#TXLEGE: Patrick should make school choice the precondition for any marijuana bill

Note: We had originally planned to crop this photo to only
show Patrick and Phelan, but Abbott being irrelevant in the
 background is likewise apt.

"Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And grant us Your salvation."
Psalm 85:7

The biannual boomlet of "will Texas or won't Texas legalize marijuana this session?!?" has started. This time, it's accompanied by a subplot related to the budget. Allow us to cut to the chase.

Dan Patrick is still the Lieuentant Governor.

So, no. Marijuana legalization isn't happening. LOL.

That being said, if he's smart enough to take it, there's an opportuity for Patrick.

It's not a secret that Patrick has recently taken a tactical retreat on school choice. That house hasn't left him any option. But, if the house wants to try and force Dan Patrick to do something he doesn't want...well...two can play at that game.

Besides, in the extraordinarily unlikely chance the house were to agree to it, that would be a good trade.

Bottom Line: There's nothing Patrick can lose. There's potentially something he can gain. No brainer.

#TXLEGE/#atxcouncil: Hyberbole notwithstanding, Patick's substantive point about public safety was correct

"The wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion."
Proverbs 28:1

We meant to bring this up before the election, but a few weeks back controversy erupted when the Lite Guv remarked about Austin's crime rate: “The City of Austin is a disaster if you haven't been there a great city now one of the most dangerous cities in America and definitely in Texas.”

The Lt. Governor’s comment was met with disingenuous pearl clutching from Mayor Adler and Capitol sycophants. At issue were the precise details of Austin’s police budget cut and national rankings among Democrat-controlled cities with rising crime rates. Giving credit where due, the Lt. Governor’s critics caught him exaggerating.

To the degree that he made it easy for his political opponents to split statistical hairs, the Lt. Governor’s precise word choice was probably unhelpful.

Nevertheless, Austin’s rising crime rates and homelessness explosion aren’t hard to miss. Dan Patrick didn’t make the Austin City Council legalize tent cities while slashing the police budget. While it’s perhaps the case that other places have more violent crime, the 67% increase in Austin’s murder rate didn’t occur in a vacuum.

So, perhaps, it might have been more technically accurate for Patrick to say: “Under Democrat governance, Austin has become an open air homeless encampment that’s becoming one of the most dangerous cities in America and definitely in Texas.”

Also of note: The statistics used to fact check Patrick are from 2019. 2020 data won’t be out until next year. While it’s impossible to know in advance, there’s every reason to suspect last year’s trends have accelerated.

Bottom Line: That they attacked Patrick over verb tense rather than substance tells you what you need to know.

Mixed Messages (at best)

"The way of a guilty man is perverse;

But as for the pure, his work is right."
Proverbs 21:8

Dan Patrick yesterday:

.@DanPatrick on Fox tonight calls @TexasGOP convention cancellation “nothing but a political hack job by Mayor Turner,” says convention will happen “either in person somewhere else or online” https://t.co/ttUhsEglFx #txlege

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) July 9, 2020

Dan Patrick last week:

New: @DanPatrick says he agrees with SREC members who opposed in-person convention due to anticipated low attendance. “It also risks the exposure of those who do attend. But I respect the will of the 40 people who voted and I will be there.” #txlege pic.twitter.com/rOZDPXuPz5

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) July 3, 2020

We had originally intended to tear Patrick a new one over this. Buuut...as we read Patrick's comments a second and third time, it doesn't seem crazy to argue that Patrick is discussing different topics. So, speaking for no one but ourselves, we don't necessarily have a problem with cutting Dan Patrick a little bit of slack here.

Buuuuuuuuuut...it took us multiple readings of Patrick's comments, combined with a detailed knowledge of the context to reach that conclusion. And that's just about the nicest way to read it. And Dan Patrick squandered that level of widespread benefit of the doubt a long time ago. And it's difficult to argue that more hostile takes are necessarily wrong.

Bottom Line: When the charitable explanation is complicated, and the uncharitable one is plausible, that's never a good place to be.

