FORT
FORT WORTH, AND THEY SAY THE FEDS ARE NOT PROTECTING THEM
AGAINST COVID.
AGAINST COVID. WE ARE ENTERING THE FINAL FOUR
WEEKS OF THE LEGISLATIVE
SESSION.
SESSION.
SESSION. WHAT WILL THE LAWMAKERS GET DONE
IN AUSTIN?
IN AUSTIN? WHAT WILL THEY NOT?
THAT'S THE QUESTION.
ALL OF THAT IS BECOMING CLEARER
NOW THAT WE ARE IN MAY.
OUR FIRST GUEST THIS MORNING
MAKING HIS FIRST APPEARANCE ON
OUR PROGRAM, SENATOR JOE MOODY,
SPEAKER PRO TEM, THE NUMBER TWO
LAWMAKER IN THE TEXAS HOUSE.
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
LAST WEEK, WE TALKED ABOUT
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE PACKAGE
OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM BILLS
THAT WERE MAKING THEIR WAY
THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE, AND
THOSE HAVE FINALLY MOVED, AT
LEAST A LARGE NUMBER OF THEM
HAVE.
HAVE.
HAVE. SENATOR MOODY: IT'S ONE OF THOSE
THINGS YOU WONDER, A CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REFORM OR ANY OTHER BILL
OUT OF THE HOUSE GOING FORWARD,
NOT JUST IN 2021, BUT AS LONG AS
THE SPEAKER IS OUR SPEAKER,
MAJOR JUSTICE REFORM WILL BE A
PLANK OF WHAT WE DO EVERY SINGLE
SESSION.
SESSION.
SESSION. JASON: WHAT BILLS HAVE ALREADY
PASSED?
PASSED?
PASSED? SENATOR MOODY: WE HAVE A SMALL
AMOUNTS OF CANNABIS, THE BILLS I
USED TO CARRY, THAT PASSED TODAY
ON A VOICE VOTE.
WHEN WE STARTED DOING THIS SIX
YEARS AGO, WE COULD NOT GET A
HEARING ON A BILL LIKE THAT, SO
IT IS OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW AND
WE HAVE NORMALIZED THIS
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. JASON: LET ME ASK, WHAT CHANGED
WITH THAT?
WITH THAT? REPUBLICANS STILL HAVE A
MAJORITY THERE.
MAJORITY THERE. WHAT CHANGED?
WHAT CHANGED? SENATOR MOODY: I THINK THE
PEOPLE BACK HOME ARE
TALKING TO THEIR
REPRESENTATIVES AND TELLING
THEM, WE DO NOT WANT TO WASTE
MONEY ON THIS TYPE OF
PROSECUTION.
PROSECUTION. WE KNOW YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR
FAMILY WHO HAVE BEEN WRAPPED UP
IN ALL JUSTICE BECAUSE OF THESE
MINOR OFFENSES -- IN OUR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM BECAUSE
OF THESE MINOR OFFENSES AND IT
IS NOT FAIR.
PEOPLE HAVE A GUMMY BEAR OR A
VAPE PEN OR A BROWNIE OR
WHATEVER, ALL OF THOSE ARE
FELONY OFFENSES.
FELONY OFFENSES. A 17-YEAR-OLD KID WITH A VAPE
PEN -- IF HE IS ON CAMPUS --
17-YEAR-OLD KIDS ARE ADULTS IN
OUR SYSTEM, BY THE WAY, IF HE IS
ON CAMPUS, HE IS LOOKING AT A
SECOND-DEGREE FELONY.
SECOND-DEGREE FELONY. I PASSED A BILL TO TAKE THOSE
PENALTIES ON THC DOWN TO THE
MISDEMEANOR ROLE, WHERE THEY
BELONG, AND THEN RATCHET THEM
UP.
UP.
UP. WE
UP. WE HAVE DONE THAT, WE HAVE DONE
A NUMBER OF BILLS AROUND DEATH
PENALTY REFORM, AND THOSE HAVE
GARNERED MORE SUPPORT OVER THE
YEARS TOO.
YEARS TOO. WATCHING THINGS FLY OUT OF THE
HOUSE MAKES ME VERY HAPPY.
TO SEE THE HOUSE EMBRACE IT IS
PRETTY AWESOME.
PRETTY AWESOME. TEXAS CAN BE A LEADER ON IT, AND
THAT'S NEXT TO THE PEOPLE LIKE
THE SPEAKER.
THE SPEAKER. JASON: NATURAL GAS PRODUCERS ARE
POSTING HUGE PROFITS, MAKING
MONEY OFF THE POWER OUTAGES IN
FEBRUARY, DURING THE WEEK THAT
SO MUCH OF THE STATE WAS WITHOUT
POWER.
POWER.
POWER. ELECTRICAL PLANTS ON THE
OPPOSITE SIDE ARE POSTING HUGE
LOSSES.
LOSSES.
LOSSES. IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING IS
BROKEN THERE.
BROKEN THERE. SENATOR MOODY: I COULDN'T AGREE
MORE.
MORE.
MORE. WHAT I WOULD INTERJECT IS, WHERE
IS THE FIX FOR CONSUMERS?
WHERE ARE THE FIXES FOR FOLKS
WHO HAD THEIR PIPES BURST OR
FOOD IN THEIR REFRIGERATOR ROT?
WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR THEM?
WE NEED TO WORK ON THE INDUSTRY
SIDE OF THINGS.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO
BE ADDRESSED THERE AND WE HAVE
STARTED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THEM,
BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN WHAT WE ARE
DOING FOR CONSUMERS THAT REALLY
PAID THE PRICE.
JASON: DO YOU THINK THE
LEGISLATURE WILL ADDRESS THAT ON
THE INDUSTRY SIDE OR THE
CONSUMER SIDE?
CONSUMER SIDE? SENATOR MOODY
CONSUMER SIDE? SENATOR MOODY: THOSE
CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING IN
EARNEST.
EARNEST.
EARNEST. BUT WE STILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES
TO GET THOSE DONE.
QUITE HONESTLY, IF WE DON'T,
SHAME ON US.
JASON: YOU ARE THE VICE CHAIR OF
THE CALENDARS COMMITTEE, WHICH
DECIDES WHAT LEGISLATION
MAKES IT TO THE HOUSE FLOOR.
WHAT IS NOT GOING TO GET DONE
THIS SESSION THAT YOU HOPED
WOULD?
WOULD?
WOULD? SENATOR MOODY: ONE OF THE BIG
THINGS HAS BEEN EXPANDING HEALTH
CARE IN THE STATE.
I FEEL LIKE WE ARE LOSING AN
OPPORTUNITY THERE AND IT WOULD
CERTAINLY HELP.
CERTAINLY HELP. I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST.
THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
THAT WILL NOT GET PUT TOGETHER.
SOME OF THOSE THINGS AS
DEMOCRATS WE HAVE BEEN ASKING
FOR FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, AND
IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR TEXAS AND
GOOD FOR BUSINESS TO EXPAND
HEALTH CARE IN TEXAS.
FAILING TO DO THAT FOR ANOTHER
SESSION IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING
THAT WE WILL WALK AWAY SHAKING
OUR HEADS ABOUT.
THERE ARE DEFINITELY OTHER
THINGS -- I DON'T KNOW IF
THERE'S ANYTHING BIGGER,
PARTICULARLY COMING OUT OF THE