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August 11, 2020 6:48 PM
Absent from Abbott’s remarks today: Talk of rapid-response COVID-19 testing in Texas schools, which appear somewhat imminent for nursing homes but distant for schools
Gov. Greg Abbott’s
tour around Texas – talking about the purchase and distribution of personal
protective gear to school districts – appears to have made less news than
details Abbott dropped to answer reporter questions.
Today Abbott’s comments
were directed toward protective gear purchased and shipped to East Texas:
masks, gown shields, face shields, sanitizer and
gloves. Abbott made appearances in Beaumont and Victoria.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
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Copyright August 11, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 11, 2020 9:43 AM
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Copyright August 11, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 10, 2020 4:37 PM
“There is nothing conservative about retaining federal aid and forcing property taxes to go even higher,” argues former Lt. Gov. nominee Mike Collier in an open letter to city and county leaders throughout the state. “These judgments should be open to all Texans for inspection.”
In an open letter to Texas
mayors and county judges, former Democratic nominee for Lt. Gov. Mike
Collier argues it is “very bad public policy” for Gov. Greg Abbott’s
office to sit on billions in federal dollars meant for local communities to
respond to the disaster caused by the coronavirus.
But Abbott, who has not
called a special session to deal with the slow rolling disaster, insists he is
collaborating with Texas House and Texas Senate leaders
about how to handle it.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright August 10, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 10, 2020 4:05 PM
If a Texas House member wins the race for Fallon’s Senate seat, it is possible they’d leave the GOP caucus down a vote at a time when the House majority is in question
After Sen. Pat Fallon’s
impressive though not unexpected victory this weekend in the insider’s race to
be the GOP nominee for Congressional District 4 – being vacated
by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe – rumors are flying
and announcements are expected quickly in the coming race to succeed him in the
Texas Senate.
If the early buzz is any
indication, it’ll perhaps be more of a rural versus suburban
fight than a “conservative versus moderate” one.
But there are other fault
lines developing and there’s some chatter about
whether House members considering a promotion could put the GOP House majority
at risk when it comes time to vote for a new speaker.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright August 10, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 10, 2020 3:59 PM
“…my will was no good, but what I have today is goodwill to allow myself to make mistakes and grow.”
From the post written by Rep.
Poncho Nevárez on Jason Stanford’s website
over the weekend:
“Needless
to say, I hurt a lot of people
along the way. I disappointed a lot of people. Part of my process is making
amends where I can. I also made good friends in and around the legislature, and
I worked alongside some very good and decent people
from both sides of the aisle. I will never forget their kindness. I value their
love and friendship. I see now that what needed to change was me. I work on
that every day and I am grateful for the chance to do so.”
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Copyright August 10, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 10, 2020 3:47 PM
The agenda includes the Prepaid Tuition Board, TDA, TAHC, and TPWD but not TDLR
The agenda posted today can
be seen here.
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Copyright August 10, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 9, 2020 3:26 PM
"If the representative from San Antonio hates the Republican party this much then he should put his money where is mouth is, resign as the party nominee and run as an independent or write in," Burrows said of Larson
Rep. Burrows made his comments
to the Lubbock politics blog
Lubbock Lights. He was reacting to this
op-ed written by Chairman Lyle Larson.
Reached for comment Sunday
afternoon, Chair Larson was unimpressed.
“The junior house member
from Lubbock's disloyalty to the Republican Party is well documented. At least
10 members of the Texas House will never forget his traitorous ways,"
Larson said. "To discuss a change that is obvious to most Texans and Americans
only threatens Napoleonic politicians."
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Copyright August 09, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 9, 2020 3:25 PM
"Derek Alden Howard lived many lives in his 72 years, with more ahead if not for a brain injury to which he eventually succumbed on August 1, 2020."
Here is the official
obituary for Derek Howard, husband of Rep. Donna Howard.
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Copyright August 09, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 8, 2020 4:16 PM
During the meeting of precinct and county chairs, Fallon got 56% of the vote in a field of a dozen candidates
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Copyright August 08, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 7, 2020 3:30 PM
A new senator, party chair, notable departures, lobby moves, awards, and more
Despite frustration over the
Sunset Commission repeating the debates of the State Republican
Executive Committee over whether to hold proceedings in person or
virtually – grinding business to a halt and leaving significant work in limbo –
it’s been a busy week around here.
There are lobby hires,
agency moves, a new senator to congratulate, and multiple awards to tell you
about. It’s only possible because all of you tell me
about it first. You can share career news with the Texas Capitol community
anytime by sending it to ksbraddock@gmail.com.
Please use POTM in the subject line so I don’t lose
track.
Thanks so much and 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 August 07, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 7, 2020 3:20 PM
You can download
the report right here. Apologies for the incorrect link that was
distributed earlier.
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Copyright August 07, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 7, 2020 9:46 AM
Because physical distancing is more possible on a practice field than in crowded classrooms, educators can envision sports and distance learning as the norm when the school year begins
High school athletes in
Texas diagnosed with COVID-19 will return to sports the same way most students
with COVID-19 will return to school: By being cleared by a physician.
