Texas Progressives: The Lege is again all hat, no cattle

Plenty of nuttery going on under the Pink Dome, as the Texas Legislature races, dawdles or whatever to the finish line.

Here's a few items of import.

First, the Lege FINALLY agrees that state prisons need air conditioning. The no cattle part? In this case, it's no money appropriated. And no, Legiscritters, this bill will NOT protect the state from yet more suits.

Second, it banned those wholesale power plans from being sold to consumers. Small victory, if a bailout of power companies winds up being passed on to consumers. Next, legiscritters? Do loan sharking the same way. Oh, sorry, they prey on only poor people, and especially of color. Sorry I asked.

Related? Off the Kuff relates the tale of how the freeze in Texas and the havoc it played in the natural gas market affected people in other states as well.

The Observer has a roundup. Dead are casinos, requiring natural gas facility weatherization and other things.

 

Rick Casey calls the anti-trans bills in the Lege the real child abuse. The reality of this issue, including that puberty blockers are NOT harm-free, is far more complex.

Other state guv

Our spavined mule of an AG, Ken Paxton, is again suing Biden, this over his refusal to extend Team Trump's rushed-through,  unvetted extension of a state Medicaid waiver. Like most his suits, he'll almost certainly lose.

Coming from windmill country in North Texas, I find this very interesting. The Observer's take on the Chapter 313 law, especially the parts about how 313 projects don't always pay off, and even more, about how, after the tax breaks expire, they normally battle their appraised values. Drew Springer, it notes, tried to get a "clawback" bill on wind farms passed in 2015. It never got to the floor, probably because it didn't target only wind farms.

Matt McConaughey is continuing to make noise about running for gov next year, and if he does, it sounds more and more like as a GOPer, not an indy or a Dem. Gilberto Hinojosa is crying in his cornflakes. That said, with the "dreamy" Don Huffines in the race, especially if Jeebus Shot Sid Miller or Allen West also jump in, it's possible McConaughey could steal the Rethuglican nomination. That said, how many of them would stay home in the fall? As an Indy? He only has a half chance if Miller or West would get in the GOP race and win.

 

Houstonia clarifies what the new booze to go law will mean.

Texana

Chris Hooks reports that most natives aren't happy Elon Musk has moved to Boca Chica. Hooks of course smartly starts with the fact that even by the standards of NASA's predecessors of the last 1950s, Musk is largely a failure as a rocket launcher. He's of course a big success as establisher of a cult.

 

In “honor” of the escaped India, Dan Solomon provides a brief history of tigers on the loose in Texas.

National

Learn all about The Riot Squad, Andy Ngo and other hyperpartisan videographers who make Adam Keefe look tame. Greenwald, in revenge spite? (though the defender of Matt Hale may sincerely believe this) has attacked the Intercept for hating on "working class journalists of color."

Joe Manchin wants to revitalize part of the Voting Rights Act, but make it national by requiring ANY local or state voting law change ANYWHERE get federal preclearance. In the Shelby County case, the self-proclaimed umpire, John Roberts, indicated he was at least open to this. I would support it, in part because the John Lewis Voting Rights Act almost certainly won't survive challenge, and I also hope that Vox is right in saying the anti-third party "For the People Act" is about dead.

SocraticGadfly noted it was the 125th anniversary of Santa Clara vs. Southern Pacific, and took a look at corporate personhood misunderstandings, even untruths held by some leftists.

Mother Jones misses just how legally weak Wyoming's threat to sue other states for not buying coal is. States don't buy coal. Electric utilities do.

 

Sanford Nowlin informs us of a saga involving Ted Cruz, President Biden, and Chick-Fil-A dipping sauce.  

 

Steve Vladeck pokes a hole in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' claim that he will "block" an extradition order from New York for Donald Trump.