Tag Archives: Dan Patrick

Sen. Angela Paxton will be one of her husband’s jurors

Really, there was no other way this could have ended. After weeks of speculation, state Sen. Angela Paxton announced late Monday that she will attend the impeachment trial of her husband, suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton, the McKinney Republican said … Continue reading

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Paxton-palooza

Tuesday is going to be a huge day in the Ken Paxton impeachment saga, as the Senate committee in charge of setting the rules for the Senate trial get around to doing that. There’s been a lot of energy towards … Continue reading

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Of course Dan Patrick has a Ken Paxton conflict of interest

Why wouldn’t he? Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has cast Attorney General Ken Paxton’s upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate as like a real-world courtroom, with senators sitting as jurors and Patrick serving as judge. “Would you go to a judge … Continue reading

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Impeachment in the Senate

Long Trib story about what to expect when the Senate finally takes up the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton. The Senate plans to consider impeachment rules on June 20 and to start the trial by Aug. 28. Yet there are … Continue reading

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Two thoughts on the whole impeachment thing

Let’s start with the obvious, which is the “Why now?” question. A lot of people seem to be mystified. Why, after nearly a decade of Ken Paxton’s criming, did the House General Investigations Committee decide to go all scorched earth … Continue reading

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Impeach-a-palooza

The impeachment debate in the House will happen today. The Texas House intends to take up a resolution to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton at 1 p.m. Saturday, according to a memo from the House General Investigating Committee. Citing Paxton’s “long-standing pattern of abuse of … Continue reading

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House General Investigations Committee votes to impeach Paxton

Once again, I say Wow. In an unprecedented move, a Texas House committee voted Thursday to recommend that Attorney General Ken Paxton be impeached and removed from office, citing a yearslong pattern of alleged misconduct and lawbreaking that investigators detailed … Continue reading

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Abbott threatens special session if he doesn’t get his voucher bill passed

It’s not the Lege these days without a special session threat. Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday said he would veto a toned-down version of a bill to offer school vouchers in Texas, and threatened to call legislators back for special … Continue reading

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Dan Patrick reminds everyone who’s in charge

In case you forgot. Online sports betting isn’t coming to Texas any time soon, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Saturday. The state House narrowly advanced a bill this week that would allow Texans to vote on legalizing the practice, a milestone … Continue reading

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One gambling bill makes it out of the House

It will enjoy a brief and beautiful life, like the first snowflake falling onto the street, before dying of starvation and neglect in the Senate. In dramatic fashion, the Texas House on Thursday gave final approval to legislation that would … Continue reading

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House to vote on doomed casino gambling bill

You do you, but remember that we’re living in Dan Patrick’s world, and he’s not going to let this happen. After weeks of uncertainty, legislation authorizing casino gambling in Texas was cleared to come to a vote of the full … Continue reading

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Reactions to Allen

There’s nothing I can say about the weekend massacre in Allen that hasn’t been said many times by many people. My heart is broken for the victims and their families, and my rage is ever-stoked by the sheer indifference exhibited … Continue reading

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Senate votes to outlaw transgender people

Another dismal day at the Capitol. Transgender Texans of all ages could have their access to transition-related medical treatments severely limited — or effectively ended — under a bill the Texas Senate preliminary approved Tuesday. Senate Bill 1029 would make physicians … Continue reading

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Least-surprising headline of the week

From the Chron: “GOP donor tied to Clarence Thomas has given Texas lawmakers $19M”. The Texas billionaire in the middle of the controversy around U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has a long history in Texas politics, donating more than … Continue reading

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Could we get an expansion of medical marijuana?

Maybe, but I have my usual doubts for the usual reasons. Texans who suffer from chronic pain and potentially other debilitating conditions would be able to access the state’s medical marijuana program under a bill advanced by the Texas House … Continue reading

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A brief but dismal legislative update

Just a few recent news stories, to give you an idea of what’s happening in the Legislative session, and why I have been avoiding it. Item 1: Republican Texas senators on Monday reversed themselves and voted against allowing transgender kids currently being treated with puberty … Continue reading

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We finally have a reason for the timid police response in Uvalde

It was because the shooter was using an AR-15, and the cops didn’t want to get slaughtered. Almost a year after Texas’ deadliest school shooting killed 19 children and two teachers, there is still confusion among investigators, law enforcement leaders … Continue reading

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So will the Lege pay off Paxton’s whistleblowers or not?

