Rick Perry and Ken Paxton vs. Texas' Biggest Special Interest

"You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked."
Psalm 97:10

SB 15, a.k.a. Bill Powers' latest blank check, was a rancid piece of legislation the Texas Legislature passed in 2013.  At the time, Cahnman's Musings encouraged Governor Perry to veto it, which he did.  Sponsored by Dan Branch (which, by itself, tells you everything you need to know), the bill contained the following gem:

The governing board of a university system may terminate the employment of an institution's president only after receiving a recommendation to that effect under Section 51.353(b)(7), but the board is not required to act on that recommendation. [Emphasis added]

In other words, the University administration, not the regents appointed by an elected Governor, would control Bill Powers fate.

Governor Perry said it best in his veto message:

Limiting oversight authority of a board of regents, however, is a step in the wrong direction. History has taught us that the lack of board oversight in both the corporate and university settings diminishes accountability and provides fertile ground for organizational malfeasance.

Unfortunately, only two Texas Senators voted against this monstrosity, but one of them was Ken Paxton.

The University of Texas, under the 'leadership' of Bill Powers, is the biggest special interest in this state.  They lie about their finances while failing to educate their students.  But the Austin-insider crowd sees no evil. Lack of accountability begets scandal.  Unlike most Texas elected officials, however, Rick Perry and Ken Paxton refused to grant them yet another blank check.