The University
Interscholastic League’s Medical Advisory Committee – which has
determined practice limits, concussion guidelines and limits on full-contact
football – met briefly this morning to support CDC
guidelines on COVID-19 recovery.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Kimberly Reeves
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Copyright August 07, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 6, 2020 6:01 PM
Sen. Hall, who succeeded a physician in his seat, blasts Gov. Abbott, calls TMA “socialist,” blames hospitals as profiteers, and promotes the work of “persecuted doctors” who believe the virus was never a threat in the first place
Months before Sen. Bob
Hall of Edgewood derailed the Sunset Commission’s rule
adoption for virtual meetings on Tuesday, he was hosting Facebook
town halls promoting conspiracy theories and unproven treatments for COVID-19.
Hall’s activism has made
him a de facto head of the state’s COVID conspiracy theory caucus. And he’s used that unofficial position to push dangerous
theories about the virus that’s killed more than 8,000 Texans and 160,000
Americans.
What was expected to be a
short meeting of Sunset this week became a nearly two-hour discussion about
whether meetings should be in person or virtual. That was after Hall voiced
last-minute objections to the plan that had been in his possession – along with
the other members – for about a week. Frustrated commission members adjourned
without voting, despite what was seen as the first
real test for setting procedures for the upcoming legislative session.
A day after the meeting, Sen.
Hall blasted the commission in an email to supporters:
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By James Russell
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Copyright August 06, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 6, 2020 3:50 PM
Of the $295 million deal, Texas GOP Chairman West said “You don’t have an executive branch that can go out and write a check without that legislative approval”
The new comments from Lt. Col.
(Ret.) Allen West came in this
interview with KXAN in Austin.
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Copyright August 06, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 5, 2020 4:58 PM
Republicans in the area say they think it’s the result of some “very negative push polling”; Cattanach said “Meyer is seen as increasingly out of touch with this district”
A poll released Wednesday
afternoon by the Democratic challenger to Texas House General Investigating
Committee Chairman Morgan Meyer finds the Democrat in the lead
48 to 43.
Democratic nominee Joanna
Cattanach is in her second contest against Meyer, who beat her in 2018 by
the skin of his teeth 50.14 percent to 49.86 percent, or about 200 votes out of
nearly 79,000 cast.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright August 05, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 5, 2020 4:56 PM
A funeral service for Otto, former Appropriations Chairman and recent assistant vice chancellor and director of local government relations at the Texas A&M University System, is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday at A&M Methodist Church at 417 University Drive in College Station. Visitation is at 1 p.m. A graveside service will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday at the State Cemetery at 909 Navasota Street in Austin
Here
is the obituary for Assistant Vice Chancellor and former Texas House Appropriations
Chairman John Otto, as distributed by the Texas A&M University
System. Depending on your browser, you may have to right click and open in a new tab.
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Copyright August 05, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 5, 2020 4:55 PM
Representatives Lang, Biedermann, Zedler, Toth, and Sen. Hall take issue with the state implementing the contract with MTX Group without legislative oversight
The Austin American
Statesman has
the update:
Five Texas Republican
lawmakers are suing Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Health and Human
Services, arguing that the agency’s decision to bypass some bidding
protocols led to a contract for a COVID-19 contact-tracing program that has
been criticized for its inefficiency. The lawsuit filed in Travis County state
District Court this week seeks to invalidate the contract the agency has with MTX
Group Inc., to which the state granted $295 million to reach out to
people who had come down with the coronavirus and alert others who might have
been exposed.
The Houston
Chronicle in late July published an investigation that found MTX Group
did little to no work as coronavirus cases exploded, and the lawsuit references
the article. The lawmakers — state Reps. Mike Lang, R-Granbury; Kyle Biedermann, R-Fredericksburg; Bill Zedler, R-Arlington; Steve Toth, R-The
Woodlands; and state Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood — take issue with the
state implementing this contact tracing plan without the Legislature’s
involvement.
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Copyright August 05, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 4, 2020 5:30 PM
Sen. Hall offers a last-minute objection to virtual meetings rather than in-person; a visibly frustrated Chairman Cyrier adjourns without a path forward
The Sunset
Commission met this morning with the goal of approving rules for how it
will review significant state agencies during a pandemic. But the meeting
abruptly melted down and was eventually adjourned with no decision made on how
to move forward.
Most members seemed to expect
it would be a short meeting including a quick vote on a plan that had basically
been agreed to over the last week. But it turned into a two-hour discussion
about whether meetings should be in-person or virtual. In that sense, it was not
unlike the State Republican Executive Committee’s recent marathon
emergency meetings over whether the Republican Party of Texas Convention could
be held in person or online.
The Sunset Commission members
adjourned without voting, despite what was thought to be an initial test for setting
procedures for the upcoming legislative session.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By James Russell
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Copyright August 04, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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August 4, 2020 4:10 PM
“People who buy guns don’t vote for Democrats who are going to take them away”
Here's the whole
statement.
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Copyright August 04, 2020, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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