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August 25, 2024
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
Embattled House Speaker Dade Phelan has announced that he is appointing a taxpayer-funded casino lobbyist as his new chief of staff.
Mike Toomey, a former Texas House member, previously served as chief of staff to former Governors Bill Clements and Rick Perry. He is currently a partner at Texas Lobby Group.
“Mike is a storied titan of Texas politics, and his impressive experience in both the public and private sectors—combined with a legendary work ethic and reputation as a seasoned strategist—make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our team,” Phelan said in a press release.
According to Transparency USA, Toomey has earned between $3.4 and $6.7 million this session lobbying members of the state legislature. One of his largest clients is the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which seeks to bring casino gambling to Texas.
Toomey has also represented Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a group that was involved in pushing for Phelan’s impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton last year. Additionally, he has served as a taxpayer-funded lobbyist for public entities such as the City of San Antonio, Harris County, and the Port of Houston Authority. Notably, under Speaker Phelan’s leadership, legislation to end taxpayer-funded lobbying has never reached the floor for a vote.
While Phelan will remain Speaker of the House until the next session begins in
January, sources within the Capitol are doubtful that he will be re-elected to the position.
Featured
The head of the Department of Public Safety, Steve McCraw, announced he will retire at the end of the year. His department is currently caught up in an investigation by the attorney general’s office over voter registration drives.
McCraw shared the news at a DPS graduation ceremony on Friday morning in Austin.
The announcement comes after it was reported that leftwing non-profits were registering non-citizens to vote outside of DPS locations.
Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his office had launched a full-scale investigation into these activities. In the press release announcing the effort, Paxton noted, “It is a crime to vote—or to register to vote—if you are not a United States Citizen.”
State
Abbott Calls Court’s Election Fraud Ruling ‘Nonsensical’ and ‘Bizarre’
Gov. Greg Abbott is blasting a Court of Criminal Appeals decision from 2021 that removed the ability for the attorney general to prosecute voter fraud.
Incoming Lawmakers Challenge TxDOT’s Plan to Maintain Tolls After $1.7 Billion Buyout
The Republican Party of Texas platform calls on the Texas Legislature to “abolish existing toll roads and prohibit future construction.”
Texas Children’s Hospital Whistleblower Fired After Alleging Medicaid Fraud for Child Gender Mutilations
Vanessa Sivadge first disclosed the information just days after federal prosecutors indicted another whistleblower, Dr. Eithan Haim.
Local
Former Council Member Sues Austin Over Abortion Travel Subsidies
The Austin City Council allocated $400,000 to provide “logistical support” for abortion travel.
Judge Ends Hood County Republicans’ Battle Over District Clerk Candidate
Melanie Graft remains the GOP nominee for the November 5 election after Roberta Zamarron’s lawsuit seeking to boot Graft off the ballot failed.
Round Rock Teacher Arrested for Child Sex Crimes
Domingo Perez Jr. has been charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact and possession of child pornography.
Red Power
What does communist China have to do with Texas' electrical grid? It’s way more than you think. Find out more about China’s ties to Texas energy. Red Power: China’s Grip on the Future of Texas, available August 27th.
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