As this newsletter is going out, I’ve been watching the first redistricting hearing since the actual map was released on Wednesday. The Chair of the Committee, Rep. Vasut, confirmed this would be the ONLY hearing. In fact, it looks like this bill could be on the House floor Tuesday.
Now for the real question: what comes next? Specifically, can we expect Texas Democrats to mount a quorum break to either stop or delay this bill from passing? Yesterday I happened to attend a luncheon where Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder was on a redistricting panel. He didn’t want to lay out all the cards on the table (as he put it), but he said that the Democratic Party is committed to preserving democracy. And there’s no better way to do that than opposing these new maps.
Now Scudder noted there are some extreme logistical obstacles that come with a quorum break, which were instituted after 2021 when Texas Democrats left the state to try and stop a voter suppression bill. Every day a lawmaker will be fined $500 for their dereliction of duty. Scudder said that these fines could total over $1.6 million, and that’s even before taking into account lodging or childcare expenses.
Scudder reiterated that nobody wants to do a quorum break because it’s the job of a legislator to, well, legislate. But given a blatant attack on the Constitution, sometimes you have to take “extraordinary measures.”
Don’t Miss This:
Yesterday the first hearings about the emergency response following the devastating July 4 floods were held in Kerrville. Texas Public Radio has a breakdown of some of the horrifying revelations that were uncovered. The coordinator for emergency management in Kerrville confirmed to the hearing that he was sick, and asleep when the rain started early Friday morning. The county judge was out of town. Then there were the countless residents who testified about what it was like to be on the ground during such a calamity, with seemingly no signs of help. An entire special session devoted to this flood response would seem entirely appropriate in my humble opinion.
This week we learned that the Department of Homeland Security has started encouraging current DACA holders to self deport. Now I must remind y’all that DACA was enacted in 2012 and it allows young immigrants brought to the United States as children to remain temporarily in the county with two-year work visas. And while Texas has been leading the charge to rescind the status, it is still in place (though there are no new applications being accepted). Trump has made contradictory statements in the past about DACA, but this latest sign from DHS is deeply concerning for our state, which has the highest amount of DACA recipients and where universities are starting to report the number of undocumented students on campus.
The Texas Tribune has a very good story about the potential ramifications of a THC ban on rural parts of the state, where the product has really helped people manage debilitating diseases like alcoholism or drug addiction. Banning THC is a huge priority for our Lt. Governor, who championed a bill doing just that in the regular session and hopes to get it to the finish line in this special session.
Sports!
The baseball world was rocked by a major trade yesterday when it was announced that Carlos Correa would be coming back to the Astros, but this time he’s going to play third base. Correa was a major part of the Astros ascent through the MLB ranks. It was a hefty cost for Houston as Correa is owed $96 million through 2028.
On Monday evening, while I was Arlington covering the redistricting hearing that was taking place there (with no map!) I got a nice breaking news alert that the Dallas Wings defeated the New York Liberty. Both Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale scored 20 points to defeat the second-best team in the WNBA. Look, the Wings season hasn’t gone how I would have liked, so I’m just going to enjoy that win.
Also happening in Dallas… Micah Parsons wants out! Today he informed the Dallas Cowboys he would like to be traded from the team. While the football team may be disappointing, at least we have America’s Sweethearts.
We will continue to follow this redistricting story as it unfolds. Whenever we learn any potential plans, we’ll let y’all know. I hope y’all have a great weekend, and thank you for subscribing to the Texas Signal.
Great Job Jessica Montoya Coggins & the Team @ Texas Signal Media Foundation Source link for sharing this story.
