The Texas Report 4/21

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Happy Friday!

Written by: Jay Williamson

Statewide News Round-Up 

Tensions between the Texas House and Senate continue to heat up, as this week Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick called House Speaker Dade Phelan "California Dade," who "wants a California tax plan or a New Jersey tax plan." Reportedly Phelan and Patrick rarely talk and, during this session, have each taken repeated jabs at one another during TV appearances, on social media, and in front of the press. Most of the recent dispute is centered on the ongoing property tax proposals between the two chambers, which have diametrically different plans. Neither leader seems willing to compromise at this stage. (More here)

The House and Senate announced the conference committee members for this session's budget deliberation yesterday. These members will be the ones primarily negotiating the final state budget, which should come out in mid to late May.

Appointed Senate members: Joan Huffman (R-Houston), Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville), Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), and Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown)

This is a normal part of the state budgeting process, and inevitably both chambers will compromise on their state budget priorities.

Yesterday, the much anticipated SpaceX launch ended with the most powerful rocket ever built, exploding in the air before stage separation. The flight reached its highest point 24.2 miles above the ground, and the explosion occurred about four minutes after liftoff, according to SpaceX. "The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble," according to an update from SpaceX. "The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship." There were no injuries or public property damage reported, and despite ending in an explosion, SpaceX said the test met several of the company's objectives. Elon Musk had tempered expectations in the lead-up to the launch explaining, "Success is not what should be expected. ... That would be insane." (More here)

The Texas Senate passed legislation this week that would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments and give school districts the ability to require their campuses to schedule time for students and employees to read the Bible or other religious texts and pray. In his statement about the legislation Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said, "I will never stop fighting for religious liberty in Texas. Allowing the Ten Commandments and prayer back into our public schools is one step we can take to make sure that all Texans have the right to freely express their sincerely held religious beliefs. (Official Tweet)

Additionally, the Senate passed Senate Bill (S.B.) 990 by Senator Bob Hall (R-Friendswood), which would eliminate county-wide voting centers on Election day. County-wide voting allows residents to vote at any vote center on Election Day instead of just their specific precinct. This would only get rid of the program on Election Day, and voters would still be able to use county-wide voting during early voting. Currently, 90 counties are approved by the Secretary of State's office to use county-wide voting centers on Election Day. The process began in rural counties and is popular among many voters because it allows voting anywhere in the county, which can be helpful when dealing with traffic or other unexpected emergencies.

Senator Hall explained that the bill is intended to address potential issues with vote counts and that spreading voting locations across a precinct makes it "impossible" to ensure an accurate count, and limiting voters to a central location would make it easier to tally results. Democrats repeatedly pressed Hall for evidence of inaccurate vote counts. He first said there is no evidence because "The data is so carefully guarded and kept from the public it is almost impossible to get the information." Houston Democrat added during the questioning, "With all due respect, I just really think you're misinformed." Hall continued to double down and added that the bill "is about security, not convenience." (More here)

Capitol Insider Scott Braddock reported yesterday that rural voters have been receiving a push poll regarding their opinions on vouchers, their Texas House members, and Governor Abbott. Some of the questions asked in the poll:

• Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of (the local state rep)

• If Republicans (state rep for the area) opposed school choice legislation to empower parents, would you believe he deserved re-election to the Texas House of Representatives, or would it be time for someone new?

• Do you believe Republican (state rep for the area) deserves re-election for the Texas House of Representatives, or is it time for someone new?

• Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Greg Abbott?

• Do you support or oppose school choice, allowing parents to send their children to public, charter, or private schools with funding following the student?

No one is certain who is behind the polling, but some theories speculate it's intended for the Governor's campaign to gather information on the rural House members' district and determine how much an endorsement by Abbott would sway voters, whether for or against an incumbent. (More here)

March jobs data released by the Texas Workforce Commission and the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows new employment highs:

• Texas reaches a new high for total jobs at 13,839,200 as employers added 28,600 jobs over the month.

• Texas reaches a new high for Texans working, including employed and self-employed, at 14,298,256.

• Texas reaches a new high with the largest labor force ever in the state’s history at 14,898,100.

Texas also leads all states for jobs added over the last 12 months at 575,100.

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