It’s maybe a bit more complicated than I thought at first. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan says he is against using taxpayer money to pay Attorney General Ken Paxton’s $3.3 million settlement agreement in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by four … Continue reading

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Three stories on Uvalde and gun control

First, a story about locks and why an obsession with locking school doors is not really going to improve safety. In the aftermath of school shootings like the one in Uvalde, what can get overlooked is basic: Schools need doors … Continue reading

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Where we are on the agenda

Greg Abbott targets transgender college sports ban. Gov. Greg Abbott wants to ban transgender college students from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity, adding momentum to a Republican proposal that’s condemned by LGBTQ advocates and progressive … Continue reading

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Even the Republicans know their election contests are losers

This Chron story is about Dan Patrick telling a group of local Republicans that the 2022 election should be re-done in Harris County, because he has nothing better to say or do with his time. His claims, which the story … Continue reading

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Now we have a gambling bill filed by a Republican Senator

Maybe this is the gambling expansion bill that those who want gambling expansion have been waiting for. Advocates for legalizing online sports betting in Texas debuted new bills Monday that take a narrower approach than they did in 2021 — … Continue reading

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Not quite the same old gambling story

This Trib story about the state of gambling expansion in the Lege is not the usual formula. It has a lot of the usual elements, but for the first time there’s some hint of maybe something could happen. Maybe. Gambling … Continue reading

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The next round of voter suppression bills are coming

Brace yourselves. Texas Republicans spent most of the 2021 legislative session focusing on election security — and this year, it’s a top priority for them again. GOP leaders are discussing a range of election security measures, from higher penalties for … Continue reading

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Precinct analysis: Inside and out of the city

Most years we don’t get the data to differentiate between votes cast by residents of Houston and votes cast by Harris County non-Houston residents. There needs to be a citywide referendum of the ballot in order to get at this … Continue reading

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Two out of three state leaders open to expanded gambling

As we know, two out of three ain’t bad, but it also ain’t enough. House Speaker Dade Phelan on Thursday left the door open to legalizing sports betting and casino gambling in Texas, the latest sign that opposition may be … Continue reading

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It’s going to be a brutal legislative session for LGBTQ folks in Texas

I really wish this weren’t the case, but it is. It’s going to be bad. Two bills that would ban classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in Texas public schools before certain grade levels are poised to receive … Continue reading

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The only pre-session gambling expansion story you need

Just re-run a version of this for the foreseeable future. Although casino giants and sports betting groups are making a big push in Texas, the head of the state Senate said he isn’t seeing much progress on the issue going … Continue reading

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Precinct analysis: The not-as-good statewide races

PREVIOUSLY Beto versus Abbott Beto versus the spread Hidalgo versus Mealer Better statewide races The difference between these statewide races and the ones we have already looked at, including the Governor’s race, is very simple: These Republican candidates did better … Continue reading

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Precinct analysis: The better statewide races

PREVIOUSLY Beto versus Abbott Beto versus the spread Hidalgo versus Mealer As noted before, Greg Abbott got 490K votes in Harris County, far less than the 559K he received in 2018 running against Lupe Valdez. Of the other six races … Continue reading

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Will we finally close the “dead suspect” loophole?

The short answer is no we won’t, but it will be worth the effort anyway. In November, state Representative Joe Moody, an El Paso Democrat who served on a committee that investigated the Uvalde killings, filed House Bill 30, a … Continue reading

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More on the post-marijuana decriminalization referendum conflict

The Trib takes a long look. The fight in several Texas cities to decriminalize marijuana has entered a new phase, as some city leaders have rebuffed voter-approved rules that largely end criminal enforcement against having small amounts of the substance. … Continue reading

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Kirk Watson again elected Mayor of Austin

Party like it’s 1997, y’all. In a tight race, Austin voters picked a familiar face Tuesday night to guide the capital city over the next two years as the region deals with skyrocketing housing costs and explosive growth. In a … Continue reading

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Abbott bans TikTok on state-issued devices

Honestly, I’m fine with this. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday a ban of the popular app TikTok from all government-issued devices. In a news release, the Republican said the Chinese government could use the app to access critical U.S. infrastructure … Continue reading

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