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Daily Dispatch 1/14/24: Welcome To The Jungle! 89th Texas Legislature Opens Today, and More Jan 14, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The 89th Texas Legislature opens today! First act in a likely long and dramatic drama: the selection of a House Speaker, which may not go the way anyone thinks: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2025/01/13/jason-villalba-the-texas-speaker-race-can-still-usher-a-surprise/ ...Ken Paxton, in his zeal to unify Republicans in support of Mansfield Rep. David Cook, ironically supports a lawmaker who supported Paxton's impeachment in 2023: https://www.kvue.com/video/news/politics/texas-legislature/texas-ag-ken-paxton-in-leander-to-support-david-cook-for-texas-house-speaker/269-19634f2b-2da5-4708-be82-e5b92157cfe5 Even the wonkiest of wonks might need a little refresher as the notoriously arcane Texas lawmaking process commences: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/13/texas-legislature-2025-bills-laws-how-works/ Will Texas expand Medicaid this session? Even that idea's staunchest backers don't think so: https://www.keranews.org/health-wellness/2025-01-07/texas-medicaid-expansion-legislature-republicans-outlook Will Texas enact a private school voucher program? That idea's opponents appear to be more united than its proponents: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/school-vouchers-texas-abbott-20024641.php Will Texas take significant steps to protect the environment? Enviroment Texas' Luke Metzger sure hopes so: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/01/10/texas-legislature-issues-investing-in-clean-energy-combating-plastic-pollution/ Will Texas legalize online sports betting? Lt. Governor Dan Patrick seems uninterested, but is certainly not immune from the influence of billionaires: https://www.lonestarlive.com/life/2025/01/dan-patrick-stands-in-way-of-texas-legalizing-online-sports-betting-despite-growing-support.html Loads more to follow - see our Advocacy Department's preview: https://progresstexas.org/preview-2025-texas-maga-legislative-session ...And our series of interviews with Democratic lawmakers: https://progresstexas.org/blog/texas-legislative-preview-series-progress-texas-podcast The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Hour 190: Texas Legislative Preview with Rep. Erin Zwiener Jan 13, 2025

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Texas State Representative Erin Zwiener of Driftwood, one of the youngest members of the Legislature, has a resume full of fun facts: prior to her political life, she was a contestant on Jeopardy! four times, winning over $53,000. She later got involved with the Indivisible movement after the 2016 Trump win, challenged Republican Rep. Jason Isaac for his seat while she was pregnant, won that year's Democratic primary by less than 200 votes, gave birth during the campaign and eventually beat Isaac with 51% of the vote - she's served in the House ever since.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about how to support Progress Texas at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 1/13/24: MAGA Architect Bannon Targets Texas Transplant Elon Musk, and More Jan 13, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Steve Bannon, arguably the master designer of MAGA, has announced intent to "take down" Texas-based billionaire and current Trump puppetmaster Elon Musk: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/5081681-steve-bannon-says-he-will-take-down-the-truly-evil-elon-musk/

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller may be on a collision course, with Miller opposing Patrick's sworn blanket ban of THC products from Texas: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/texas-agriculture-commissioner-says-regulation-could-be-alternative-to-banning-thc/287-984da04c-6419-4012-9803-c9c2ed88e8a2

...While former Texas Governor Rick Perry goes on the Joe Rogan podcast to push the psychedelic drug ibogaine, which he believes holds promise as a treatment for brain injuries, addiction, and PTSD: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/rick-perry-joe-rogan-ibogaine-20014985.php

Just as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or TCEQ brings on a new leader, it's under fire for recent denials of formerly-routine public meetings on emissions permit renewals: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jZAUiocksOMUvQdsKaS7iYL2HUm1leBHUnjY2q8QSj8/edit?tab=t.0

A compound intended to house recently-released January 6th convicts is being built in the Texas Hill Country near Luckenbach: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/planned-sanctuary-for-january-6-prisoners/

The number of people leaving Texas in protest of our political climate and policies is beginning to rival the number of people arriving from elsewhere: https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/meet-10-liberals-who-fled-texas/

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Daily Dispatch 1/10/25: Paxton Steps Up Legal Attack On TikTok, and More Jan 10, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Ken Paxton has filed a second lawsuit against TikTok, alleging that they have far exceeded their stated limits on questionable content being made available to minors, and more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/01/09/texas-sues-tiktok-alleging-platform-is-dangerous-for-minors-enables-harmful-content/

...The platform may not be available in the U.S. for much longer anyway, depending on how a hearing at the U.S. Supreme Court goes today: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/09/ken-paxton-tiktok-minors-explicit-content/

Both of Texas' U.S. Senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, have stated their intent to support all of Donald Trump's cabinet picks - including the looniest ones: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/09/texas-senators-cruz-cornyn-trump-cabinet-nominees/

...Cruz is also all in on Trump's dream of annexing Greenland, citing new shipping lanes made available by Arctic ice melting amidst global warming and a wealth of natural resources to be plundered: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/09/ted-cruz-greenland-donald-trump/

A deal being worked on between Governor Abbott and Democratic Houston Mayor John Whitmire to sell Houston's water to parched West Texas falls in line with our state's history of bad ideas regarding water management: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/abbott-whitmire-texas-water-sale-20023172.php

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Happy Hour 189: Texas Legislative Preview with Senator Nathan Johnson Jan 09, 2025

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Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas is a business attorney and music composer by trade, and has served the people of Senate District 16 since 2018, when he became the first Democrat to take that seat in decades - displacing since-perennial gubernatorial loser Don Huffines. Thanks for listening! Learn more about how you can support our important work at ⁠https://progresstexas.org/donate⁠.

