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MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
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FRIDAY || 11/15/24
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“If something of importance is known in Texas, Matt knows it. With a decline in the number of credible news organizations, the Must Read Texas morning email is indispensable for anyone that wants to continue to be informed.” – Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX)
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TOP NEWS
“Texas' top elected officials signal Texas could cut border spending after Trump takes office,” Texas Tribune's Alejandro Serrano — “Since President-elect Donald Trump’s victory last week, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — the state’s top two elected officials — have signaled a new willingness to potentially scale back the state’s historic spending on border security.
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to crack down on illegal immigration by reimplementing policies from his first term while starting new ones, like mass deportations.
Abbott told reporters last week that Texas will have to continue its border security measures as a “stopgap effort” during the time it takes Trump to implement his border and immigration policies. But once they are in place, Abbott said, Texas “will have the opportunity to consider” repurposing the state money it has plowed into Operation Lone Star, the multi-prong effort Abbott launched in 2021 shortly after President Joe Biden took office.
To date, OLS has cost $11 billion, and Abbott’s office had asked lawmakers to approve another $2.9 billion in the upcoming legislative session. Abbott now says OLS money could be used for things like property tax cuts or education.
“President Trump will provide a more secure border than any president in the history of the United States of America,” Abbott said a day after the election. “I’ve had private talks with the president, and he’s going to be stronger and better at securing the border than he was in his first term, which was very strong and effective.”
Meanwhile, Patrick also said that Trump’s victory could mean shifting spending priorities for the state.
“We had to do everything we could to protect our citizens,” Patrick said in an interview with WFAA-TV in Dallas published Sunday. “We’re going to be able to take a lot of that money now and put it back to our taxpayers, for roads, for water, for education, for health care, for all the things that we need that Joe Biden forced us to spend because he was letting millions of people cross the border.”
It is unclear exactly how the state’s border spending breaks down, but the money has been used to surge Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and Texas National Guard troops to the border; send busloads of migrants to cities run by Democrats; and bolster local governments that have joined the OLS effort through grants — including sheriff’s offices that used the money to hire deputies.
Even as the state’s spending on border security has increased, polling has shown that Republican Texans feel the state could spend even more to secure the state’s 1,254-mile border with Mexico.
Trump’s victory “provides an enormous amount” of political cover to reduce spending now, said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin. And with an initiative so expensive, “it's hard not to feel like there's room for some reductions,” he said.
“When you spend government funds, constituencies develop among those funds, and that's one of the reasons it's hard to cut back on spending,” Henson added.
Other legislators have also indicated it might be time to cut back on border security spending at the state level." Texas Tribune
TX TRIB: “Texas Supreme Court removes temporary block to Robert Roberson's execution” Texas Tribune
TX TRIB: “Actually innocent": Judge recommends overturning death row inmate Melissa Luci's conviction sending case to Texas high court” Texas Tribune
