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MustReadTexas.com [ [link removed] ] – @MustReadTexas [ [link removed] ]
BY: @MattMackowiak [ [link removed] ]
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FRIDAY || 12/6/24
Good Friday evening.
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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)
AUSTIN NEWSLETTER LAUNCHED
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TOP NEWS
“'Texas House speaker who faced blowback over Paxton impeachment drops bid to keep post,” AP's Nadia Lathan — “The Republican speaker of the Texas House abandoned efforts Friday to keep his powerful post in the face of unrelenting pressure from the party’s hard right and anger over the historic impeachment [ [link removed] ] last year of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Dade Phelan’s decision, a victory for the GOP’s ascendant right flank, sets off a fight over who will become his successor at a time when Texas Republicans are eager to be a policy model for President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.
The Texas House has long acted as a more moderate guardrail even as lawmakers under Phelan passed some of the nation’s toughest restrictions over abortion, immigration and voting.
But Paxton’s impeachment last year in the House over corruption accusations angered conservatives and drew a rebuke from Trump, plunging Phelan into an expensive battle just to win reelection and a vanishing path to keep one of the most powerful positions in Texas.
“By stepping aside, I believe we create the best opportunity for our members to rally around a new candidate who will uphold the principles that make our House one of the most exceptional, deliberative legislative bodies in the country,” Phelan said in a statement.
Phelan’s campaign to hang onto the job reflected a broader power struggle within the GOP, which expanded its already commanding majorities in the Texas Legislature in November’s elections." AP [ [link removed] ]
“2 Republicans vying for Texas House speaker,” Dallas Morning News' Aarón Torres — “With Rep. Dade Phelan of Beaumont dropping his bid to continue as Texas House speaker, the race for his replacement is – for now – between GOP Reps. David Cook and Dustin Burrows.
Cook says he has support from more than half of the Republican caucus [ [link removed] ] and has the backing of lawmakers who wish to reform the House.
Burrows filed to run for speaker Thursday night and has been one of Phelan’s top lieutenants.
Burrows, an attorney from Lubbock, was elected to the House in 2014 and has been reelected five times.
He has chaired influential House committees since the 2019 legislative session when he was chairman of Ways and Means, which handles bills on taxes.
In the 2021 and 2023 sessions, Burrows was chairman of the Calendars Committee, which determines which bills get a floor vote.
Cook was mayor of Mansfield from 2008-21. In his two sessions in the House, he served on the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee – including vice chair in 2023 – and was a member of the Calendars Committee last session.
Cook is a lawyer who graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University and Texas A&M University School of Law and is managing partner of the Harris Cook law firm, which he co-founded with state Sen. Chris Harris, who died in 2015.
Cook entered the race for speaker in September amid discontent over Phelan’s handling of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment and the failure of school choice and other conservative priorities in 2023.
Some of the most conservative members of the House – as well as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick – also criticized Phelan for appointing Democrats to chair several legislative committees.
Phelan faced three primary opponents, narrowly winning a runoff in May, and five House colleagues challenged him for speaker. Hoping to rally behind one candidate, dozens of House Republicans met at an Austin barbecue restaurant in September.
Cook prevailed over Reps. James Frank of Wichita Falls, Shelby Slawson of Stephenville, Tom Oliverson of Cypress and John Smithee of Amarillo.
Paxton, who campaigned against Phelan in the primaries [ [link removed] ] and backed his challenger, warned in a statement Friday that there would be payback for Republicans who backed Burrows for speaker.
“Burrows is Dade 2.0 and can only become speaker by being elected by more Democrats than Republicans” Paxton said in a statement.
Paxton also opposed Burrows in the primaries after Burrows voted for impeachment, but the incumbent defeated Wade Cowan 68% to 32%.
“Supporting Burrows is a betrayal of the conservative movement,” Paxton said. “Voters will remember.”
The House Republican Caucus, which grew to 88 members for the 2025 session, will meet Saturday afternoon at the Capitol to select their candidate for speaker.
Party rules require a speaker candidate to be supported by two-thirds of those present at the caucus meeting – 58 representatives if all attend – in the first two rounds of voting. The threshold drops to 53 supporters, or three-fifths, for the next two rounds.
If no consensus emerges, the vote would open up to new candidates and the process would start over.
Cook’s list of 48 GOP supporters includes hardline conservatives and newcomers who campaigned on reforming the Texas House and who blame Phelan for the death of Republican priority bills in previous sessions." DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
STATE GOVERNMENT
“Texas governor activates emergency resources ahead of severe weather,” Houston Chronicle's Shakari Briggs — “With a forecast of heavy rain and flooding set to hit parts of Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has already taken preventive measures to help those potentially affected by the inclement weather. On Thursday, Abbott activated the state’s emergency response resources via the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
"Texas is deploying emergency response resources ahead of severe weather,” said Abbott, in a news release. "As heavy rainfall and flash flooding threats begin this weekend, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate swiftwater rescue boat squads and search and rescue teams to help local officials respond throughout the heavy rainfall and storms.”
The Texas Division of Emergency Management has enlisted the help of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Texas A&M Task Force 1’s Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Game Warden Search and Rescue Boat Teams to areas of east and southeast Texas.
“Texans are urged to monitor the weather, make an emergency plan and heed the guidance of state and local officials to keep themselves and their loved ones safe,” said Abbott. “Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
The National Weather Service expects stormy conditions to begin Sunday and last throughout the night." Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
“Jimmy Glotfelty to leave Texas utility commission at the end of the year,” Houston Chronicle's Claire Hao — “Jimmy Glotfelty plans to resign from the Public Utility Commission of Texas effective Dec. 31, the second commissioner to share an intention to leave the five-member body in as many months.
