Texas Progs: First look under the hood at the 2021 Lege

Besides facing a massive budget deficit left to it because the state constitution prescribes an every-other-year meeting for the banana republic we call the Pointy Abandoned Object State™, Legiscritters will have to deal with pushes to address inequalities in voting (let's see if the Green-Libertarian lawsuit over HB 2504 gets adjudicated by the end of session), will get to do redistricting, and will also face pushes for additional policing reforms vs Pander Bear Gov. Strangeabbott's pushback this summer.

Let's dig into this week's Roundup, with state news here and national news in a separate afternoon post.

More than 60 voting-related bills have been filed in the Lege. Usually, Rethugicans hate this kind of stuff. The Trib asks if big Republican turnout will soften at least some of their opposition?

Portraits of three Confederates, including Jeff Davis, hang in the Texas Senate chamber. What's their fate? 

Friendly reminder, ConservaDems with wet dreams. Matthew McConnaughey was on Hugh Hewitt when he left the door opening to running for gov.

The Trib offers a first look at redistricting in the Lege, though it's a Houston-centric piece. I discussed one interesting aspect of this, statewide, a year ago — how rural, GOP-heavy state House districts are going to have to be crammed together, forcing some GOP "barons" to run against each other. One key issue: Because of COVID, the Lege will probably have to call a special session — census data won't be done by May.

Off the Kuff looked at recent Presidential results in the counties around Travis and Bexar County. 

The Texas Lawbook reviews the appellate court races for the Houston area.  

Reform Austin looks ahead to the next elections.  

Carlos Mendoza mocks Dan Patrick's affinity for offering dumb rewards.

Texana

SocraticGadfly had two snarky Thanksgiving-related posts to offer. First, he came up with a list of suggestions for new names for the Washington Football Team. Second, he gave a good smackdown to the cult of Whataburger.

Even gators are chill to the cult of What? A Burger?

Crockett was the first home to real attempts to educate Black girls and women, as that history crumbles.

Crickets, you hear? No, in 2022, in the Metroplex, you'll be hearing the bats of cricket. 

The Great God Pan Is Dead revisits some favorite artworks.