#TXLEGE: Leach, Shaheen, ignore First Rule of Competitive General Elections

 

"Abstain from all appearance of evil."
1 Thessalonians 5:22 (kjv)

How to lose a competitive general election in one press release:

My Joint Statement along with Representatives Jeff Leach, Scott Sanford & Justin Holland regarding Speaker Bonnen. #txlege pic.twitter.com/LcfiVUZeAg

— Matt Shaheen (@MattShaheen) October 18, 2019

In terms of substance, all four representatives should be embarrassed. But at least Justin Holland and Scott Sanford represent safe seats. Jeff Leach and Matt Shaheen do not:

Yet these geniuses are vocally defending Bonnen.

It doesn't take a genius to see how this plays out: Leach and Shaheen are attacked as lackeys of corruption.  They reply with a complicated, political, answer.  The public, hating those sorts of answers in the same way that they always have, votes for the non-incumbent.

Leach and Shaheen lose.

Rule #1 of competitive general elections: Additional baggage is bad.  It's difficult enough to get across the finish line on your own.  Other people's drama can only sink you.  All the blockwalking, messaging, and money in the world won't save you.

Yet Leach and Shaheen chose to do exactly that with Bonnen.

Like we said, doesn't take a genius.

Bottom Line: This will be one of the most predictable political attacks in the history of political attacks...and Leach and Shaheen won't have a good answer.

#TXLEGE: The Cheapest Date in the Legislature

"You sell Your people for next to nothing,
And are not enriched by selling them."
Psalm 44:12

Yesterday, we discussed the 2015 Scott Turner supporters who got committee chairmanships and had drastic drop-offs.

Yet one legislator merits special derision: Scott Sanford.

He suffered a dropoff on par with the others...and he didn't even get a chairmanship.

Pathetic.

None of his bills particularly stand out.  Some look ok.  But nothing's anything special.

He gave up everything, and got literally nothing for it.

Bottom Line: It takes a special sprit of passive surrender to receive this haul; way to negotiate buddy....

#TXLEGE: 2015 Turner supporters who got committee chairs suffered biggest dropoff

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
1 John 1:8

[Note: Jeremy Kitchen created a spreadsheet with information about how legislators scored on various indexes.  We consulted it extensively preparing this post.  Due to formating issues, it's easier to discuss conclusions without extensive cutting and pasting.  But we plug it heavily and you can view it for yourself here.]

With Empower Texans' index out, session to session comparisons are now appropriate.

Among the biggest dropoffs: Jeff Leach (-32), Dustin Burrows (-28), and Stephanie Klick (-20).

[Note: Scott Sanford was also a -26, but he's likely to be the subject of another blog post.]

What traits do the three members listed above share?!?  Two sessions ago, all three voted for Scott Turner for Speaker.  This past session, they were committee chairs.

Indeed, they were the reason why we were initially hopeful over Bonnen's committee assignments.

[Note: LOL on what we said about Leach and Klick here.]

One conclusion is obvious: We thought the committee chairs in question would change the house.  Instead, becoming committee chairs changed those members.  Sadly.

The borg adapts, you will be assimilated.

Bottom Line: It just is what it is (but what it is isn't good)....

#TXLEGE: House trying to extend local-level corporate welfare under the radar

"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 on the first bill is about an hour in.  Our second testimony is about an hour after that.  We'll update this post with our others.]

This afternoon, we've testified against two bills in House Ways and Means.  We're waiting to testify in favor of two others.  But the pattern is becoming clear.

The House is moving to extend two of the most noxious corporate welfare programs in this state.  "Chapter 312" are local tax abatements that subsidize displacement and gentrification.  "Chapter 313" are ineffective school-district boondoggles.  They want to extend both.

The bills related to Chapter 312 and 313 are the following:

• HB 360         Murphy
  Relating to the extension of the expiration date of the Property Redevelopment and Tax Abatement Act.
• HB 2129        Murphy            
  Relating to the extension of the expiration of certain parts of the Texas Economic Development Act.

Both programs share the same problem: They (kinda sorta) cut taxes for already wealthy people who can afford to hire lobbyists.  Everyone else gets nothing.  All this at a time when property tax reform for regular people languishes.

