis for her “dedication to the people of Texas,” adding that he was “proud” to endorse her for re-election to the Texas House.

“State Representative Sarah Davis advocates for the needs and priorities of her constituents,” said Abbott. “And while we haven’t always seen eye to eye, we share the same commitment to bring people together to solve problems and improve the lives of all Texans.”

“The lives of all Texans” that Abbott mentions, however, clearly doesn’t refer to the lives of unborn children. Davis is unabashedly pro-abortion, even caucusing with Democrat lawmakers in secret meetings during debates over pro-life legislation and going on MSNBC to advocate for more lax abortion laws. Her record and advocacy for the practice have earned her accolades from groups like Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Rights Action League.

Just two years ago, Abbott earned praise from conservatives across the state for his endorsement against Sarah Davis after he compared her to Wendy Davis, a national pro-abortion figure and his former Democrat opponent.

“She’s not really a Republican, but she has a ‘Republican’ by her name,” Abbott said at a fundraiser in January 2018. “It won’t surprise you to know The Huffington Post came out and glowingly compared her to Wendy Davis. We have beat Wendy Davis before. We cannot allow another Wendy Davis look-alike in the Texas House.”

Davis is not only a liberal on the issue of life; she has often sided with Democrats against conservatives in the Texas Legislature. During the last legislative session alone, Davis worked to grow government spending, increase the ability of local governments to raise taxes, and even teamed up with Democrats to kill a proposed ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying.

Obviously, this website doesn't support Sarah Davis' politics.  But this development is still kinda hilarious.  Poetic justice, reaping what you sow, etc.

It's not just that Abbott endorsed against her last cycle.  At least, not really.  It's that he did it in such a buffoonish way.  Davis, of course, beat the Governor like a rented drum.

Now he comes crawling back.

As we wrote last year:

While Tuesday's results were a mixed bag for lege watchers from across the ideological spectrum, there was one GIGANTIC loser: Greg Abbott, specifically his SPECTACULAR FAILURE against Sarah Davis.

It's been obvious for months that Sarah Davis was going to win that primary. Abbott's ridiculous, over-the-top (and easily disprovable), attack against Davis related to Hurricane Harvey was bound to backfire.

Less than two years later...how the mighty have fallen.

It's a little funny.

Bottom Line: That this was all completely predictable doesn't make it any less entertaining.

"More Sarah Davis" is NOT the solution for Texas Republicans

"having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"
2 Timothy 3:5

The Resurgent has a piece this morning about the GOP's national challenges this past election revealed.  We agree with a lot of what the author had to say.  But it gets bizarre when the author turns to Texas:

Let’s look at a few success stories of moderate Republicans surviving in blue country.

1) Sarah Davis, a Texas state representative in Houston’s inner suburbs, survived 2018 even as the Republican Congressman went down to defeat:

Meanwhile, Culberson’s most problematic precincts relative to 2016 also fell inside House District 134, where Republican state Rep. Sarah Davis staved off Harris County’s blue wave to win re-election by almost seven points.

While Davis was winning by seven, Culberson lost by 5. She did that with a record of good governance while chairing the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health & Human Services as well as the General Investigating & Ethics Committee.

Notably, Davis doesn’t thrill many GOP activists, including as she:

was on this year’s list of Texas Monthly’s best legislators (not for any partisan or ideological reason, but because she was an effective lawmaker). Davis has called herself a “rational Republican,” and if you look at Rice University political scientist Mark Jones’ Texas House liberal/conservative ranking, you’ll find that there is no Democrat to the right of Davis and no Republican to her left. She is the very definition of purple in the Texas House. [emphasis added in original]

She’s clearly no Trump Republican. Governor Greg Abbott helped lead an effort defeat her in her primary, including because of her Investigations & Ethics work. He failed.

​What’s more notable perhaps in her win amidst a tide of suburban blue was her platform:

“I have been a leading champion in the Texas House for women’s health, including providing more funding for cancer screening and preventive care,” said Davis. “I passed bills to make government more transparent and accountable to taxpayers, and supported a balanced budget that improves our roads and schools, invested a record amount in border security, and set aside $11 billion in the state’s ‘Rainy Day Fund’ in the event of a fiscal emergency.”

Notably not on the agenda: immigration, tax cuts, culture war issues, or even a hint of Trumpiness.

Not only did it work electorally, Davis survived in a district that the Houston Chronicle noted in its endorsement of her:

[she] fits well with her wealthy, highly educated constituents, who have a habit of voting for candidates instead of parties. In 2012 the district went for Mitt Romney by 15 points. In 2016 Hillary Clinton won by 15 points — and Davis did about as well.