#TXLEGE: Republicans "Shocked" to find local officials Exploiting Loopholes (That THEY Created)

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."
Galatians 6:7

Dallas:

DALLAS - Home and property owners in Dallas may pay for the pandemic with higher taxes.

The Dallas City Council is considering an increase of up to 8%.

That would make up for the loss of millions in sales tax revenue this year and next year, especially after many businesses shut down.

The state law that limits property tax increases has an exception for emergencies like natural disasters.

[Note: They've yet to make it official, but Austin is widely expected to follow.]

Galveston County:

The Galveston County judge is calling on the governor to freeze 2020 property appraisals at 2019 levels because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mark Henry, the county judge, wrote Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday requesting the property assessment freeze “so local families don’t get hit with an additional economic burden” during the global pandemic. Galveston County Central Appraisal District officials said the vast majority of county properties saw an increase in value in 2020, which would lead to higher property taxes.

Of course, this is "outrageous." And you should be "outraged." Just like Texas' statewide GOP "leadership" is outraged:

Whether we're facing times of challenge or times of prosperity—raising taxes on the people of Texas is never the answer. #txlege https://t.co/uLRGhbQLS2

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 20, 2020

I talked with @wfaa’s @JasonWhitely about property tax appraisals and the misinformation being put out by many of our cities and counties regarding your property taxes, among other things. If you missed it, click here to watch: https://t.co/Z8eIQl8o1b#txlege

— Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) May 26, 2020

Lest we forget:

County Judge Mark Henry, who recently asked Gov. Greg Abbott to use his disaster powers to freeze property values at 2019 levels, was quoted in the Galveston County Daily News as saying Bonnen has been “hiding behind his keyboard.” Henry added that he’s glad the speaker chose to not seek reelection. That was after Bonnen said Judge Henry’s property values proposal is a “horrible idea.”

There’s apparently been bad blood between the two of them for some time, which shouldn’t surprise anyone given the escalating tensions between state and local governments. Bonnen, as quoted in the Daily News, said “My valuation doesn’t cost me one penny in property tax, his tax rate does.”

To be fair, the Dallas and Galveston county stories are kinda/sorta different.  What ties them together is that local officials are raising taxes within the bounds of state law as currently written.  Like it or not, the law is on the locals side.

This is especially true in the case of what Dallas is doing:

[Note: The phrase "in the manner provided for a special taxing unit" is the part that permits them to go up to 8 percent.]

Both of these situations were completely preventable.  Abbott, Patrick, and Bonnen chose to not prevent them.  To hear the Texas GOP caterwauling now, however, does remind us of a movie reference:

Bottom Line: They have nobody to blame except themselves.

"Operation Save Texas" Moves on to Patrick

"Your princes are rebellious,
And companions of thieves;
Everyone loves bribes,
And follows after rewards.
They do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the cause of the widow come before them."
Isaiah 1:23

Inbox:

Operation: Save Texas
 Back to Work/Back to Liberty
Phase II
 

Thanks to all who contacted Gov. Abbott in Phase 1 of our “Operation: Save Texas” citizen action plan! If you didn’t get through on the phone, please keep trying! Try every day until you reach a staffer or the voice mail. We had thousands of calls going in yesterday!

Tuesday’s “painful to watch” Abbott press conference was nothing new. His task force is still working on “the plan.”  Missed it? See for yourself by clicking here.

What are other states doing?

Alabama released reopen plans last week. This Friday, Georgia opens these businesses:  gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, barbers, body art studios, nail salons, cosmetologists, hair designers, aestheticians and their respective schools, massage therapists. On Monday 4/27, theaters, private social clubs, and restaurant dine-in services reopen.

Missouri is the first state to file a federal lawsuit against China “for the enormous loss of life, human suffering and economic turmoil experienced by all Missourians from the COVID-19 pandemic that has disrupted the entire world.”  Arkansas, which never had a stay-at-home-order, launched their economic recovery plan on April 18! What do Texans get? Prolonged suffering and loss of liberty!

Don’t you wish our Texas was leading?
Don’t give up! Make some noise!