[Note: For perspective, HB 2 has been sitting in committee since the UTSA game.]

There's been a lot of talk this session about how to "pay for" property tax reform.  We don't particularly accept the premise of that question, but we understand why folks are asking it.  If we are going to have to "pay for" property tax reform for regular Texans, these sorts of special interest carve outs are the first place to look.

Furthermore, it's galling to hear these corporate guys whine about their school taxes.  On Chapter 313, specifically, we've heard corporate lobbyist after corporate lobbyist after corporate lobbyist going on about their burdensome school taxes.  Unfortunately, they couldn't care less about the rest of us.  As long as their lobbyists can get them special tax breaks.

To be honest, these corporate guys are making a great case for a much bigger tax compression as part of any school finance reform.

Finally, on Chapter 312/313, we'll say this: Having Jim Friggin' Murphy carry this bill might not be the best optics.

That being said, the committee is hearing two other bills to significantly increase transparency in the process:

• HB 2799        Sanford                 
  Relating to economic development.

• HB 1977        Cole               
  Relating to a requirement that a fiscal impact statement be provided before a taxing unit may enter into a tax abatement agreement.

Both are good.  Not surprisingly, the Sanford bill is better than the Cole bill.  But either one would be a significant improvement over the status quo.

Bottom Line: Must be nice to be able to afford lobbyists; unfortunately, that's not an option for the rest of us....

#TXLEGE: If we're ever gonna get rid of Joe Straus....

"Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish."
Isaiah 41:11

...then yesterday's Nay vote on Byron Cook's amendment to restore the rainy day fund raid give you a hint at the type of coalition it might take:

So that's 67.

Also, FWIW, Jeff Leach, Tony Tinderholt, and Scott Sanford weren't on the floor but could have been reasonably expected to vote no.

So that's 70.

Furthermore, Lance Gooden later made a journal statement against the amendment.

So that's 71.

Obviously, you need 76, but that 71 is potentially a start.

Also, FWIW, based on the 2017 Mark Jones index, Trent Ashby is Republican #76:

#TXLEGE: Bonnen hears (at least) 14 more special interest carve out bills (89 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 725        Bohac                   
  Relating to the exclusion from total revenue of certain payments received by health care providers for purposes of computing the franchise tax.

• HB 1578       Sanford                
  Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to pledge revenue from the municipal hotel occupancy tax for the payment of obligations related to hotel projects.

• HB 1614       Parker                 
  Relating to a franchise tax credit for enterprise projects for certain capital investments.

• HB 1680       Frullo                 
  Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to pledge certain tax revenue for the payment of obligations related to hotel projects.

• HB 1682       Bohac | et al.         
  Relating to the sales and use tax exemption for the repair, remodeling, or maintenance of aircraft.

• HB 1721       Bonnen, Greg | et al.  
  Relating to an exemption from and a limitation on the sales tax imposed on certain boats and boat motors.

• HB 2182       Reynolds | et al.      
  Relating to the authority of a county assistance district to impose a sales and use tax.

• HB 2591       Herrero                
  Relating to the exemption from taxes and special assessments of property of a navigation district.

• HB 2794       Giddings               
  Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to pledge certain tax revenue for the payment of obligations related to hotel projects.

• HB 3045       Dale                   
  Relating to an election to reduce or increase the sales and use tax rate imposed by a municipality for the benefit of a Type B development corporation.

• HB 3201       Darby                  
  Relating to the designation of a well as a two-year inactive well or three-year inactive well for purposes of the oil and gas severance tax exemption.

• HB 3549       Wray                   
  Relating to a sales and use tax exemption for certain cleaning services performed for a health care facility.

• HB 3843       Anderson, Rodney       
  Relating to a franchise or insurance premium tax credit for low-income housing developments.

• HB 4187       Raney                  
  Relating to the use of revenue from municipal hotel occupancy taxes for a sports facility or field in certain municipalities.

Sanford calls Corporate America's Bluff

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Ephesians 6:12

From Texas Values:

Texas State Representative Scott Sanford, author of the Pastor Protection law, joined by over 100 state legislators from across the country, sent an open letter to the NFL Commissioner, the Big 12 Commissioner, the CEO of the NCAA, the CEO of Marvel, and the CEO of Disney, requesting that the corporations reconsider their threats against states passing religious freedom bills.