Davis might not be at the critical mass of the Republican party under Trump, but she’s exactly the kind of suburban Republican the party needs nationally to retain a governing majority in Congress.
Moreover, there’s something to be said for running on a platform that appeals broadly to your constituents, not just the base…let alone a Trumpy one.

Yeah, not so much.

First things first: It's cute to hear Sarah Davis of all people bragging about protecting the Rainy Day Fund when she led the charge to raid it last session.

It's absolutely true that Republicans have to do a better job talking about immigration.  It's also true that, while they should oppose excesses of PC/woke culture, Texas Republicans have fallen into an intellectually lazy rut over culture war issues.  But Sarah Davis is the answer for neither of those issues.

Sarah Davis claims to be "fiscally conservative/socially moderate."  But she's not.  Property taxes are a gigantic issue in Harris County.   And Sarah Davis has never lifted a finger to address them.

Technically, Sarah Davis has filed a few CYA bills related to property taxes.  But those bills never go anywhere (because of the leadership Sarah Davis has supported).  We didn't even know Davis had filed those bills until we checked while writing this blog post.

Beyond property taxes, Sarah Davis consistently supports:

• Occupational licensing.

• Greater government involvement in Health Care.

• Various acts of corporate welfare.

Sarah Davis is a GIGANTIC phony; gigantic phonies are no foundations upon which to build a movement.

-------

The only reason Davis won as comfortably as she did was because Abbott botched the primary as badly as he did.

-------

Bottom Line: There are definitely things that need to be done differently in suburban areas; turning a blind eye to property taxes while promoting more government involvement in health care are not those things....

#TXLEGE: Murphy attempting to thread thin ethical/legal needle over apparent Conflict of Interest

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."
Matthew 24:12

Confession: We had forgotten about Jim Murphy drawing a $312k salary from a Harris County special purpose district while chairing the Special Purpose Districts committee in the Texas house.

An interim hearing last week reminded us:

Oh yeah....

Poking around the internet, we found this follow up report from May:



Highlights:

• Murphy no longer listed as "General Manager," now working as an "independent contractor."

• Murphy still banking $26k+ per month!!!
• In other words, he's still making $312k annually.
• Fixed fee.

• "This, just, looks like a salary."

• Murphy getting continuous monthly payments and re-imbusements.

• Murphy's contract "is unique."

• Sarah Davis on Murphy's previous bonuses: "It doesn't smell good, it really doesn't."
• Note: Good grief...are we going to have to agree with Sarah FRIGGIN' Davis on this one?!?

• Davis has asked for multiple A.G. opinions.

What to say?!?

This author is not a lawyer, so we can't comment on the legal issues.  This may very well be one of those "technically legal" situations.  But "technically legal" does not mean ethical.

And, even in the current arrangement passes "technically legal" muster, it doesn't excuse the previous decade.

Then there's the ongoing committee chairmanship: Whether or not Jim Murphy's compensation agreements dotted all the legal "i's" and crossed the legal "t's," it hardly seems appropriate for Jim Murphy to continue as chairman of the legislative committee with jurisdiction.  But that's a decision for the speaker.  And we're stuck with Joe Straus for another six months.

Bottom Line: None of this looks good....

#TXLEGE: Israel throws shade on #atxcouncil's "Sick Leave" entitlement; Evan Smith admits Joe Straus is a Liberal

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2

We attended this afternoon's Trib event with Paul Workman and Celia Israel:



Most of the event was fairly predictable.  Israel and Workman discussed school finance, immigration, and guns where each said what one would expect someone with their respective partisan affiliations to say.  A couple moments, however, did stand out.

During the discussion of the City of Austin's...contentious...relationship with the Legislature, Israel bemoaned the sloppiness of the city's approach to the "sick leave" entitlement.  Israel suggested that a slower, more deliberative, approach to the ordinance could have given it stronger legs when it hits the legislature.  Specifically, Israel said council "gave Paul Workman a softball."  She's right, you know.

During Q&A, we asked both about their thought's on the city's recent stunt over the CodeNext petition.  Unfortunately, neither one was familiar enough with the statute in question to comment.  We're kicking ourselves over that one because we considered printing it out and handing it to both of them before the event, but we didn't do so.

The best moment came from Evan Smith.  During the discussion of the speaker's race, Workman expressed confidence the next speaker would be more conservative than Joe Straus.  We didn't write down the exact quote, but Evan Smith's response can roughly be paraphrased as "Well, that's kinda a matter of physics.  The only house Republican to the left of Joe Straus is Sarah Davis."  Gee Evan, good to hear you finally admit that Joe Straus is a liberal!

