If it wasn’t so disheartening, I’d laugh at the disastrous session of the Texas Legislature that ended (mercifully) today. After all, the grassroots yelled long and loud for years to get rid of “liberal” Speaker Joe Straus only to replace him with a guy that doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the grassroots and presided over a session in which the budget increased by over 16%, more than double any Straus budget increase.
But like I said, I can’t laugh because it just ain’t funny.
I received this from Michael Quinn Sullivan of Empower Texans:
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Politicians Will Try To Spin It, But Legislative Results Are What They Areby Michael Quinn Sullivan Across the nation Republican-held states are passing conservative legislation while Democrat-held states are pushing a liberal agenda. While citizens are looking for bold colors, Texas Republicans delivered a legislative session of pale pastels. Republican “red” and and Democrat “blue” merged into a purple coalition undermining the policy priorities of conservatives. While politicians in New York and Virginia applaud horrific pro-abortion policies, Alabama and Georgia are challenging Roe v Wade. California is imposing their own version of the “Green New Deal,” while Nebraska has allocated six percent of its total state budget to property tax relief. In the Lone Star State, activists like Julie McCarty of the NE Tarrant Tea Party have said Republican politicians misspent the 140-day legislative session stifling conservative victories—denying even the possibility in some cases—while letting Democrats set the governing narrative. “You were supposed to fight,” is what McCarty recently told Texas Scorecard was the message she would have for Republican lawmakers. For example, gun rights advocates are shocked that legislation deemed the top priority of the Republican Party of Texas was killed in the House… and never even filed in the Senate. Texas Right to Life notes that no legislation saving the life of an unborn child passed this legislative session. Not one bill. House Speaker Dennis Bonnen (R-Lake Jackson) is unapologetic. He told reporters on Monday criticism from groups like Texas Right to Life “aren’t worth responding to.” “If we passed every pro-life bill filed in the history of the state, they would say we had not done enough,” said Bonnen. “You will never please or appease those folks and I’m sure as hell not going to waste my time trying.” Members of the House and Senate did pass a constitutional amendment banning an income tax, but perhaps the most significant fiscal reform—a stronger spending limit to prevent bloated budgets—died in the House without a hearing. Again. Election integrity legislation was stymied in the Texas House, as was legislation to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying. Worried about upsetting Democrats, not a single Republican filed legislation to end the practice of governmental agencies collection of union dues. The fact 90 percent of union money goes to Democrats makes it even more perplexing Republicans wouldn’t at least act out of their own self-interest ahead of the 2020 election season. While it’s nice Republicans chose to “save Chick-Fil-A” (the massively successful Georgia-based fast food chain denied retail space in San Antonio’s small airport) with a narrowly-tailored measure, they did nothing to address the punitive patchwork of socialist policies attacking small businesses arising around the state. Across the state cities are imposing leftist policies on businesses, including mandates interfering with the relationship between employers and employees. Again, the Texas House is to blame. Yes, lawmakers did enact some reforms to the property tax system—but they unnecessarily opted for the protections only to apply to the biggest cities while creating complex loopholes that will be nearly impossible for citizens to challenge. And, yes, the state budget includes $5 billion in property tax relief – that’s a real number that will be seen. However, it is done in the context of a state budget that grows government at an unsustainable level, even when deducting the “costs” of property tax relief and the charges for Hurricane Harvey recovery. The state budget blows past the “population growth and inflation” limit conservatives have demanded government stay below since the days Ronald Reagan was governor of California. Not a single priority of the Republican Party of Texas was achieved, despite having commanding majorities in both chambers. Not. A. One. The party fathers will claim “progress” was made. But after 20 years at the helm of state government, Republicans should expect more than “progress.” Legislators are heading home, preparing to wow the citizenry with tales of their backroom deals and seats at the table. Even the once viable “Texas Freedom Caucus” became little more than a house pet for the Austin cronies, with actions and rhetoric indistinguishable in form and substance from the most liberal members of the GOP caucus. As conservative activist Ruth York recently posted on social media, “Sometimes it’s better to stand on principle than have a seat at the table.” Over the last 140 days Republicans refused to stand up for the grassroots, so it is hard to imagine many of those grassroots bothering to stand up for them in 2020. |
I don’t always agree with MQS but he certainly nailed the ‘flavor’ of this session for conservatives and grassroots activists.
What a shame.