Phase II | Operation Save Texas

Why are we doing this? 90% of Texans who contacted Grassroots America about getting Texans back to work and back to liberty had NOT called Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick, their state legislators, or local officials (Mayor, Council Member, County Judge, County Commissioner)!

We need to fix that! Hurting Texas is depending on YOU!
 

Action #1

As always – with thankful hearts – pray for God’s mercy and protection. Ask Him to turn the hearts of our leaders toward His wisdom because it will always be for our good. Ask Him to bless and multiply your efforts, giving you favor on Action Steps #2 and #3!
 

Action #2

Let Lt. Governor Dan Patrick know that you support getting businesses open, health care services open for all non-COVID-19 patients, Texans back to work, back to church and back to liberty…not in two weeks, not in three weeks – but NOW.

If possible, use every method of communication below for a compounding, multiplier-effect! Remember – they work for you!

Call Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. These numbers were all working at 8 AM this morning:
Lt. Governor Message Line: (512) 463-5342
Lt. Governor Office Line: (512) 463-0001
Lt. Governor’s Chief of Staff, Darrell Davila (public #): (512) 463-0001
Lt. Governor’s Senior Policy Advisor, Sherry Sylvester (public #): (512) 463-2998
Email Lt. Gov. Patrick. Find the form by clicking here.
Email Lt. Gov. Patrick’s Senior Advisor:  Sherry.Sylvester@ltgov.texas.gov
Email Lt. Gov. Patrick’s Chief of Staff: Darrell.Davila@ltgov.texas.gov
Contact on social media:
Facebook @dan.patrick.texas
Twitter @DanPatrick
Instagram @danpatricktexas

Action #3

This step is critical! You must help spread this Call to Action to thousands of Texans!

Obviously, this blog post is how we're doing step three.

Bottom Line: You'll know it's working when he sends out a press release.

#TXLEGE: Krause Steps Into (Gaping) Leadership Void

"Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct"
Hebrews 13:7

Interesting:

My letter to @GovAbbott listing my 7 recommendations to get Texas working while still staying safe & healthy - which continues to be the goal.

I look forward to seeing Gov. Abbott’s proposal. He has been a strong and steady leader during these difficult times. God bless Texas! pic.twitter.com/PUhSyBQ12M

— Matt Krause (@RepMattKrause) April 14, 2020

We're not going to comment either way on Krause's proposal.  Others are more knowledgeable.  Our observation is more fundamental than that.

During this entire fiasco, Matt Krause if the first person who's shown actual, credible. leadership.

Greg Abbott, by contrast, has vacillated between hiding behind (Democrat) local officials, hiding behind Trump, and corporate welfare for Goldman Sachs.  In isolation, any of those might or might not be good policies [Note: 0 for 3, but that's really a separate discussion.]  But it ain't leadership.

Then there's Dan Patrick...yeah, nuff said.

Which brings us back to Matt Krause.

It's not a secret that this website has grown more ambivalent towards Krause in recent years.  We spent most of 2019 ripping on Krause's primary legislative "achievement."  Still....

Likewise, it's also not a secret that this website floated the idea of Krause as speaker last month.  This week's proposal is a good example why.  It doesn't take a genius to see how Krause provides a tangible path between the world as it exists and the world as it should be.

Put differently: Krause has a knack for finding the least bad realistic possibility.

Bottom Line: Somebody had to do it.

Cornyn and Patrick AREN'T HELPING

"The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness."
Proverbs 15:2

What would a public health crisis be without Texas politicians acting like retards?!?

Exhibit #1:

Sen. John Cornyn: "China is to blame because the culture where people eat bats & snakes & dogs & things like that, these viruses are transmitted from the animal to the people and that's why China has been the source of a lot of these viruses like SARS, like MERS, the Swine Flu." pic.twitter.com/N4TIlGFqAL

— The Hill (@thehill) March 18, 2020

Hoo boy.

We get it: This virus started in China.  Once the virus was out, the Chinese government made the situation infinitely worse by covering it up.  Since then, they've launched an international disinformation campaign to brand discussion of these facts as racist.  These are all valid points.

Unfortunately, John Cornyn didn't make any of those points.

