#TXLEGE: Oh, Dennis

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

Even from 1500 miles away, it was pretty difficult to miss to continued devolution of the Bonnen saga.

To write a full analysis of the past week would require more time than we have interest, but some thoughts:

• When we've been saying, for years, that state government in Texas is astonishingly corrupt...this is a pretty good example.

• The members defending Bonnen are a bunch of dickless chodes.
• aka. Mayes Middleton, Matt Shaheen, Drew Springer, Craig Goldman, and...especially...Jeff Leach.
• Update: Add James White, Scott Sanford, Brad Buckley, and Cole Hefner to the list.
• Update II: Add Tom Oliverson.

• We haven't seen this level of willful blindness to serious misconduct since Wallace Hall.

• Whether or not Bonnen survives as speaker is irrelevant.  Anyone who can get to 76 votes will be a scumbag.  Gib Lewis, Pete Laney, Tom Craddick, Joe Straus, and Dennis Bonnen have all sucked.

• This is the same Texas house that, nearly two years into the scandal, has yet to say a word about Jim Murphy.

• Does the Travis County DA have jurisdiction?!?

• This is FUN!!!

Bottom Line: These people brought this on themselves and deserve everything that's coming....

#TXLEGE: Taxpayers OVERWHELMINGLY Dominate hearing to Abolish Taxpayer Funded Lobbying

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

[Note: The hearing can be viewed here; our testimony is 4ish hours in.]

About an hour ago, we testified in the House state affairs committee in favor of HB 281:  Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for lobbying activities.

The biggest takeaway is that nobody has the guts to come out and defend this wretched practice.  Dozens of speakers showed up in support.  Only two people opposed.

Supporters discussed abuses they've witnessed in their communities.  Most detailed their irritation at seeing local governments fund positions they oppose.  It was very practical, and very tangible.

That's great.  It's completely true.  But what was even more interesting was to watch some of the Democrats wrestle with it from a different angle.  Democrat reps. Richard Pena Raymond and Joe Deshotel both seemed to understand how taxpayer funded lobbying is compelled speech, regardless of whether the speech in question is "anti-taxpayer" or "pro-taxpayer."

During our testimony, we wanted to build on the points Raymond and Deshotel had made.  Taxpayer funded lobbying taxes all citizens to fund political speech expressing one point of view.  No matter the content of that political speech, that process is wrong.  As an example, we pointed out that Chairman Phelan and Deshotel (ie. an R and a D) both represent Jefferson county.  If Jefferson county were to hire a lobbyist, the position that lobbyist took would disenfranchise one or the other.  Either way is wrong.  The same principle applies statewide.

Raymond discussed something else interesting: Local governments, and the state of Texas, lobbying the federal government.  Specifically, Raymond proposed expanding the bill to cover hiring lobbyists in D.C. as well as Austin.  Personally, we think that's a great idea as long as it doesn't make passing the bill unnecessarily complicated.

Bottom Line: There's a long way to go between here and the Governor's desk, but today's hearing went great...

#TXLEGE: (at least) 5 Good Bills Getting Hearings Next Week

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Luke 12:34

Tuesday; Senate Property Tax:

• SB 462         Campbell                
  Relating to ballot propositions authorizing certain political subdivisions to issue debt obligations.

Wednesday; House Homeland Security:

• HB 238         Krause                  
  Relating to the enforcement of certain federal laws regulating firearms, firearm accessories, and firearm ammunition within the State of Texas.

Wednesday; House Ways and Means:

• HB 2                         Burrows
  Relating to ad valorem taxation.
  
• HB 705         Geren                
  Relating to the substitution of a county sales and use tax for all or a portion of property taxes imposed by the county; authorizing the imposition of a tax.

Wednesday; House State Affairs:

• HB 281         Middleton               
  Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public money for lobbying activities.
  [Note: They're not on this website's priority issues, but several other bills on the State Affairs docket also look good.]

Bottom Line: Just because a bill gets a committee hearing does not mean that bill will make it to the Governor's desk, but it's virtually impossible for that to happen without one.

#TXLEGE: Freedom Caucus unveils priorities (while Swanson has hearing on debt transparency bill)

"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

The Texas Freedom Caucus unveiled its priorities for the current legislative session:



Highlights:

• Same top priority as everyone else -- Property taxes/school finance.

• Austin ISD + Plano ISD will pay $900 million into Robin Hood just by themselves.

• Merit pay for teachers.

• "Our hearts are broken by the actions of the New York legislature." re: Abortion.
• Several related priorities.

• Pass Constitutional Carry/oppose "Red Flag" laws.

• Uniform Election Dates.

• Paper trail for ballot results.

• Religious liberty.

• Border stuff.

• Expand career and trade schools.

• Ban taxpayer funded lobbying.

It's a solid list.  It's basically the RPT priorities, plus some others added by the grassroots.  That being said, as someone who served on the committee, this author can assure readers that most of these items would have been RPT priorities had the committee not been limited to five.

However, the biggest story was who was not there.  Valoree Swanson had to miss the press conference...because she was laying out a bill in committee.  If you're looking for a sign things are moving in a better direction at the Capitol, the fact that Valoree Swanson is laying out a bill in February is a pretty good one.

Swanson's bill was a simple debt transparency bill that would restrict the number of items school districts can put on a bond proposition:

HB 134             Swanson                 
Relating to the form of ballot propositions in an election seeking authorization for the issuance of school district bonds supported by property taxes.

Putting it mildly, that bill does not get a hearing last session (especially in February).

Bottom Line: The process will continue, but today was a good day....

#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: Freedom Caucus DOMINATES Early House Fundraising!!!

"Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase."
Proverbs 13:11

We obviously know about the Governor and Lt. Governor's fundraising, but did you know that 7 out of the top ten fundraisers on the House side are Freedom caucus members?!?

Your 10 largest Republican fundraisers in the #TXHouse for the July reports. @BriscoeCain is #2, under @SpeakerStraus. #txlege pic.twitter.com/lywWqdB44y

— Luke Macias (@effectualchange) July 18, 2017

While we're on the subject, among challengers Thomas McNutt (running against Byron Cook) raised over $320k and has $250k cash on hand; Mayes Middleton (running against Wayne Faircloth) has $480k cash on hand and has over 100 individual donors including former good UT regent Alex Cranberg!

Bottom Line: This tells you everything you need to know about where the energy and momentum lie.