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January 17, 2020 1:32 PM
Lobby moves, new hires, new projects, and more
The first unmarked envelope
of 2020 from a campaign – or at least, tangentially connected to a campaign – has arrived at
the Quorum Report offices. Primary season must be really be
starting now. “Stressed out,
getting fat, it’s campaign season,” said one veteran staffer. Relatable.
With a little more
than 6 weeks between now and election day, it’s time to put miles on the truck heading
to Houston, Dallas, South Texas, and elsewhere. Feels good to be on the road
again.
Meantime, the career
news is coming faster and furiouser (if that’s a
word) as movers and shakers settle into new roles in the Texas Capitol
community. Let us know what’s happening anytime by emailing career news to ksbraddock@gmail.com. If you could use
POTM in the subject line, that would be great. And to move swiftly to the front
of the line, put the text of your announcement right in the email rather than attaching
a file. Thanks so much.
Here’s the latest edition
of People on the Move.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright January 17, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 17, 2020 9:39 AM
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Copyright January 17, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 16, 2020 5:21 PM
Both Republicans and Democrats have several different efforts underway; Dems see significant resources pouring in while Republicans post Bonnen collapse lack a centralized structure for allocation of resources
The fallout from the audio
recording of Speaker Dennis Bonnen disparaging local officials,
Democrats and targeting members of his own party in a discussion with Empower
Texans spokesman Michael Quinn Sullivan seems to have meant
mutually assured destruction. Bonnen is retiring and Empower seems to be off
the battlefield in GOP primaries.
Republicans and Democrats,
for the most part in Texas House races, seem intent on having
most of the fights play out in November rather than March. And there are
somewhat disjointed efforts aimed at either flipping the lower chamber to the
Democrats or preserving the Republican majority.
Let’s dig into the
numbers.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By James Russell
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Copyright January 16, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 16, 2020 5:11 PM
“Texas also needs a new senator who will stand up to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and his divisive, partisan agenda that bogs down our Legislature."
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Copyright January 16, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 16, 2020 8:27 AM
$505K was rasied for Leading Texas Forward, being run with the help of Karl Rove. Perhaps a slow start but these efforts are aimed at November not the primaries
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Copyright January 16, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 15, 2020 6:32 PM
“More than any Lt. Governor in Texas history.”
The full announcement from
Patrick’s campaign
is right here.
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Copyright January 15, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 15, 2020 5:46 PM
Meantime, Gates’ campaign insists the Republican is up by at least 12 points in an internal poll; Markowitz camp says prove it: “release the poll”
FORT BEND COUNTY – In perhaps
the most-watched race in Texas at the moment, Democrats on Wednesday demanded
that cable stations in the Houston area stop running ads for Republican Gary
Gates in which his campaign slams Democrat Eliz Markowitz for “false
attacks” about alleged child abuse.
A third-party group called
Forward Majority aired this TV ad centered
on the allegations that were first leveled against Gates two decades ago. As Quorum
Report readers who have followed Gates’ political career are aware,
these same allegations have come up in conversations and attack ads every time every
time he’s run for office over the years including unsuccessful bids for the Texas
House, the Texas Senate, and the Railroad
Commission. Those were all in GOP primaries or special elections
against fellow Republicans.
Gates’ campaign responded with a
TV ad of their own, featuring one of Gates’ children saying “shame on you Eliz
Markowitz. You know your negative attacks are false.”
So yes, here we are: Only
15 days into January and we are covering “false attacks” about “false attacks.”
It must be an even-numbered year in this state.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright January 15, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 15, 2020 4:28 PM
$340,000 cash-on-hand, contributed $55,000 to other campaigns & groups
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Copyright January 15, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 15, 2020 12:13 PM
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Copyright January 15, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 15, 2020 11:01 AM
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Copyright January 15, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 15, 2020 10:20 AM
He’s also issuing another $100,000 challenge: “Every single dollar will be leveraged and directly invested in campaigns,” he said
Texas House Business
and Industry Committee Chairman Trey
Martinez Fischer on Wednesday told Quorum Report he’s transferring
$350,000 to his PAC, called One Texas, surpassing his initial pledge of
$100,000 with the goal of supporting Democratic candidates in swing districts.