Instead, John Cornyn made a sensationalistic comment about a third or fourth tier issue that's not relevant at the present time.

Maybe it is the case that some of the...strange...Chinese culinary habits contributed to this outbreak.  Maybe it isn't.  It certainly is yet to be proved.  At best, it's speculative.

Even if that does end up being the case, however, for elected officials to engage such idle chatter is insanely reckless.

And don't get us started on this.

That being said, on the subject of Texas politicians acting like retards, it's hard to beat Exhibit #2:

Texas Lt. Governor @DanPatrick: “No one reached out to me & said...are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children & grandchildren. & if that’s the exchange, I’m all in....”
pic.twitter.com/SNSFlX9fFg

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) March 24, 2020

SMDH.

Once again, there's a very valid discussion to be had over whether or not actions currently being taken by government are good or bad.  It's not exactly a secret where this website stands.  But there's a responsible way to make that point.  Lt. Dan's comment's ain't it.

Instead, Lt. Dan provoked a backlash that will, if anything, make it more difficult to get back to normal.  It certainly doesn't help the credibility of our statewide so-called "leadership."  Reckless, at best.

Sensationalistic dumbassery helps nothing.

Bottom Line:  At best, Cornyn and Patrick unleashed an...extremely poor ratio of backlash to substance.

#TXLEGE: Lt. Dan Thinks You've Forgotten History

"Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
Matthew 7:20

Shot:

[Note: Due to formatting issues, we can't provide a link, but this was an e-mailed press release from the Lt. Governor's office yesterday afternoon.]

Chaser:

Some of the least-qualified graduates of the University of Texas School of Law in recent years have high-level connections in the Legislature, which may explain how they got into the prestigious law school in the first place.

A months-long Watchdog.org analysis of political influence on the admissions process at UT Law found there’s some truth, after all, to the old line about who you know mattering more than what you know. We found dozens of Longhorns who don’t know enough to be lawyers but know somebody important in the Legislature.

Two of those mediocre students are legislators themselves.

Some have connections to the leadership circle of House Speaker Joe Straus, others to powerful state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, who’s already been caught three times trying to pull end runs around the admissions process.

....

At least 12 of the students have roots in Laredo, home of state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, who is known to have pulled strings on behalf of other applicants. As Laredo has just 2 percent of the state’s population, it’s highly over represented in this sample.

....

Of the nearly 2,700 UT Law students to take the exam since 2006, only 29 have failed it three times or more. Thirteen made our list for closer inspection, and seven of those have ties to Laredo.

Among the 13 are Carlos Manuel Zaffirini Jr., the state senator’s only son, and Jeffrey Carona, the son of Republican state Sen. John Carona. Sen. Carona has donated some $31,043 to Zaffirini’s campaign in recent years, in addition to undisclosed sums his company paid her as a “communications consultant.”

....

Among the Laredo-connected bar failures are two brothers whose father is a top city health official who has worked with Zaffirini on state-funded projects. Another needed six tries to pass the bar and another passed on his fifth try.

Since this last graduate’s family has donated more than $52,000 during the years to Zaffirini, we asked the senator’s office whether the senator’s law school support was mercenary or a matter of family connections.

Zaffirini spokesman Will Krueger emailed us on March 7 to say the man’s “family and the senator’s family have been friends for at least three generations — on both his mother’s side of the family and his father’s side.”

Sounds like a great candidate for the higher ed. committee.

Eyeroll.

Bonus: To fully understand how far Patrick's fallen, see here.

Bottom Line: Scandal?!?  What scandal?!?  Lt. Dan don't see no scandal.  Besides, that was sooo five years ago.

George P. Bush, Dan Patrick, and the soft bigotry of low expectations

"The lips of the wise disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the fool does not do so."
Proverbs 15:7

Inbox yesterday:

PR 20 03 05 by DanPatrickTX on Scribd

Sigh.

But here's the thing: Patrick's not wrong.  And that's completely depressing.  Because that's probably good enough to get Dan Patrick through the next election cycle.

It's not a secret that George P. Bush is looking at a primary against Patrick.  It's also not a secret that Bush has been awful on the subject of the Alamo.  So all Patrick needs to do is be less terrible than Bush on that one subject and his re-election is probably pretty safe.

