SocraticGadfly: Texas Progressives roundup: Marijuana support and more

April 23, 2021

Texas Progressives roundup: Marijuana support and more

Plenty of stuff in this week's roundup.

We've got hypothetical 2022 Texas state race information, the latest Lege nuttery on guns, education funding and more, and even world religious news.

So, let's dig in!


State

The Snooze says would-be ConservaDem (he WOULD be) Matthew McConaughey highly outpolls Strangeabbott in a purely hypothetical match for gov. Always beware of polls like this involving celebrity candidates.

Also of note: The same story says a majority of Texans oppose "permitless carry." And, kudo to the Snooze for its not using another phrase which shall not be used here either.

Liz Hanks brings the many low points of the permitless carry debate.

As week before last, when all but two Senate Democrat legiscritters made patriotism the last refuge of a scoundrel, seven of of their House compatriots voted to remove all restrictions from gun nutz. Will any be primaried?

Because of the number of power plants down for maintenance, electricity ran tight in Tex-ass again last week. Waiting for renewables to get blamed, even though they don't run power plants.

Will the Lege do another clawback on further rounds of education-focused federal stimulus funds? Well, it may whack state funds from districts that did online-only classes during the school year.

Wingnuts and even the mild mannered Glenn Hegar bitched after Team Biden revoked an extension of Texas' Medicaid 1115 waiver granted by Team Trump last year. The revocation is on solid procedural grounds for lack of transparency in the extension process. Kuff has more background.

R.G. Ratcliffe talks about Abbott's rise to be the most powerful governor post-Reconstruction.

Off the Kuff analyzed the propagandist's advantage in pushing voter suppression bills.

State Rep. Erin Zwiener reacts to the passage of anti-trans bill HB1399, while her colleague Rep. Gina Hinojosa answers Dan Patrick's questions about voter suppression in SB7. 

Reform Austin covers Briscoe Cain's history of supporting voter suppression.

Could arrests for misdemeanor C traffic stops be eliminated? Grits has the latest.

Yvonne Marquez profiles 10-year-old transsexual activist Kai Shappley.

The Dallas Voice compares this year's Lege to a pack of schoolyard bullies.

The TPA mourns the passing of Jim Henley, Houston educator and former HCDE Trustee, who mentored many of today's young Democratic leaders.

Metromess

The shitstorm that is Collin College President Neal Matkin has moved from the Dallas Observer's coverage to D Mag, which means it's big stuff. (D Mag, in turn, links to the Chronicle of Higher Education, which means it's REALLY big shit within academia.)

National

NM Gov Michelle Lujan Grisham appears to have been paying off the man who accused her of assault, that is, sexual assault crotch grab style. "INNterestingly," NM Political Report ... isn't reporting on it, even after me posting to its Facebook page. Oh, this is more common than you think.

Everything you wanted to know about the Solar Winds hack-attack is on NPR (other than the issue of how much of this the US does, of course).

Alexis McGill Johnston, head of Planned Parenthood, admits it's time for an honest reckoning about the legacy of founder Margaret Sanger on eugenics.

Marjorie Taylor Greene has (for now) disassociated herself from an "America First Caucus." Lauren Boebert? Silencio so far.

Keith Ellison moves from one-time darling of the Berners to cop-shielding ConservaDem Minnesota AG. His chief of staff says "required to defend," but, he could have pled for the judge to rule against state police, even a directed verdict-type injunction, as part of the plea.

Marijuana legalization? More people want it. My thoughts and caveats.

World

SocraticGadfly, switching from politics to his second blog, says that Martin Luther almost certainly did NOT say "Here I stand, I can do no other," 500 years ago.

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