Bottom Line: Nothing earth shattering happened, but some interesting tidbits and a good event to have attended.

Abbott needs less bluster, more follow through....

"The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
Ecclesiastes 7:8

To those who wanted to know why we asked Sarah Davis a softball question at the Trib event three weeks ago: Does it make sense now?!?

While Tuesday's results were a mixed bag for lege watchers from across the ideological spectrum, there was one GIGANTIC loser: Greg Abbott, specifically his SPECTACULAR FAILURE against Sarah Davis.

It's been obvious for months that Sarah Davis was going to win that primary.  Abbott's ridiculous, over-the-top (and easily disprovable), attack against Davis related to Hurricane Harvey was bound to backfire.

The way you go after Sarah Davis, in that district, is on property taxes.  Furthermore, (if you want to go there) there are several 'open secrets' at the Capitol related to Sarah Davis' personal conduct.  But Abbott chose to go off on some dumb tangent about Hurricane Harvey and the results speak for themselves.

But this isn't new: Greg Abbott talks a big game [Note: That's why Fox News LOVES him], but Abbott's results are consistently underwhelming.

As a pro-property rights, pro-taxpayer advocate who is active at the local level in Austin, few things drive this author crazier than Greg Abbott using our local officials as rhetorical punching bags but then failing to ensure that the bill in question reaches his desk.  Every single time that happens, this author is the one who bears the local backlash to Abbott's words.  That would be a worthwhile trade-off if the bills in question were passing, but so far that hasn't happened.

Bottom Line: Greg Abbott's ratio of cattle to hat could stand some improvement....

#TXLEGE: Parker, Huberty illustrate Good Ol' Boy network's Entrenched Mendacity

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage."
2 Peter 2:19

From Empower Texans:

The Texas House Republican Caucus is using its financial muscle to defend liberal lawmakers opposed by grassroots conservatives and the governor.

On Monday, the Texas House GOP tweeted its support for pro-abortion State Rep. Sarah Davis (R–West University Place) as well as State Rep. Wayne Faircloth (R–Galveston), two incumbents with anti-taxpayer voting records during their time in Austin. Both Davis and Faircloth have earned failing grades on the Fiscal Responsibility Index with Davis performing worse than two Texas Democrats.

Both are facing conservative challengers in the Republican Primary. Businessman Mayes Middleton is squaring off against Faircloth while Davis is opposed by conservative attorney Susanna Dokupil. Both challengers are gaining grassroots support and working to retire the incumbents from the Texas Legislature in the upcoming primary election on March 6th.

Both challengers also received a substantial boost earlier this year when Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed them.

....

But despite Abbott’s endorsements against the two incumbents, the House Republican Caucus, which is chaired by State Rep. Tan Parker (R–Flower Mound) and for whom State Rep. Dan Huberty (R–Kingwood) serves as PAC treasurer, took to Twitter to support the liberal lawmakers.

....

“I think it’s dumb for Tan Parker to thumb his nose at our grassroots supporters and our governor, both of whom have decided that Sarah Davis and Wayne Faircloth need to be removed from the Texas Legislature,” said Stickland. “I’ve reached out to Chairman Parker and asked that he rescind these remarks that he’s offered without consent from the caucus.”

Neither Huberty, Parker, nor the House Republican Caucus responded to requests for comment.

This is rich.

For every bad incumbent Abbott has endorsed against, he's endorsed in favor of (at least) one.   Yet they still passive-aggressively tweet at him.  But they don't put their names behind it.

To be certain: Abbott's activity is welcome in the Susanna Dokupil (v. Sarah Davis)/Chris Fails (v. Lyle Larson)/ Mayes Middleton (v. Wayne Faircloth) races.  But Abbott is leaving plenty of opportunities on the table.  That's still not good enough for the good ol' boys.

The past few years have been so difficult because we're going up against a century and a half old good ol' boy network that never received a real challenge prior to 2010.  Thus they throw tantrums anytime anyone challenges them.  Yesterday's activity on Twitter is the latest example.

It's so pathetic.

Bottom Line: To feel so-entitled to political power that you passive-aggressively tweet against the Governor when he modestly challenges it is, simultaneously, sad and revealing.

#TXLEGE: Sarah Davis does what she does

"Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell."
Proverbs 5:5

What can you say about Sarah Davis?!?  We attended this morning's Trib event...and it didn't break new ground.  She's who she is.