Soo...cheers to Patrick.  We guess.  Ugh.

Bottom Line:  In comparison to the truly awful, we suppose the merely mediocre is better.  But that's not to say it's good.  Sadly, that might be the best our political system can do.

#TXLEGE 2019: Everybody Sucked

"Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge
Right will be prolonged."
Proverbs 28:2

Forty five minutes ago, we sat down to write a blog post, "Dingus of the Year: George P. Bush."

It would have been easy to write.  There's plenty of material.  For crying out loud, we just called for the man's impeachment.

Unfortunately, even with that much material, we're not sure George P. Bush really was the dingus of the year.

He certainly had competition:

• Greg Abbott?!?

• Dan Patrick?!?

• Dennis Bonnen?!?

• Poncho Nevarez?!?

That's without considering various examples of minor league dingosity.

Bottom Line: If you take public policy seriously, nothing good happened.  On the other hand, it was entertaining.  So there's that.  Happy new year.

#TXLEGE: Lt. Dan's Best Day All Year

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

Serve:

PR 12 17 2019 Lt. Gov. Patrick Challenges Bush Characterization of Alamo Redesign Plan Opponents by Cahnman on Scribd

Whiff:

“Lt. Gov. Patrick has taken my statement out of context, much like the small group of protesters and activists," Bush said in an email. "To clarify, I stated the accusation that I was erecting a statue of Santa Anna at the Alamo, and protesters continually referring to me with slurs such as 'Santa Anna Bush' online is racist."

Bush said Patrick had "twist(ed) my words" to suggest that he had called all critics of the Alamo redevelopment plan racist.

"It is a very dangerous mistake for an elected official with his power to make," Bush said of Patrick's comments. "I’ve always done my best to be open and transparent with the Alamo project (*), and I look forward to Lt. Gov. Patrick learning the facts about the project in January. Hopefully, this will stop the spread of more rumors.”

 * - Baldfaced lie.

Serve:

PR 19 12 17 by DanPatrickTX on Scribd

Good.

Bush's conduct was never good.  In recent months, it's become increasingly reprehensible.  It's time for accountability from the legislature.

The Lt. Governor's office is as good of a place for that to start as any.

So three cheers for Lt. Dan on the substance of yesterday's actions.

Someone had to do it.

-------

Politics:

However, let's not kid ourselves: Lt. Dan's letter was political AF.

Over the past few months, George P. Bush (and his dingleberry staffers) has been telling anyone who would listen that he was coming for Lt. Dan's job.

Did George P. Bush expect Lt. Dan to take that lying down?!?

Because, to put it mildly, that's not Lt. Dan's style.

George P. Bush handed this issue to Lt. Dan on a silver platter, and nobody should be surprised that Lt. Dan ran with it.

-------

The system worked:

But so what?!?

James Madison explained in 1788:

Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.

In this case, Lt. Dan's ambition (to keep his current office) is counteracting George P. Bush's ambition (to take Lt. Dan's office).

Lt. Dan saw an opportunity to go after George P. Bush over the latter's misconduct in office. Lt. Dan took it. In taking the opportunity, however, Lt. Dan's actions advanced the public's interest.

Who cares if his actions were "political"?!?

-------

Bottom Line: On the one hand, it's about time.  On the other hand, better late than never.  Stay tuned.

#TXLEGE: Dana Loesch Killed Lt. Dan's Flirtation with Gun Control (for now)

"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

Our post the other day about Lt. Dan got us thinking: He hasn't run his mouth about guns in awhile.

So we decided to check out his campaign website and Twitter feed.

Here's what we found: Lt. Dan's last reference to anything remotely related to the Second Amendment came on September 24th.

Where, pray tell, was Lt. Dan on September 25th?!?



Not a peep on the subject since.

Bottom Line: The whims of the national news cycle remain no way to govern an allegedly "conservative" state. Even if it worked this one time. Thanks Dana.