....

The letter states in part:

“We write to you today because you recently issued statements against religious liberty legislation in various states around the country. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, we understand that you may have been misinformed and misguided into a position of condoning and promoting government use of the force of law against people of faith in America….

Freedom of conscience and freedom exercise of religion can include nothing less than the way a person lives all aspects of his or her life. As a nation, our laws must encourage and support, not penalize, citizens who seek to adhere to their moral convictions.

Government, unelected Justices, and big businesses should not be in the business of forcing individuals and entities to act in a manner that contradicts their conscience. The Obergefell decision, the United States Supreme Court’s effort to redefine marriage throughout America, has left private schools, charities, businesses, churches or individuals that disagree unprotected. We need laws protecting their right to live their faith, thus the reason for the recent bill in Georgia.

....

[I]f you were to remove your events and other economic activities from every state that already has significant religious liberty legislation or state court decisions with the same effect, you will find yourselves operating in an increasingly shrinking pool of states. As of now, 32 states contain these, and others are in the process of adoption.

Please ask yourselves this question: “Do we really want to live in a society where our government may, under the penalty of law, force its citizens to engage in the promotion or solemnization of an act that they find contrary to their conscience and their religious beliefs?” Your efforts are indeed forging a path that contradicts and undermines the principles and concepts that our Founders incorporated as the building blocks of this Constitutional Republic.

Read the whole thing here.

The Texas Response: Pastors, Marriage, & Religious Freedom

"The first one to plead his cause seems right,
Until his neighbor comes and examines him."
Proverbs 18:17

Pflugerville -- Last night, Texas Values hosted an event in Pflugerville to outline the state-of-play on religious liberty in Texas following the U.S. Supreme Court's lawless marriage ruling this past summer.  It highlighted how Churches can protect themselves in the current climate and discussed the Pastor Protection law that the legislature passed last session.  It was a solid start that needs to be build upon.

Jonathan Saenz (Texas Values):



Highlights:

• Several people have been fined and jailed over marriage.

• Houston 5 were attacked by Annise Parker.

• Dan Patrick: "No one should be compelled."

• Scott Sanford carried this bill in House.

• Pastor Protection law protects "religious ORGANIZATIONS."

• ACLU retracted their support for Federal RFRA after marriage decision.

• Pastor Protection Law covers religious hospitals.

Jeremy Dys (Liberty Institute):

Highlights:

• Plugs Ken Paxton -- Filed a pro-Religious Liberty brief at the Texas Supreme Court last week.

• "Religious liberty is broader than human sexuality."

• Define your mission in writing in your church documents.

• Detailed minutes of Church meetings CAN SAVE YOUR BACON in the event of a lawsuit.

• Learn more about protecting your Christian institution at ReligiousLibertyKits.com

Attorney General Paxton:

Highlights:

• Put out his opinion re: County Clerks within hours of SCOTUS decision.

• People of Faith are essential to keeping American "free and prosperous."

• Religious liberty is the first freedom for a reason.

• When we lose our moral compass, things go bad in a hurry.

• "Discrimination against Christians, or other people of Faith, is entirely unacceptable."

Senator Craig Estes:

Highlights:

• Our perilous times are different that First Century Christians or Christians in Syria.

• Pray for the Christians around the world.

• This isn't the hill the hard core leftists want to die on.

Pastor Panel:

[Note: Danny Forshee is the Pastor of this Author's Church.]



Highlights:

• If Christians abdicate politics, the Devil is pleased to take over.

• When you put God in charge, He takes over.

• Joe Gonzales tells a story about praying with his personal state rep.

• Pastor Danny: "To disagree does not mean to discriminate."

• Pastor Mike: Just voting isn't good enough.
• The Church has abdicated it's position.
• We need to participate in the process.
• "Had the Devil known what he was doing, he wouldn't have raised the issue."
• The Church in Texas is coming together (tells the story about preaching in inner-city Kileen)
• Texas is going to be a haven for the gospel.