"GOOD
"GOOD MORNING. WHAT A WEEK IT WAS AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL!
BILLS DIED -- THE TAX SWAP
PROPOSAL WAS KILLED -- AND A
HOTLY CONTESTED BILL MADE IT
THROUGH THE SENATE.
LET'S
LET'S GET
LET'S GET TO THE THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW IN TEXAS POLITICS.
POLITICS.
THE
THE WEEK
THE WEEK KICKED OFF WITH A BANG! ON MONDAY -- THE SENATE VOTED ON ITS VERSION OF HOUSE BILL 3 --
THE
THE
SCHOOL
SCHOOL FINANCE REFORM BILL. UP UNTIL MONDAY -- THE SENATE VERSION OF THE BILL WAS
CONTINGENT ON LAWMAKERS PASSING
THE TAX SWAP THAT
THE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR AND SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE
HOUSE VOWED TO PASS THE WEEK BEFORE. BUT DURING THE DEBATE -- THE
SENATE APPROVED A NEW FUNDING
SOURCE
SOURCE --
SOURCE -- A FUND WITH MONEY FROM OTHER TAXING REVENUES. THIS WAS PRETTY MUCH A SIGN THAT
THE TAX SWAP WASN'T GOING TO
PASS IN THE SENATE.
SO
SO WHEN
SO WHEN IT CAME UP IN THE HOUSE FLOOR -- SOME REPRESENTATIVES HAD SOME CHOICE WORDS FOR SOME
SENATORS -- AND THEN
THE BILL WAS DELAYED UNTIL NEXT
SESSION."
SESSION."
THE
THE HOUSE
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAD A LONG NIGHT THURSDAY. MIDNIGHT WAS THE DEADLINE TO
INITIALLY PASS HOUSE BILLS AND
RESOLUTIONS.
THE DAY WAS FILLED WITH LONG
BREAKS -- STALLING TACTICS --
AND AT TIMES -- A FEW ROWDY
MOMENTS."
MOMENTS."
"ALL
"ALL I'M
"ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS FOR PHARO- PHARMA TO LET OUR PEOPLE GO!"
DOZENS OF BILLS WERE KILLED OR
POSTPONED -- BUT HEY -- THAT'S
JUST
JUST
THE
THE WAY
THE WAY THE GAME IS PLAYED. BETTER LUCK NEXT SESSION. "
COMPARED
COMPARED TO LAST SESSION -- LAWMAKERS HAVE PRETTY MUCH GOTTEN ALONG AND FOCUSED ON MEAT
AND POTATO ISSUES THIS YEAR.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE
AREN'T SOME DIVISIVE BILLS AND
WE
WE SAW
WE SAW ONE IN THE SENATE THIS WEEK. A BILL TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR THE
STATE, CITIES, COUNTIES,
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES TO TAKE DOWN HISTORIC MONUMENTS OF MEMORIALS.
THE AUTHOR OF THE BILL SAID HE
SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT U-T
--
-- WITH
-- WITH THE REMOVAL OF CONFEDERATE STATUES -- AND
WANTS
WANTS TO
WANTS TO PRESERVE HISTORY. UNDER HIS BILL -- IT WILL TAKE A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE OF THE
TEXAS LEGISLATURE OR GOVERNING
BODY TO REMOVE
STATUES 25-YEARS OLD OR OLDER.
AND IT ESTABLISHES A FUND TO PUT
UP COUNTER
UP COUNTER
MONUMENTS. DEMOCRATS PUT UP A VALIANT FIGHT AGAINST THE BILL ON THE FLOOR.
TRYING
TRYING TO
TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHY THESE MONUMENTS ARE PROBLEMATIC -- ESPECIALLY FOR
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
THEY ALSO SAID THE DECISION TO
REMOVE SUCH THINGS SHOULD LIE
WITH THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
THESE COMMUNITIES -- NOT THE
STATE.
BUT IN THE END -- IT CAME DOWN
TO A PARTY LINE VOTE.
THAT BILL IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF
THE HOUSE.
THE 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION IN
TEXAS IS 10 MONTHS AWAY.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME FROM
NOW -- BUT CANDIDATES KNOW
-- IT WILL BE HERE BEFORE YOU
KNOW IT.
AND JUST THIS WEEK -- ANOTHER
DEMOCRAT THREW HIS HAT IN THE
RING
RING OF
RING OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES. ALL OF THIS IS KEEPING THE STATISTICAL ANALYSTS AT FIVE-
THIRTY-EIGHT VERY BUSY.
THEY WERE IN AUSTIN THIS WEEK TO
RECORD THEIR PODCAST -- SO WE
SAT DOWN WITH NATE SILVER AND
CLARE MALONE TO TALK POLITICS."
ASHLEY
ASHLEY GOUDEAU: "SO YOU GUYS ARE IN AUSTIN, PROMOTING YOUR PODCAST, TELL OUR VIEWERS A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT."
NATE
NATE SILVER: "SO IT'S THE FIVETHIRTYEIGHT POLITICS PODCAST.
WE WORK FOR FIVETHIRTYEIGHT
WHICH IS AN ABC NEWS COMPANY
WE SHOULD SAY. BUT
WE COVER ELECTIONS, POLITICS, AS
WELL AS STUFF LIKE
SPORTS
SPORTS FROM A VERY NUMBERS AND DATA DRIVEN VIEW. AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S VERY EARLY IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, VERY
EARLY IN THE GENERAL ELECTION
PHASE, SO NUMBERS ALONE
DON'T
DON'T TELL YOU EVERYTHING. SO THE PODCASTS ARE WHERE YOU KIND OF HEAR US FLESH OUT OUR
THOUGHTS, BETWEEN THE REPORTING
THAT WE DO, THE POLLS
THAT WE LOOK AT, THE ANALYSIS
THAT WE DO AND YOU KIND OF SEE
US