#TXLEGE: Things *might* not mean what Lt. Dan apparently thinks they mean

"Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall."
Proverbs 16:18

This is...quite the arrogant press release:

PR 19 12 11 by DanPatrickTX on Scribd

To be fair, everything on which this author was working this past session passed the Senate.  We're not particularly angry with the Senators listed in this press release.  At least, not anymore than we're angry with the rest of the institution.

But come on: Does anybody seriously think that successfully primarying Dawn Buckingham or Charles Perry (two of the bigger drop offs this session) will change anything?!?

Cuz' it won't.

And it won't change anything...because of people like Dan Patrick.

Speaking of primary challenges.

Bottom Line: This was an astonishingly stupid press release to send out.

#TXLEGE: Lt. Dan continues campaign against scourge of...Mild Relaxation by teenagers

"The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools."
Proverbs 3:35

Dan Patrick dropped several interim charges yesterday.

[Note: Two hours before Game 7 of the World Series...CLASSY.]

In fairness to Patrick, most of them are fine.  A few of them are relatively good.  Most are fairly minor.

There was, however, this:

Keeping Vaping Devices/E-Cigarettes Out of the Hands of Children: Consider the emerging public safety concerns from the rise in “vaping” and ecigarette use by minors. Study whether current criminal penalties are sufficient to deter individuals from selling these devices and substances used to fill these devices to minors.

Keep in mind, this is the same Texas Senate that thought raising the tobacco age to 21 was a worthwhile endeavor.

Furthermore, we stand by our suspicion that somebody's getting paid.

Bottom Line: Vaping by teenagers might not be good.  But come on.  No, seriously, come on.

#TXLEGE: Bernal Lets Cat out of Bag

"Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another."
Ephesians 4:25

This won't surprise anyone who was paying attention, nevertheless:

#txlege

Just want to point out that the "successful" Session people keep referring to was hallmarked by Republicans in large part adopting Democrat legislative priorities.

Now you have even more reason to just vote for the real thing.

— Diego Bernal (@DiegoBernalTX) October 15, 2019

Well, yeah.

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

That's why folks were angry.

Even if Dan Patrick claims to have "won" some alleged Super Bowl.

Bottom Line: About time somebody said it....

#TXLEGE: A Good Summary on Where Things Stand re: Bonnen

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

Amen Rich:

Pretty much.

These clowns had the opportunity to put this scandal behind them two months ago.  They chose to stonewall.  Next week will present another opportunity to put this scandal in the rear view mirror.

It's an open question whether they take it (probably not).

At some point, the public will notice.

When that inevitably happens, the GOP will have no one to blame but themselves.

It's their call.

Bottom Line: We suspect pessimism is warranted....

#TXLEGE: More Denial, Rationalization, from Lt. Dan

"The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness."
Proverbs 15:2

Hoo boy:

'The left does this all the time,' @DanPatrick says of the criticism by @EmpowerTexans. 'I'm not anti-#2A to just say we need to look at this issue,' he says of stranger-to-stranger sales needing background checks. 'This is crazy talk, crazy talk.' #txlege https://t.co/g0k6IE5Lu0

— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) September 23, 2019

[Note: Lt. Dan's full interview is available here, although the tweet quoted above is all you need for this blog post.]

That's not good.

One example: How does one define the phrase "family member" for legal purposes?!?

Will "family member" be defined only as blood relatives?!?  If so, how many "drops of blood" will be required to qualify?!?  If not, will 'family members' via marriage be included?!?  If so, how does Obergefell factor into the definition of marriage (*) for purposes of this statute?!?   How about divorce?!?  We could go on, but you understand.  If defining the relatively simple phrase "family member" has this many unintended complexities, how will Lt. Dan ever define subjective phrases like "friend" and "stranger"?!?

Bottom Line: This will not end well....

-------

* -- Imagine the mental gymnastics....

#TXLEGE: Patrick falls deeper into denial, rationalization

"The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness."
Proverbs 15:2

Earlier this morning, Michael Quinn Sullivan wrote a short Twitter thread about constitution day.  Ok fine, whatever.   During the thread, Sullivan took a relatively tame jab at Dan Patrick's recent turn against the Second Amendment.