Evan Smith did a thorough job discussing the numerous policy differences between Davis and the majority of her party (including the Governor).  Topics included Abortion, Property Taxes, Hurricane Harvey, and Davis' welfare expansion bill from last year's special session.  This ground is well-tread, and everybody knows where everybody stands.

During Q&A, we asked Davis about the debacle on the Coaching Staff for the U of H football team.  Davis replied that she was "saddened" by the decision and didn't try to defend U of H's decision in any way, shape, or form.  We were satisfied by Davis' answer.

View the event for yourself below:



Highlights:

• Abbott letting lots of other's who opposed him off the hook.
• Note: See here and here.

• Plays the feminist card: "I'm a woman [Abbott] can't control."

• Argues semantics over late-term abortions: "We're not allowed to have thoughtful or nuanced positions."

• "I'm not pro-death."
• Evan Smith: "if you're explaining, you're losing."

• Has an obvious chip on her shoulder against Jonathan Stickland.

• Doesn't disclose who she voted for for President.
• Evan Smith: "Not disclosing is disclosing."

• Inside baseball crosstalk re: Spending and Ethics.

• Endorses Larson's unconstitutional bill to restrict the Governor's appointment powers.

• Long discussion of her welfare expansion bill from the special session.
• Sob Stories....

• Evan Smith makes several points about how Abbott has been talking out of both sides of his mouth on numerous issues.

• Uses the same cliches as Jen Sarver.

• "I think I'm necessary" in the legislature.

• Refuses to commit re: Speaker's race.
• "I adore Dr. Zerwas."

• In response to our question about the Kendal Briles hire: "Saddened by that decision."

#TXLEGE: This Jim Murphy situation is very, Very, VERY Serious

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Matthew 6:24

This is bad:



Highlights:

• Murphy has second government job running obscure special purpose district in Harris County.

• Murphy dodged the reporter physically, then dodged reporter's question once confonted.

• $312,000 per year.

• State law says legislator can't hold second taxpayer funded job.

• He's all over the place on their social media.

• Getting bonuses for getting contracts from state agencies over which he has budgetary authority; Murphy lied about the amount of those bonuses he's received.

• "Any common sense person knows that, if you've got a chance to make some money, you're gonna try to get that done.

It gets worse:



Highlights:

• Murphy is chair of the special purpose district committee.
• Note: Thank you very much, Joe Straus.

• Murphy making more that either the Governor or the Mayor of Houston.

• "If the goal of these contracts was to get favors out of Austin by hiring a state rep, they seem to be an effective mechanism for how to wire the system in an unethical way."

• "Corruption in Austin is fish in a barrel."
• Note: LOL, ain't that the truth.

• Murphy's been doing this since 2007.

• Gets travel re-imbursments.

• LOL: Sarah Davis' committee has interdiction to investigate Murphy.

Worse Still:

Bottom Line: This is really, really, bad.

Abbott goes 1 for 2 in first #TXLEGE endorsement round

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
Joshua 1:8

First off, the FANTASTIC news:



This is fantastic. Sarah Davis is a wretched legislator and an even worse human being.  In a world where we're starting to reconsider our longstanding policy of not focusing on personal conduct, Sarah Davis' combination of disgraceful personal conduct and a willingness to play the feminist card whenever someone calls her out politically is a level of hypocrisy that makes her a VERY tempting target.

Furthermore, there's a political angle here that's interesting regardless: Because this is Greg Abbott we're talking about, you know he polled Davis' district for both the primary and the general.  For Abbott to move forward here means that his polling said the narrative that "only a moderate can hold this district in the general" is BS.  Obviously, someone said that two years ago.

So good on Abbott, and good riddance to Sarah Davis.

But from the Trib article on the Davis announcement, this tidbit:

Abbott made his first endorsement in the 2018 House primaries last week, backing state Rep. Paul Workman, an Austin Republican who authored legislation for Abbott's special session agenda. Workman faces a primary challenger from his right, Jay Wiley.

Seriously?!?  Paul Workman?!?

As we wrote about Paul last month:

This isn't new. Paul Workman has now served four sessions. After that time, the Austin City Council remains as out of control as ever.

That Workman worked with the Governor on a couple of bills that went nowhere (because of the leadership Paul Workman voted for) doesn't offset the fact that the city of Austin now feels safer than ever to thumb their noses at the legislature.

Sigh.

Bottom Line:  This is such a typical Abbott thing to do.  On the one hand, getting rid of Sarah Davis is a public service for which the Governor deserves commendation.  But then he has to go and endorse Paul Workman....

