SHOWING
SHOWING PLEXIGLASS DIVIDERS BETWEEN MEMBERS' DESKS ON THE
HOUSE FLOOR.
HOUSE FLOOR. AT THOSE DIVIDERS REMAIN, IT
COULD RESHAPE HOW BUSINESS IS
DONE, CONSIDERING FACE-TO-FACE
CHATS, IN PERSON NEGOTIATING A
REGULAR ROLE POLITICS ON THE
FLOOR WILL NO LONGER BE A
STAPLE OF THE CHAMBER.
>>> WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT IN THE
MIDDLE OF A PUBLIC HEALTH
CRISIS A PARTISAN DEBATE WOULD
BE RAGING?
BE RAGING? SOMEHOW IT IS THE MOST DIVISIVE
THING IN TEXAS TODAY.
A GROWING NUMBER OF
CONSERVATIVES SAY WEARING A
FACE MASK SHOULD BE AN
INDIVIDUAL CHOICE.
INDIVIDUAL CHOICE. ANYTHING ELSE IS GOVERNMENT
OVERREACH.
OVERREACH. OUR FIRST GUEST SAYS THOSE
PEOPLE ARE IRRESPONSIBLE.
WITH US RIGHT NOW IS SPEAKER OF
THE HOUSE DENNIS BONNEN, GOOD
MORNING TO YOU .
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
>> GOVERNOR ABBOTT SAYS TEXAS
IS FACING A MASSIVE OUTBREAK OF
COVID-19.
COVID-19.
COVID-19. HERE IS THE QUESTION A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE ASKING.
TO TEXAS REOPEN TO EARLY WHEN
IT REOPENED LAST MONTH?
>> NOT AT ALL.
THE DATA SHOWS THAT.
THE REALITY IS, WE HAVE BEEN
DOING QUITE WELL.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND DID NOT GO
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. WE
WELL. WE HAVE THE PROTESTS THAT
TURNED INTO MORE CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE.
DISOBEDIENCE. PROTESTERS HAD THE RIGHT TO DO
WHAT THEY ARE DOING BUT THEY
WOULD BE ON THAT.
THE BARS DID NOT MANAGE
THEMSELVES VERY WELL.
WHEN YOU PUT THOSE THINGS
TOGETHER, CREATED PROBLEMS.
TEXANS HAVE PROVEN WEé" ?Ñ(k[3z■
TOGETHER, CREATED PROBLEMS. TEXANS HAVE PROVEN WEé" ?Ñ(k[3zk
■
■w3■
■w3
HAVE
HAVE TO
HAVE TO LIMIT THE ECONOMY AROUND COVID-19 BUT WE HAVE TO
FOLLOWROol
FOLLOWROol WHEN YOU WEAR A
IN PUBLIC AND WASH OUR HANDS.
WE CAN DO THIS AND HAVE AN
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY. >> I WANTED TO ASK
YOU SAID PEOPLE WHO DON'T WEAR
MASKS, YOU SAID ON FACEBOOK,
THAT INFURIATES YOU.
AS THE GOVERNOR MAKING A
MISTAKE BY NOT WEARING --
MAKING WEAR A BfA■
MISTAKE BY NOT WEARING -- MAKING WEAR A BfA■MASK WEARING
MANDATORY?
MANDATORY? >> IT IS A PERFECT BALANCE.
WE STILL HAVE PARTS gWsTHE
STATE THAT HAVE FEWER THAN FIVE
CASES IN TD■
STATE THAT HAVE FEWER THAN FIVE CASES IN TD■THEIR COUNTY.
THE REALITY IS, THE POPULATION
WE ARE TRYING &SYTO REACH ON
WEARING A MASK
TOLD WHAT TO DO, WHICH IS
BIZARRE.
BIZARRE.
BIZARRE. THEY ARE THE SAME POPULATION
THAT SAYS THEY WANT THE ECONOMY
100% OPEN AND P
AND LIBERTY.
AND LIBERTY. NOT WEARING A MASK IS
INFRINGING ON MY FREEDOM AND
LIBERTY.
LIBERTY.
LIBERTY. NOT WEARING A MASK IS KEEPING
BUSINESSES FROM BEING FULLY
OPEN.
OPEN.
OPEN. NOT
OPEN. NOT WEARING A MASK IS FRANKLY
GOING s;nAWAY FROM THE GOVERNME
HAVING ANY SAY-SO.
THAT IS FINE BY ME.
I WANT FREE MARKETS, I WANT
COMMERCE AND THE ECONOMY$
kDVy-
WHAT
WHAT WE
WHAT WE ARE FINDING IS THAT OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ARE NOT
WILLING TO ENTER THESE
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO BE A
PART OF THE ECONOMY BECAUSE
THEY ARE CONCERNED
HEALTH FROM THOSE WHO ARE NOT
WEARING A MASK AND NOT TAKING
COVID-19 SERIOUSLY.