Which caused Lt. Dan's notoriously thin skin to return with a vengeance:

You know my plan exempts family and friends, so apparently you are fine with selling your guns to total strangers who can’t pass a background check because they could be a violent felon or someone bent on mass violence. BTW, release the tape. You are destroying our party.

— Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) September 17, 2019

Guilty conscience, Lt. Dan?!?

Lt. Dan's supposition is, of course, preposterous.  Whatever one thinks about Sullivan's strategy re: the Bonnen audio, the notion that it's "destroying our party" has no basis in fact.  Jonathan Stickland explains:

No @DanPatrick you sir are destroying our party. You are the politician who has forgotten who brought you to the dance. You’ve publicly been taking a dump on our party platform & our long held support of the #2A. You will own the election results not the grassroots! #txlege

— Jonathan Stickland (@RepStickland) September 17, 2019

Bottom Line: This farce would be entertaining if it weren't so serious.

#TXLEGE: Abbott's "safety action report" means Patrick's gun registry doesn't poll well

"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

From Texas Scorecard:

On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott released a list of suggestions for the state legislature on gun violence, following roundtable meetings in the wake of the El Paso and Odessa shootings.

Dubbed the “Texas Safety Action Report,” many of Abbott’s suggestions are either broad, such as his request to consider expediting the reporting of criminal convictions to the Texas Department of Public Safety” or duplicative, like prohibiting the straw purchases of firearms under state law—something already illegal under Federal law.

Most immediately notable in his list of recommendations, however, concerns expanding background checks of person-to-person sales.

While Lt. Gov Dan Patrick has been waging war against gun owners and advocacy groups such as the National Rifle Association over the past week over his support for expanding mandatory government background checks on private firearm sales, the governor took a markedly different tact.

Instead, Abbott recommends that “The Legislature should consider ways to make it easy, affordable, and beneficial for a private seller of firearms to voluntarily use background checks when selling firearms to strangers.”

Lots to unpack.

The biggest takeaway is that, for the second time in as many days, a major statewide elected official has distanced themselves from Patrick's gun registry.

That being said, for the statewide official to be Abbott rather than Cruz is very noteworthy.

Whatever, else you want to say about Abbott...he polls EVERYTHING.

What makes this even more interesting is that Patrick has been citing alleged polling data to justify his gun registry.

While the following is nothing but informed speculation, here's what we suspect happened:

• Patrick polled, or cited polls, framing the question in the friendliest way possible for Patrick's position.

• Abbott polled the issue neutrally.

• Abbott didn't like what he saw.

Thus, Abbott put out what he put out.

Bottom Line: Sometimes the actions of elected officials who govern by polls reveal interesting nuggets about public opinion.

#TXLEGE: Cruz calls legislature a "lunatic asylum"

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

Via the DMN:

WASHINGTON -- Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is distancing himself from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's proposal to require background checks for all stranger to stranger gun sales, painting his fellow Republican's idea as in line with broader proposals offered by Democrats.

Asked on Thursday if he supported Patrick's specific idea -- which would not affect private sales between friends and families -- Cruz compared it to the notion of universal background checks.

"The consistent focus of Democrats in Congress is precisely the proposal that you laid out -- it is mandating that all private person to person sales have a federal background check," he said at a breakfast hosted by The Christian Science Monitor. "That's a mistake."

Cruz was pressed on the fact that Patrick's idea would focus only on private gun transactions between strangers -- and not all private person to person sales -- and was asked if that distinction would change his feelings.

The senator demurred.

"Dan Patrick is a good man," he said, before noting that his focus is on policy proposals being considered in Congress. "I have every confidence the Legislature in Texas will debate and consider these issues. Thankfully, I serve in a different lunatic asylum."

[Note: Emphasis added.]

Wow.  Lots to unpack there.  Obviously, a rift between Ted Cruz and Dan Patrick would be...a rather significant development.

The truth, however, is that we don't know how this situation will unfold.  Speculation is pointless.  Whatever's going to happen will happen; we'll know soon enough.

For now, take a second to relish the awesomeness of that Cruz quote.

Bottom Line: He's not wrong.