#TXLEGE: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from today's house floor session....

"Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket,
And are counted as the small dust on the scales;
Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing."
Isaiah 40:15

[Note: We also ran into Mayor Adler in the house gallery and had a very...frank...exchange of ideas about the City of Austin budget; we're not sure which category to place it into.]

Interesting day today.  Probably doesn't mean much.  But some thoughts:

The Good:

• Cook Amendment Fails - HB 25 is an obnoxious piece of legislation that attempts to use sick children as human shields to expand Medicaid.  In addition to being outside the bounds of the special session call [Note: Why didn't anyone call a point of order on this?!?], as originally filed the bill would have paid for the medicaid expansion by raiding the rainy day fund.  Yesterday, during second reading, Matt Krause had an amendment adopted that shifted to a different funding source.
  
  Today, on third reading, Byron Cook offered an amendment to restore the rainy day fund raid [Note: Third reading amendments are considered a big deal in the legislature].  Proponents of the bill attempted to argue raiding the rainy day fund would make the Governor more likely to add the bill to the special session call.  Dennis Bonnen attempted to talk sense by pointing out there was no way the Governor would support raiding the rainy day fun.
  
  Sarah Davis attempted to accept Cook's amendment.  Jonathan Stickland LOUDLY objected and asked for a record vote.  Cook's amendment ultimately failed 67-67.

• HB 22 fails on verification vote - This bill would extend the life of a school funding programs.  It was widely assumed the bill would pass comfortably.  But a number of the bill supporters received the benefit of ghost voting and weren't actually on the floor when the bill passed.  Some astute observer asked for a verification vote where the bill failed.
  
  Obviously, they'll bring this bill back next week but it was still amusing to see leadership get egg on their face.

The Bad:

• Huberty's TERRIBLE school finance bill passed with minimal opposition - During his layout for the bill, Huberty attempted to call this an olive branch, but it's actually a middle finger.  Furthermore, he claimed the bill would "reform education" when it literally does the exact opposite.  This bill does nothing but pour money into the status quo.
  
  Furthermore, Huberty attempted to claim school districts don't waste money and that the bill would allow school districts could reduce taxes "if the so choose."
  
  The bill ultimately passed 130-12 without amendment, with all present Freedom caucus members (joined by Morgan Meyer and Scott Sanford) voting no.

Which brings us to THE UGLY:

• Todd Hunter created amendment rules that made any amendment non-germane - According to Capitol soucrces, the rules adopted for this bill meant that any amendment that "added language" to the bill wasn't germane.  This was in direct contradiction to what Hunter said on the House floor on Wednesday about the process.  No members, including but not limited to Freedom Caucus, were allowed to place amendments on the bill.
  
  Still don't understand why anyone didn't point this out during floor debate....

#TXLEGE: Words, Actions, and Greg Abbott's priorities....

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Isaiah 5:20

Words:

"As you know, I want to see the rate rollback part of property taxes achieved," Abbott told The Texas Tribune after a bill-signing event here at a church.

Actions:

Texas House and Senate budget negotiators agreed on a state budget for 2018-19 late Saturday — deciding to tap the state’s rainy day fund, a key sticking point — but not before Gov. Greg Abbott demanded they add $100 million to programs that are controlled by his office.

“He clearly felt that he needed more in the area of his trusteed funds in order carry out some of the economic development,” Rep. John Zerwas, the House’s top budget writer, told reporters after the committee adjourned about 1 a.m. Sunday. “If we had had a little bit more of a heads-up, we might have been able to make the accommodations. But it works out fine.”

Daniel Hodge, Abbott’s chief of staff, said that the last-minute demands were not new. “What we asked for last night was what we had been asking for since January in new money,” he said Sunday. The committee added the money.

While Zerwas, R-Richmond, was characteristically diplomatic about the demand, other lawmakers showed their frustration. When the committee was getting ready to reconvene, Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place, jokingly said: “Is this about more corporate welfare? Is that why we’re still here?” 

[Note: Have we seriously gotten to the point where Sarah Davis controls the moral high ground?!?] 

....

Abbott’s demands were delivered by Hodge and Steve Albright, the governor’s budget director. While they didn’t directly state that Abbott would veto the budget without more money for his office, “it was a clear indication to me that the governor would have a hard time signing off on a budget without that,” Zerwas said.

The money would go primarily to the Texas Enterprise Fund — which provides subsidies for companies considering moving to or expanding in Texas — and to incentive programs meant to lure filmmakers to Texas and to support the music industry.

