Texas progressives kick Royce West, Eddie Lucio, Goeb, Abbott

The Texas Progressives wishes blowhard Donald Trump would follow blowhard Hurricane Dorian and Sharpie himself out to sea. Short of that, we wish short-term forecast meteorologists would stop the reverse weather porn of forecasting seasonal, or even slightly below average temps, for the Pointy Abandoned Object State™. Until then, here's your roundup for the week.


Texas politics

The Trib bemoans the potential effect the end of straight-ticket voting could have on downballot races while, in a matter of framing, ignoring the boost it could have for third-party ballot access maintenance in downballot statewide races. #Fify, Trib.

Off the Kuff discusses some strategies for dealing with the latest voting restriction ploys.

The Observer looks at ConservaDem Eddie Lucio getting not just one but two primary challengers. Gus Bova notes that Lucio has consistently "punched down" on a lot of people in his 30 years under the Pink Dome. Many Hispanics as well as Anglos in his district hate him. Question is: Are there enough of them — and will enough of them turn out — to unseat him? Now, if only some Dems in Houston would do the same to the Texas Senate's No. 2 ConservaDem, John Whitmire.

Also at the Observer, Christopher Collins talks about homeless NIMBYism. (Of course, homelessness has more than two sides on its causes as well as its solutions. And, there's bits of NIMBYism in all of that.)

Federal judge Keith Ellison is threatening to lock up some TDCJ folks if they don't stop the cruel and inhumane sweatboxes without air conditioning in Texas prisons.

Danny Goeb, our Lite Guv, after the Odessa shooting, backed some mostly cosmetic changes, but did include closing the "stranger to stranger" gun sales loophole, and the NRA (Nazi Redneck Assholes) is so wingnut it's even sniping at him.

Austin's ABC station collected the emails that pissed-off people flamed Greg Abbott with after the El Paso mass shooting.

Dan Solomon doesn't see much value in "expedited executions" for mass shooters.

Guest columning at the NYT, Chris Hooks offers his explanation for the so-called Texodus.

Better Texas Blog worries about lower Medicaid and CHIP enrollment numbers.


Texas politics, US Senate race

Dems seeking to replace John Cornyn debated in Frisco recently. Gunz was the big issue; most candidates said they support some sort of buyback program. (I'll have a "roundup" piece coming soon.)

Yours truly saw the Texas Trib's piece on Royce West's federal financial disclosure forms, and knocked out an update to his old "baggage" pieces about Royce.

Dallas

Jim Schutze writes about how Eddie Bernice Johnson is apparently ready to sell out South Dallas. (If she's involved, surely Our Man Downtown, John Wiley Price, is getting a cut somewhere, somehow.) Schutze also says Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson's real conflicts of interest are far greater than his on-paper ones. And, for the trifecta (including the third time he's done this) Schutze continues his "interesting" or weird Amber Guyger bromance.


Houston

Gwendoline Wu presents ten apps to improve your Houston living experience.

Texana

The latest Permian oil boom is sending the Pecos cantaloupe (they're grown on both sides of the state line, at least a few) to the graveyard.

The Current reviews a new animated series set in San Antonio.

The TPA wishes The Bloggess good luck with her planned bookstore.

National politics

SocraticGadfly took an initial look at Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins and his intra-Greens controversial statements on Russiagate shortly before his visit to Texas. (A follow-up post is coming, about his Dallas stop.)

Columbia Journalism Review, with input from climate journalists, says that the CNN climate town hall was better than many expected. Well, within Democrats, it did.


Other national

Urban Edge examines the connection between wealth and tree distribution in American cities.