Byron Schirmbeck says
Yep, busted session for the most part. The grassroots didn’t select Bonnen the legislators did. I don’t recall getting a vote and I know plenty of grassroots activists that were opposed to his being voted in. Mostly for the reasons of him continuing Straus’ agenda. Anyone that was paying attention shouldn’t be surprised he was next in line and would do this but I do have to admit the way he is so vocal about his absolute hatred for conservative grassroots and Republican legislative priorities surprised me. The level of falsehoods he was willing to spread about constitutional carry bill and activists was sickening to see. Now he is threatening to penalize any legislator that gets involved in other elections.
Fortunately, with the governor greasing the skids some good bills did come out like Stickland’s HB1631 which bans red light cameras in Texas. Unfortunately, many Houston Democrats and “Republican” Sarah Davis voted to save them in Texas even knowing their constituents overhwelmingly voted them out in Houston. What a slap in the face and I hope the voters remember that vote. I guess they are hoping to bring them back to Houston at some point. I can’t think of any other reason they would vote against their district.
It’s going to be a interesting 2020 for sure. Seems like most Texas GOP lawmakers wanted to do enough to not keep the base at home without doing too much to give the other side ammo. It’s a fine line to walk and I doubl the succeeded but we will see.
howie katz says
While I am not pro-choice, I have to agree with Bonnen when he said: “If we passed every pro-life bill filed in the history of the state, they would say we had not done enough. You will never please or appease those folks and I’m sure as hell not going to waste my time trying.”
Texas is no longer like Alabama, Georgia and Missouri. We already have restrictive abortion laws and if the Republicans were to hang their hats on a law like that passed in Alabama, the Lone Star state would soon be a blue state.
PeterD says
“Worried about upsetting Democrats, not a single Republican filed legislation to end the practice of governmental agencies collection of union dues. The fact 90 percent of union money goes to Democrats makes it even more perplexing Republicans wouldn’t at least act out of their own self-interest ahead of the 2020 election season.”
Don’t confuse union dues with union PAC money, dues are not used to subsidize democratic candidates. Change the law and PAC funding of unprincipled democrats will still remain, one look at Houston’s firefighter union spending on legal fees and lawyers for members with the bulk of union dues versus their support of whomever with PAC money shows the difference.
As far as Bonnen is concerned, he was universally supported by GOP members and hailed as an antidote to how Straus prevented the conservative agenda from happening. I guess he showed his true colors and like it or not, the grassroots crowd won’t lift a finger to sanction any of his supporters in future elections.
Fat Albert says
One thing this session has absolutely proven: Dan Patrick has graduated from “Principled Conservative” to “Feckless Political Hack”.
DanMan says
The things that stick out for me was we are sitting on a $10billion rainy day fund and the the repubs felt comfortable enough to try to pass a tax increase. And they couldn’t find the resolve to cut tax payers from funding groups that lobby for tax increases.
I do appreciate they cut off the democrat money pipeline from PP.
I note the city’s growth has flat lined. I’m guessing I am part of a pattern that is showing up statistically.
Pat Bryan says
Accept that all GOPers are forced-Trumpers, with Lindsay and Mitch holding guns to their heads. Budget increased by over 16%? GOPers don’t give a rat’s ass about balanced budgets anymore. In fact they are rewriting GOP history to prove that balanced budgets never mattered and they really never cared for them anyway. That’s the reason GOPers deify Reagan, first of the big spenders, rather than Nixon, a true hero.
DanMan says
I heard Dan Patrick on the radio this morning run through a list of accomplishments that seemed to have come together at the last minutes of the session. It sounded much better than what is presented in this article. With approximately $11 billion in the rainy day fund he said they spent about $5 billion on tax cuts by capping he allowable tax increases without voter approval at 3.5% for municipalities and 2.5% for school districts.
They shored up the teacher’s retirement fund to be solvent for at least 54 years.
They are giving a 13th check to retired teachers.
They gave current teachers a bonus.
There was much more than I listed and I wonder if our host can attach a link that lists all of the things that did pass the legislature this year.
David Jennings says
DanMan,
If all you want is spin, by all means listen to KSEV. Or go hear Bettencourt, he’ll be in Kingwood tomorrow night at the Tin
CupRoof.Shrinking the RDF to grow the state budget isn’t my idea of fiscal conservatism but we can disagree on that.
I think Mike Openshaw did a good job in his recap of the 86th Texas Legislature: https://txlegewatch.org/2019/05/28/86th-texas-legislative-session-assessment-news/
Jim Lennon says
Tin Roof BBQ, not Tin Cup. Some of the Best BBQ in Harris County.
Although part of the movie Tin Cup was filmed in Kingwood.
Jim Lennon says
Tin Roof BBQ, not Tin Cup. Some of the Best BBQ in Harris County.
Although part of the movie Tin Cup was filmed in Kingwood.