Hodge said the governor’s office all along had made clear that Abbott was seeking a total of $110 million for economic incentive funds administered through his office — $60 million for the Texas Enterprise Fund, $40 million for the Governor’s University Research Initiative and $10 million for film and music incentives. The budget agreed to by the conference committee, before the governor’s office intervened, included only $10 million for the university program and no new money for the other incentives.

....

After the House and the Senate ignored the pre-K program for most of the legislative session, the conference committee directed $293 million for it, although the money came out of funding already earmarked for schools, not new funding.

[Note: Emphasis added.]

Well, this one...kinda speaks for itself.

With barely a week remaining in the current legislative session, Governor Abbott is paying lip service to structural property tax reform (as it festers) while attempting to move heaven and earth to push subsidies for the following groups:

• Socialized education bureaucrats.

• Leftist college professors.

• Hollywood.

Bottom Line: Woe unto politicians who prioritize special privileges for socialized education bureaucrats, leftist college professors, and Hollywood over tax relief for vulnerable Texas homeowners.

Bonnen hears (at least) 7 (more) special interest carve out bills (40 for session)....

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

It's that time of week when we check on the latest from Dennis Bonnen and the Texas House Ways and Means committee:

• HB 445        Frank | et al.
  Relating to the eligibility of certain property for certain ad valorem tax incentives relating to wind-powered energy devices.

• HB 1299       Springer                
• Relating to the procedure for the approval of rules adopted by the comptroller relating to the appraisal of qualified open-space land and qualified timber land for ad valorem tax purposes.

• HB 2393       Guillen                
  Relating to insurance premium tax credits for the certified rehabilitation of certified historic structures.

• HB 2475       Davis, Sarah           
  Relating to the sales and use tax exemption for certain amusement services.

• HB 2562       Shine                  
  Relating to a sales and use tax exemption for property used in master recordings and admissions to certain amusement services.

• HB 2692       Wray                   
  Relating to taxes and fees imposed on cigarettes and other tobacco products, including an exemption to the cigarette tax, related administrative matters, and the elements of certain related offenses.

• HB 2925       Shine                  
  Relating to the administration of gasoline and diesel fuel motor fuels taxes and the fee on the delivery of certain petroleum products.

#TXLEGE: In typical Straus move, Sarah FRIGGIN' Davis to oversee abortion related budget subcommittee....

"Who plan evil things in their hearts;
They continually gather together for war."
Psalm 140:2

Joe Straus' commitment to defending preborn babies has always been...suspect.  While he's muddied the waters, and there's a stronger case to make against him on other issues, that discussion has never gone away.  This can only revive it:

Article II of the state budget appropriates state funds for various health divisions (i.e. the Department of Aging and Disability Services, Department of Family and Protective Services, Department of State Health Services, and the Health and Human Services Commission). From these funding streams, Texas Right to Life was able to identify and remove $62 million from abortion organizations, adopt strict funding rules, and increase funding to the Alternatives to Abortion program.

This legislative session, Pro-Life Texans must be even more diligent in watching potential funding of the abortion industry due to the person tapped to chair the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article II, State Representative Sarah Davis (R-West University Place). Davis is the only Republican who is openly anti-Life and endorsed by Planned Parenthood.

Appointed to chair the subcommittee on Article II by Speaker Joe Straus, not only does Representative Davis have an abysmal record on Pro-Life issues, she also scores poorly on all fiscal indexes. In fact, last Session Davis passed an amendment in the same subcommittee to undo Pro-Life language the Senate had written to ensure that Planned Parenthood did not receive state funding through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program. Such a record clearly indicates she is not the best Republican, out of 94 Republican members, to be chairing a committee tasked with overseeing Texas tax dollars.

Last week’s meeting in the Article II subcommittee showed a glimpse into Davis’ intent to secure funding for additional pet projects undermining the Pro-Life values of Texans. After testimony from a doctor praised the family planning program in Texas, Rep. Davis asked the witness about an exaggerated study attempting to blame Texas’ maternal mortality and morbidity rate (MMR) on the state’s efforts to stop state funds from going to Planned Parenthood. The study and Representative Davis’ position, seek to correlate decreased taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood to the study’s alleged maternal death rate.

The MMR study has been shown to be flawed in many aspects, including failing to take into account that states and countries throughout the world do not have a standard reporting apparatus. The MMR study also failed to parse how many maternal deaths, defined as death within one year of giving birth, were attributed to heart disease, drug use, and hypertension – the three leading causes of death for Texas women. However, such facts do not fit neatly into the abortion left’s deceptive talking points.