SA REPORT: “Texas businesses call on lawmakers to reform child care during 89th legislative session” SA Report
AAS: “Kirk Watson declares victory in mayoral race while Carmen Llanes Pulido holds out hope” AAS ($)
TX TRIB: “Why Democrats' abortion messaging failed to resonate in Texas, despite unpopular bans” Texas Tribune
TX TRIB: “Texas names new higher education chief” Texas Tribune
SAEN: “New $68M facility could keep more trash out of San Antonio's landfills” SAEN ($)
SAEN: “SpaceX backed out of a state land swap in South Texas: report” SAEN ($)
DMN: “Exxon laying off almost 400 workers at Irving's Pioneer Natural Resources” DMN ($)
HOU CHRON: “Tilman Fertitta increases his stake in Wynn Resorts” Houston Chronicle ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> TX TRIB: "Texas’ uneven population boom is creating ghost towns in many rural counties" TX TRIB
> TX MONTHLY: "New Hope to Combat Climate Change—From an Oil Giant?" TX MONTHLY
> FWST: "Texas Senate committee hearing reveals clash between child care centers, state pre-K program" FWST
> THE TEXAN: "Ripples: Voters Pass Judgement on Criminal Justice" THE TEXAN
> EP TIMES: "Migrant crisis, binational cooperation topic of border mass" EP TIMES
> THE TEXAN: "Weekly Roundup: Trump Appoints Texans, Cornyn Loses Majority Leader Election, House Speaker Race Heats Up" THE TEXAN
> MY RGV: "Trial judge recommends overturning Melissa Lucio’s death sentence, conviction" MY RGV
> TPR: "Birth control sales soar; Abbott won't back tuition hike; Commission says Texas prison system threatens public safety" TPR
> EP TIMES: "Sen. Blanco eyes healthcare, faces GOP on vouchers, voting rights" EP TIMES
> THE TEXAN: "Fourth Reading: Speaking It Into Existence" THE TEXAN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Gov. Abbott directs Texas universities to extend tuition freeze through 2027" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> TPR: "The Onion buys Infowars at Alex Jones' bankruptcy auction. No, seriously." TPR
EXTRA POINTS
Last night's Texas sports scores:
> NHL: Dallas 7, Boston 2
> NBA: Utah 115, Dallas 113
> NCAAM: New Mexico State 83, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 82
This weekend's Texas sports schedule:
Fri
> 12pm: NCAAM: UT-RGV at Charleston Southern (PTB)
> 5pm: NCAAM: TCU at Michigan (FS1)
> 6pm: NCAAM: SMU at Butler (FS2)
> 6:30pm: NBA: LA Lakers at San Antonio (ESPN)
> 7pm: NBA: LA Clippers at Houston
> 7pm: NCAAF: North Texas at UTSA (ESPN2)
> 7pm: NCAAM: Texas College at UT-Arlington (ESPN+)
> 8pm: NCAAM: #21 Ohio State at #23 Texas A&M (SEC Network)
> 9:15pm: NCAAF: Houston at Arizona (FS1)
Sat
> 11am: NCAAF: #3 Texas at Arkansas (ABC)
> 2pm: NCAAM: Stephen F. Austin at Arkansas State (ESPN+)
> 2pm: NCAAM: Northwestern State at Rice (ESPN+)
> 2:30pm: NCAAF: Houston at Arizona (FS1)
> 2:30pm: NCAAM:Boston College at #14 SMU (ESPN)
> 3pm: NCAAF: Baylor at West Virginia (ESPN2)
> 3pm: NCAAM: Arkansas-Little Rock at UTSA (ESPN+)
> 4pm: NCAAM: Mississippi Valley State at Texas (SEC)
> 6pm: NCAAF: Southern Miss at Texas State (ESPN+)
> 6:45pm: NCAAM: New Mexico State at #15 Texas A&M (SEC Network)
> 7pm: NHL: Dallas at Minnesota (ESPN+)
> 7:30pm: NBA: San Antonio at Dallas (NBA TV)
Sun
> 2pm: NCAAM: Texas Southern at Samford (ESPN+)
> 4pm: NCAAM: Sam Houston State at Lamar (ESPN+)
> 6pm: NBA: Dallas at Oklahoma City
> 7pm: NCAAM: Tarleton State at #12 Baylor (ESPN+)
DALLAS COWBOYS: "Amid offensive drought, can Cowboys' offense wake up vs. Texans" DMN ($)
SMU FOOTBALL: "SMU seeking 'revenge' against Boston College after Fenway Bowl loss" DMN ($)
HOUSTON MEN'S BASKETBALL: "Brennan point guard Kingston Flemings signs with Houston" SAEN ($)
TYSON-PAUL FIGHT: "Jake Paul - Mike Tyson: What fans should know about Netflix fight" DMN ($)
TYSON-PAUL FIGHT: "Mike Tyson - Jake Paul fight: Former champ hits cocky Paul at weigh-in" Houston Chronicle ($)
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