COVID-19 SERIOUSLY. IT IS A RATHER CONTRADICTORY fHñ
STATEMENT PEOPLE ARE MAKING. ví■
IT IS A RATHER CONTRADICTORY fHñ THEY MENT PEOPLE ARE MAKING. ví■
IT IS A RATHER CONTRADICTORY fHñ THEY ARE PEOPLE ARE MAKING. ví■
IT IS A RATHER CONTRADICTORY fHñ THEY ARE WORKING ARE MAKING. ví■
IT IS A RATHER CONTRADICTORY fHñ THEY ARE WORKING AGAINST NG. ví■
IT IS A RATHER CONTRADICTORY fHñ THEY ARE WORKING AGAINST THEIR ■
OWN INTERESTS, WHICH ARE A
FULLY OPEN ECONOMY.
I BELIEVE STRONGLY IF PEOPLE
WOULD WEAR A FACE COVERING IN
PUBLIC, WASH THEIR HANDS
REGULARLY AND SOCIAL DISTANCE
WHEN THEY CAN, I THINK WE COULD
LEARN TO LIVE AROUND COVID JUST
FINE.
FINE.
FINE. WE
FINE. WE HAVE "N■
FINE. WE HAVE "N■TO BE SMART ABOUT IT
>> I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR
YOU, MR. SPEAKER.
WE ARE SIX WEEKS AWAY FROM THE
START OF SCHOOL.
DO YOU EXPECT THE MASSIVE
OUTBREAK OF COVID-19 TO DELAY
THE START OF SCHOOL IN AUGUST?
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. IT
>> NO. IT SHOULD NOT DELAY THE START
OF SCHOOL AT ALL . THE REASON
y5IrWON'T DELAY THE START OF
SCHOOL IS THAT LOCAL SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ARE WORKING OVERTIME
TO ENSURE THAT HIGH-QUALITY,
VIRTUAL LEARNING,5añMY■ NOT
HOMESCHOOLING, BUT VIRTUAL
LEARNING, IS AVAILABLE TO OUR
PARENTS.
PARENTS.
PARENTS. SCHOOL SHOULD START ON TIME,
POSSIBLY WAS LIKE DELAYS, BUT I
WOULD BE SURPRISED.
SCHOOLS SHOULD >N#■
WOULD BE SURPRISED. SCHOOLS SHOULD >N#■START.
IT MAY NOT =ñ.START WITH YOUR 0■
CHILD IN THE CLASSROOM.
THAT WILL BE THE DECISION OF
YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE HAVE uéf1000+ SCHOOL DISTRIC
OF COVID.
OF COVID.
OF COVID. SCHOOL SHOULD START ON TIME,
FOR THE MOST PART.
IT MAY NOT BEGIN IN CLASSROOM,
BUT IT WILL BEGIN WITH A
TEACHER TEACHING YOUR CHILD
VIRTUALLY, NOT YOU HAVING TO DO
IT. wo#fQ■
IT. wo#fQ■ THAT WILL BE DECIDED BY THE
LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD.
>> THE FINAL MOMENTS, MR.
SPEAKER, YOU HAVE BEEN VERY
ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
IN YOUR REMAINING MONTHS OF
SPEAKER, YOU ARE SPLIT WITH A
LOT OF YOUR CONSERVATIVE IDEALS?
HAVE YOU CHANGED?
>> I HAVE NOT CHANGED AT ALL.
I'M SMART ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND
THAT MY LIFE IS NOT SO SMALL
AND SO LITTLE THAT Iñáf÷■
THAT MY LIFE IS NOT SO SMALL AND SO LITTLE THAT Iñáf÷■KoÑçço
GAINED SOMETHING BY REFUSING TO
WEAR A FACE COVERING THAT
ALLOWS BUSINESSES TO KEEP
GOING.
GOING.
AND
AND SAY
AND SAY THE ,0■
AND SAY THE ,0■GOVERNOR HAD TO WHAT HE JMñ■
AND SAY THE ,0■GOVERNOR HAD TO WHAT HE JMñ■HAD X6TO DO ON FRID
HE HAD TO DO THIS.úJ
WE'VE GOT TO KEEP PEOPLE IN
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. OF PEOPLE DON'T
COVERINGS IN PUBLIC AND DOING
WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE, THIS
COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY.
RESPONSIBILITY. THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON
FREEDOM OF RELIGION.
NOT WEARING A FACE MASK KEEPS
US FROM SITTING IN CHURCHES
WITH OUR CHURCH wqú
NO CHURCH HAS EVER BEEN SHUT
DOWN DURING THIS COVID PANDEMIC
BY THE GOVERNMENT.
CHURCH LEADERS HAVE SAID IT IS
NOT SAFE.
NOT SAFE.
NOT SAFE. MY PARISHIONERS ARE NOT WILLING
TO SHOW UP.
WE ARE NOT HAVING CHURCH. !.-■
TO SHOW UP. WE ARE NOT HAVING CHURCH. !.-■q■
TO SHOW UP. WE ARE NOT HAVING CHURCH. !.-■q
THOSE OF US