Davis’ interest and reliance on such a misplaced “study” further shows Texans she is bent on restoring taxpayer funding of the abortion industry in Texas.

Read the whole thing here.

It was bad enough that Straus appointed a pro-Obamacare spendaholic to chair the Appropriations committee; now that same spendaholic (whose own commitment to life is questionable at best) appoints the only Republican endorsed by Planned Parenthood to oversee the subcommittee that oversees Planned Parenthood's state funding (and no, the State of Texas has not defunded them).

Bottom Line: We've seen this movie before, but good grief...

The myth that "only a moderate" can win Sarah Davis' district

"But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness."
2 Timothy 2:16

One of the more obnoxious pieces of conventional wisdom around the Capitol is that Sarah Davis is the only Republican that can win her unfriendly district, but how did her district actually vote in 2014?!?

From her district profile on the Texas House's website.  With one exception (which we'll discuss below), the Republican candidate won every statewide race in her district.  A small sample:

Governor:

Abbott - R 27,200 50.4%
Davis - D 26,030 48.2%
Glass - L 613 1.1%
Parmer - G 150 0.3%
Pavitt - W 1 0.0%

Attorney General:

Paxton - R 27,059 50.7%
Houston - D 24,715 46.3%
Balagia - L 1,155 2.2%
Osborne - G 397 0.7%

Comptroller:

Hegar - R 27,025 51.5%
Collier - D 23,743 45.2%
Sanders - L 1,216 2.3%
Shafto - G 517 1.0 %

Ag. Commissioner:

Miller - R 29,268 56.4%
Hogan - D 20,319 39.1%
Palmquist - L 1,276 2.5%
Kendrick - G 1,055 2.0 %

Tx. Supreme Court, Chief Justice:

Hecht - R 30,677 58.3 %
Moody - D 20,604 39.2 %
Oxford - L 1,336 2.5 %

The only exception was the lite guv race, where van de Putz won a PLURALITY over Dan Patrick.  Even there, however, van de Putz failed to crack 50%.  Furthermore, the result in this race was partially due to the fact that the Libertarian candidate out-performed the rest of his ticket:

Patrick - R 24,880 46.5%
Van De Putte - D 26,615 49.8%
Butler - L 1,536 2.9%
Courtney - G 423 0.8%

[Author's note: Emphasis added.]

While Abortion Barbie and van de Putz had nearly identical vote totals, about 3000 Abbott voters didn't vote for Patrick (though they DID vote for Paxton, which means it's not a conservative thing).  This means a chunk of them voted for the Libertarian while another chunk under-voted.  The most likely explanation is that this is a Harris County based district, Dan Patrick is from Harris County, and there's a small segment of Harris County Republicans who can't stand Dan Patrick.

Bottom Line: If "only a moderate" could win HD-134, Republican candidates wouldn't have won nearly every top-ticket race in the district.

Sarah Davis...anti-Second Amendment?!?

"Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me."
Nehemiah 4:18

It's a well known fact that, despite labeling herself a "Republican," Rep. Sarah Davis (R - Houston) is against human life and for government spending.  For that reason, she's a prominent Joe Straus lieutenant.  But where does she stand on the Second Amendment?!?

In theory, Davis can claim to be pro-Second Amendment.  This past session, she voted for final passage of both campus carry and open carry.  She's even been endorsed by the NRA!!! (*)

But where does she stand when nobody's looking?!?

As a trusted Joe Straus lieutenant, Sarah Davis sits on the Calendars Committee.  SB 11, the Campus Carry bill, was considered in the Calendars Committee on Sunday, May 21st 2015.  How did Sarah Davis vote?!?

[NOTE: Patricia Harless was also a Republican who voted against the bill, but she's retiring.]

Davis also played games with the bill during floor debate.

Bottom Line: While a case can be made that Davis is the best Republican you can get out of that district, there's no reason for her to sit on powerful committees.  Yet there she was, perfectly positioned to vote against campus carry when no one was looking.  And that's only because Joe Straus put her there.

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* -- Which, on a slightly related note, illustrates the uselessness of the NRA.

Texas Senate Democrats More Conservative than House Republicans

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2

[Author's Note: Senate D's are in Blue; House R's are in Red.]

Fun with Empower Texans' scorecard:

• Sen. Eddie Lucio (60). (***)

• Rep. Marsha Farney (59).

• Rep. John Kuempel (59). (*)

• Rep. Lyle Larson (59).

• Rep. Geanie Morrison (58). (*)

• Rep. Gilbert Pena (58).

• Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock (57). (*)

• Rep. Drew Darby (57). (*)

• Rep. Ken King (56).

• Sen. Chuy Hinojosa (55).

• Rep. J.M. Lozano (53). (*)

• Rep. Sarah Davis (52). (**)

• Rep. J.D. Sheffield (51).

• Sen. Carlos Uresti (50).

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* -- Straus Committee Chair

(**) -- Sarah Davis chaired a Subcomittee of the Appropriations committee; furthermore, Straus appointed her to the budget conference committee.

(***) -- Eddie Lucio is one of only two D committee chairs in the Senate.

The Texas House's "Pro-Life" Kabuki Theater....

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them."
Ephesians 5:11

Yesterday, Texas Right to Life released their dishonorable mention list for the 84th Texas Legislature, it covers:

Unfortunately, there were also elected officials this past legislative session who have worked against Pro-Life reforms or have promoted dangerous legislation that Texas Right to Life opposed. Even though some of these individuals may have decent voting records when Pro-Life legislation finally had public votes, these elected officials did more harm to the cause than help this year. For these legislators, Texas Right to Life has also released the 84th Session Dishonorable Mentions List.

The full list:

1. Chairman Byron Cook

2. Representative Sarah Davis

3. Chairman Charlie Geren

4. Representative Patricia Harless

5. Chairman Jim Keffer

6. Representative Eddie Lucio III

7. Representative Elliott Naishtat

8. Representative Debbie Riddle

9. Representative JD Sheffield

10. Representative Jason Villalba

11. Chairman John Zerwas

In the coming weeks, TxRTL will discuss each of these selections in detail; for now, Jason Vaughn details some of those actions from this past legislative session:

The Houston Chronicle recently ran an article entitled “[Texas]Lawmakers say they’re nearly out of ideas for abortion restrictions.”

In the article Rep. Byron Cook, Chair of the State Affairs Committee in the House, was quoted as saying “It’s becoming hard to do more things under what the Supreme Court has said is allowed,” after arguing lawmakers have done “monumental things in previous sessions.”

But have they really?

It is astonishing that Cook would say something like that after he personally caused the deaths of multiple pro-life bills last session. As chair of State Affairs he chose to have all pro-life bills come to his committee.

A total of two house bills made it out of that committee. A third Senate bill made it out, but was allowed to die due to Cook’s gutting of the Senate’s ethics bill (SB 19) which took up great amount of debate on the final day even though the Senate had guaranteed they would never get out of conference with his changes. Due to that bill, SB 575 was allowed to die. SB 575 would have made abortion coverage a supplemental insurance and kept Texans from paying for other’s abortions.

Just to get SB 575 out of committee after it had been held for several weeks Rep. Jonathan Stickland had to sign a paper agreeing to pull down other pro-life amendments and even then Cook’s committee gutted the Senate version. All this to no avail as the Calendar committee led by Rep. Todd Hunter placed it as the last major action item for the day and guaranteed it’s death.

Rep. Matt Schaefer twice asked Cook to postpone his doomed in committee “ethics” bill version and both times Cook refused to prioritize Life. Here are some other bills Cook refused to bring to a vote in his committee:

HB 1435 – This was the House version by Rep. John Smithee of SB 575 that Cook could have heard, but never did.

HB 1648 – This bill by Rep. Molly White in the House would have clarified the law that coerced abortion and pressuring a woman to get an elective abortion is a crime.

HB 113 – A bill by Rep. Allen Fletcher which would ban sex selective abortions.

HB 832 – From Rep. Matt Shaefer would have enhanced reporting abortion reporting requirements.

HB 1976 – This bill by Rep. Matt Schaefer would have banned abortions based fetal abnormality. Not only did Cook refuse to give this bill a vote, he wrote a letter encouraging House members supporting these abortions.

HB 2531 – This very strong bill by Rep. Matt Krause would have totally reformed the judicial bypass that abortion facilities use to get abortions for minors without parental consent. Krause was able to work much of this language into another bill.

HB 1901 – Another bill by Krause that would increase protection for the unborn when the mother is unconscious. While Byron Cook refused to even give this bill a hearing he did give a hearing to a bill that would weaken protection in these circumstances.

HJR 126 – This Constitutional Amendment by Rep. David Simpson would have nullified Roe v Wade and completely banned abortion in the state of Texas. It was not even given a hearing.

How can Cook say there is not much to do when he refused to even bring these bills to a vote? These are flat out lies.

 Read the Texas Right to Life article here, read Jason's article here.