Daily Dispatch 1/9/24: Preparing To Resist In The 89th Texas Lege, and More Jan 09, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The Austin Chronicle has published a nice, multi-issue preview of the upcoming Legislature, set to begin next Tuesday: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2025-01-10/with-trump-taking-office-the-texas-lege-is-unleashed/

Pro-Dustin Burrows GOP Rep. Cody Harris of East Texas has filed a complaint against Texas Republican Party Chair Abraham George over the party's plan to block the primary applications of Republicans who fail to back Party favorite David Cook for House Speaker: https://bsky.app/profile/collincountydems.bsky.social/post/3lfbzc5dcd22w

Texas has still not signed up for a $2 billion federal program to feed lower-income kids during summer - but there's still time, so NOW is the time to practice calling your Senator and Representative to let them know you want action: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/09/texas-summer-school-lunch-food-stamp/

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Daily Dispatch 1/8/25: Zuck Picks Texas For Meta's Shift Towards Disinformation, and More Jan 08, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says his company is abandoning its efforts at fact-checking, and moving its content moderation operations to Texas - a move apparently meant to appease Donald Trump: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/07/texas-meta-content-moderators-fact-checking/

...Texas also provides legal cover for social media platforms who prefer to allow falsehoods to spread without limit: https://www.wired.com/story/meta-elon-musks-lead-trust-safety-billionaire-friendly-texas/

Texas remains one of the three states hosting the most organized hate-based and anti-government organizations: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/nearly-100-extremist-groups-operate-in-texas-heres-the-list-21462538

South Texas business leaders are very much concerned about Trump's deportation sweep undermining their operations: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/08/texas-immigration-mass-deportations-economy/

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Daily Dispatch 1/7/25: Paxton Launches New Intimidation Tour Against GOP Electeds, and More Jan 07, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Republican Party Abraham George have started a tour of the state designed to intimidate GOP lawmakers into voting for Mansfield Rep. David Cook for Speaker next week: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/paxton-issues-warning-to-texas-house-republicans-in-bitter-speaker-battle/

Elon Musk and Tesla want to hog as much as 8 million gallons of water PER DAY for their new lithium refinery near Corpus Christi - already a desperately dry part of Texas: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/musk-massive-tesla-lithium-plant-110009148.html

Texas Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Blacklock, of "Jimmy John and Jane" fame, has become the new Chief Justice of that body: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/gov-abbott-appoints-justice-jimmy-blacklock-as-texas-supreme-court-chief-justice/3734512/

...The Texas Supreme Court, just as winter weather threatens, is also preparing to review thousands of lawsuits against Texas utility companies related to the power disaster during 2021's Winter Storm Uri: https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-supreme-court-hearing-2021-winter-storm-lawsuits-could-signal-plan-change-ruling

North Texas appears to be the primary target of the incoming polar vortex - monitor the Texas power grid here: https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards/gridconditions

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Hour 188 - Texas Legislative Preview with Rep. Vikki Goodwin Jan 06, 2025

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Our series of conversations with Democratic lawmakers in Texas continues with State Representative Vikki Goodwin, who is set to begin her fourth term at the Capitol as the 89th Texas Legislature gets underway. Rep. Goodwin has represented parts of Austin, Bee Cave and the Lake Travis area since she flipped her seat from red to blue in 2018. During that time, she's been a strong advocate for progressive priorities regarding public schools, small businesses and health and public safety.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about how you can support our important work at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 1/6/25: January 6 and Trump Election Certification Surreal Crossroads For Progressives, and More Jan 06, 2025

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Today's certification of the election of Donald Trump provides a surreal beginning to a troubling new era: https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5066046-trump-insurrection-pardons-betrayal/

...Even some Republicans in Congress, at least at this point, appear hesitant about the widespread January 6 pardons Trump has promised: https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardons-congress-capitol-riot-crimes-4443c672fc3b1492640684652647cde6

Navigating between legitimate issues and culture war distraction will fall to Texas progressives as the legislative session starts soon - one legitimate issue is housing, which Republicans will likely use as an excuse to further erode local control in our bigger cities: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/texas-legislature-housing-affordability-crisis/

The Texas Supreme Court will hear the case between SMU and the United Methodist Church, in which the university seeks to establish its independence from the church, on January 15: https://www.aol.com/texas-supreme-court-hear-arguments-194022067.html

Texas has neglected our part in funding the federal 988 suicide hotline, resulting in thousands of those desperate calls going unanswered amidst a huge uptick in Texas' suicide rate: https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2025/01/06/amid-a-7-million-deficit-to-texas-suicide-hotline-thousands-of-calls-are-abandoned-monthly/

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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