“One Texas is off to a
great start and this groundswell of support sends a clear message ahead of the
2020 elections: the stakes have never been higher, and Democrats are rising to
meet the challenge. I am so encouraged by this momentum that I have decided to
double-down with another $100,000 challenge,” Martinez Fischer said in a
written statement.
“In 2021, the Texas House
will face tremendous challenges, among them redistricting, health care, and
maintaining our financial commitments to public education. Only a strong
Democratic majority will ensure that the interests of Texas families remain our
top legislative priority,” Martinez Fischer said. “I look forward to working
alongside my Democratic partners to safeguard our incumbents and flip the nine
seats needed to restore proven Democratic leadership to the Texas House.”
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright January 15, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 15, 2020 9:31 AM
The others are Chairs Schiff and Nadler along with Zoe Lofgren, Hakeem Jeffries, Val Demings, and Jason Crow
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Copyright January 15, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 14, 2020 6:18 PM
President Staples said “Despite challenges in the global marketplace, state and local taxes and state royalties paid by the Texas oil and natural gas industry shattered records last year”
The Texas oil and gas
economy pumped $44 million a day – or $16.2 billion overall – into state and
local budgets in 2019, making it the largest number ever for tax and royalty
payments.
That’s good news for Texas
lawmakers, who carved $6 billion out of the Economic Stabilization Fund
last session for multiple state priorities. Those numbers also put Texas on
track to meet, or even exceed, the $9.4 billion projection for the state’s
so-called Rainy Day Fund next session.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Kimberly Reeves
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Copyright January 14, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 14, 2020 6:14 PM
Munoz was a former Director of Jail Standards and Criminal Justice Director for Governor Richards. He worked as Security Director for AG Morales, Vice Chairman of Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education, and Sheriff of Kleberg County. Munoz passed away after a long fight with Parkinson’s.
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Copyright January 14, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 14, 2020 4:58 PM
The state’s new Behavioral Health Executive Council
– created during the Sunset process last session – is still
finding its footing as it moves toward its September 1 creation.
Today’s day-long meeting was the continuation of work begun
last October, as interim director Darrell Spinks led the nine-member
panel through discussions of a possible organization chart, a draft record
retention policy and a transition plan for the council.
The council, created with the passage of House Bill
1501 last session, pulls four behavioral health boards under one umbrella
licensing agency. During open comments today, Jan Friese of the Texas
Counseling Association urged the council to post information on the ongoing
individual boards and their activities, making it easily accessible to the
public.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Kimberly Reeves
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Copyright January 14, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 14, 2020 4:55 PM
Dinah Miller, Parent PAC co-chair: "Families deserve to be represented in Austin by a leader with the courage to consistently stand up for neighborhood public schools. Incumbent Eddie Lucio, Jr. has a track record of following the lead of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick when he pushes legislation that harms public education."
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Copyright January 14, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 13, 2020 11:15 AM
Services will be held this Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 4:30 PM in the Capitol Auditorium.
Susan “Susie” Buda, wife of Dan Buda, passed away on Saturday,
January 11, 2020. Susie was a staple of the Texas Senate for the
last 13 years where she worked diligently for Senators Shapiro, West, and
Nelson, Senate Education and Senate Finance before leaving in
August for her employment with the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association .
Susie brought with her a wealth of knowledge, joy, and fierce wit with her
everywhere she went and her fighting spirit will be
greatly missed in the halls of the Texas Capitol.
Services will be held this
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 4:30 PM in the Capitol Auditorium.
Her family invites her
friends and Senate family to attend the services. In lieu of flowers the family
asks that donations be made to the Missy
Project or the Susie Buda fund at the University of
Wisconsin Law School, which you
can find here. Depending on your browser, you may have to right click and
open a new tab for both of those links.
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Copyright January 13, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 13, 2020 10:25 AM
First time the group has endorsed an African-American for US Senate: “I’m gratified to have earned the endorsement of the Tejano Democrats,” West said. “As a State Senator, I have always tried to work for all people, and I’ve advocated for years on many issues important to this organization and its members.”
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Copyright January 13, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 13, 2020 4:40 AM
TV ad features Gates' daughter, who says "Shame on you Eliz Markowitz. You know your negative attacks are false."
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Copyright January 13, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 12, 2020 1:32 PM
With the Texas population expected to grow 60 percent before 2050, transportation challenges include autonomous vehicles, drone deliveries, shared vehicles and increased teleworking
The Texas Department of Transportation has set
its March meeting, or possibly the one in April, to approve its 30-year
long-term transportation plan known as TTP 2050.
It wasn’t that long ago – last summer – that the Texas
Transportation Commission made its last major transportation decision:
ceding construction of the final
segments of the Grand Parkway. That’s because transportation
planning is a like a Russian nesting doll: a 5-year strategic
plan within a 10-year Unified
Transportation Program within a 30-year Texas Transportation
Plan.
They do it that way because TxDOT’s long-term
horizon is a combination of simple and complex multi-year projects,
Director Peter Smith told the Texas Transportation Commission at a recent
meeting.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Kimberly Reeves
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Copyright January 12, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 12, 2020 1:31 PM
Her sister wrote on Facebook "injuries from her second aneurysm were just too severe to survive. The doctors tell us that she never had a chance this time...Today she was taken off life support and became a hero for the people whose lives she will save with her ultimate gift." She most recently worked at TTARA. Thoughts and prayers with her family tonight.
Susie Buda’s former boss, Texas Senate Finance
Chair Jane Nelson said:
“Susie was a loyal,
dedicated staffer who loved the Senate, where she served admirably for years
and provided invaluable expertise on education and tax policies. Beloved
throughout the Capitol, Susie made a positive impact in the lives of all
Texans. She was smart, had a dynamic personality and a big heart. There are
many hearts breaking over this devastating news, including ours at Team Nelson.
We are praying for Susie's family, loved ones and everyone in our Capitol
family who is mourning.”
Her current employer, the Texas
Taxpayers and Research Association issued this statement on Sunday:
“We are devastated by the
passing of Susie Buda yesterday. Susie was an incredible joy and talent, and
the world is less today without her. She developed into one of the best
staffers in the Senate, and we were thrilled with the time we had with her. We
loved her energy, her wit, her enthusiasm, and her intellectual curiosity. If
Susie considered you a friend, you were blessed. Our hearts go out to Dan and
all the Strzelec and Buda Families. We share your
pain, but please know that we share our love with you, and with all those that
Susie touched.”
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Copyright January 12, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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January 10, 2020 11:46 AM
New opportunities in 2020: Staffer moves, lobby moves, new shops, big promotions, and celebrating an anniversary
Be safe out there. Nasty weather is moving
through central Texas and later today it could get nasty in Dallas, Houston,
and parts of East Texas as well. Some of you may be seeing it already. Gov. Abbott
has put emergency response teams in place ahead of a fast-moving system that
may bring high winds and damaging hail. So, be alert.
It was nice to get a holiday break but now it’s
back to the grind with campaigns ramping up, the natives getting restless over
the Texas House’s presiding officer’s retribution, and so much
more. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds now that it’s 2020 – you know, the
year we’ve all heard so much about.
Many of you know the drill for People on
the Move but as we start the new year it’s appropriate to reset. Many
staffers, lobbyists, and others would almost never ever want their names to be
in the news. Unless, of course, it was to promote their new gigs to the Texas
Capitol community here in the pages of QR. We’re happy to
help. You can send career news about yourself, a friend, or even an adversary to
ksbraddock@gmail.com anytime and please
use “POTM” in the subject line so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
Thanks very much and here we go again with the
latest edition of People on the Move.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright January 10, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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