A commissioner since August 2021, Glotfelty said in letter to Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday that he would leave his post nearly a year before his six-year term was set to expire on Sept. 1, 2025.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve the people of Texas in this capacity. I am proud of the work we have accomplished to address the challenges that face the Texas electric system during this time of change,” Glotfelty wrote to Abbott in a letter reviewed by the Chronicle.
Glotfelty’s notice to the governor follows Commissioner Lori Cobos’ announcement [ [link removed] ] two weeks ago that she plans to resign from the state agency, which oversees Texas’ electric, water and telecommunications utilities and the state’s power grid, by the end of the year.
The departures come as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has warned that January could see an elevated risk of outages [ [link removed] ] amid a higher chance of extreme cold [ [link removed] ].
They also leave the commission shorthanded as the Texas Legislature convenes in Austin next month. Lawmakers are expected to focus on legislation to reform how electric utilities prepare for extreme weather and to boost natural gas and nuclear power generation on the ERCOT grid.
Glotfelty said in an interview that he isn’t leaving the PUC because he has another job lined up, as “it’s pretty hard, in my view, to go and look for a job when you’re a state official.”
During his tenure, Glotfelty spearheaded a working group [ [link removed] ] at Abbott’s directive to research how the state could become the global leader in advanced nuclear technologies. The working group recently released its report, which recommended using taxpayer dollars for grants and low-interest loans to lure the industry to Texas.
“There's no reason. I'm not mad, I don't have another job,” Glotfelty said of his departure. “It's just been three and a half years. I got the nuclear report out. It’s time to go and build some infrastructure in Texas, and that's my goal.”" Houston Chronicle [ [link removed] ] ($)
#TXLEGE
“Texas House committee demands that attorney general allow Roberson to testify,” Texas Tribune's Kayla Guo — “The Texas attorney general’s office is deliberately running out the clock on a soon-to-expire House committee to avoid cooperating with its demand that death row inmate Robert Roberson be able to testify before the committee in person, according to the two lawmakers spearheading that effort.
“What the attorney general's office, I feel like is doing right now, is trying to delay, as much as possible, and not work with us,” state Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, told The Texas Tribune during a Friday event exploring the committee’s intervention in the Roberson case.
“They’re basically ignoring the Supreme Court's order, knowing that in a month or so, when the new legislative session convenes, our committee goes away,” he said.
Leach, a member of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, and the committee’s chair, state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, appeared Friday at a Texas Tribune event to discuss the historic legislative intervention that halted Roberson’s Oct. 17 execution.
The committee is planning for Roberson to testify in person at the Capitol on Dec. 20, two months after the committee forced a delay of his execution through an extraordinary legal intervention.
The committee is awaiting confirmation from Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office on whether it will voluntarily comply with the panel’s order and allow the state criminal justice department to transport Roberson from prison to the Capitol so he can testify.
Moody discussed how the Texas Supreme Court has told the legislative and executive branches of state government to cooperate on this matter on three separate occasions. But after asking the executive branch if it would agree to produce Roberson, Moody said, its representatives “couldn't answer the simple question of, can we agree or do you want me to issue a subpoena?,” Moody said. “They have refused to answer that very simple question.”
As a result, Moody set the hearing for Dec. 20 and gave the attorney general’s office until the end of the day Friday to answer. If they don’t, Moody said he will issue a new subpoena for Roberson.
“I've been in this business long enough — that's just a foot drag,” Moody said. “So I set the hearing and I gave him a deadline.”
He said he hopes that Texans question the delays by Paxton’s office.
“Why don't they want to hear from Robert? Why do they not want the Legislature to do this? Why?”
The Texas attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to the comments made by Leach or Moody." Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
“Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges,” Texas Tribune's Stephen Simpson — “As school districts struggle to control the spread of cyberbullying, pornographic images and online exploitation among their students, Texas lawmakers could consider banning social media from minors, among other sweeping measures, in the upcoming legislative session.
Over the last decade, Texas lawmakers have attempted to slow the spread of social media's harmful effects by criminalizing cyberbullying [ [link removed] ] and preventing online platforms from collecting data on minors, the latter of which has faced court challenges by social media companies.
While law enforcement and prosecutors have traditionally been responsible for cracking down on these online dangers, lack of resources in those agencies has meant enforcement has fallen onto educators, who already struggle to meet the demands of instruction, let alone stay knowledgeable on all the ways children use the internet.
“Almost every kid comes to school these days, regardless of background, regardless of socioeconomic status, they have some type of smartphone device in their hand. So they will have access to unfettered content most of the time, no matter what we try to do,” said Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers.
Lawmakers have suggested several initiatives next session to address the online dangers affecting Texas children, including a bill [ [link removed] ] filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, that would prohibit minors from creating accounts on social media sites and require age verification for new users. Other options [ [link removed] ] include adding funds to internet crimes units in law enforcement agencies, banning the use of people’s likeness [ [link removed] ] in artificially created pornographic images, and making people aware [ [link removed] ] of the dangers of the internet.
"Social media is the most dangerous thing our kids have legal access to in Texas," Patterson said in a news release [ [link removed] ].
While they welcome any efforts to reduce harm to children, school officials and cybercrime investigators say more needs to be done to hold social media companies accountable for enforcement." Texas Tribune [ [link removed] ]
BUSINESS NEWS
“Texas semiconductor players get millions in CHIPS Act funding,” Dallas Morning News' Javier David — “Two North Texas technology companies are the latest beneficiaries of the CHIPS and Science Act [ [link removed] ], poised to reap over $80 million collectively as President Joe Biden prepares to leave office.
The Commerce Department on Friday announced [ [link removed] ] three individual preliminary memoranda of terms that allocates up to $33 million to Sherman-based Coherent, and up to $50 million to X-Fab, headquartered in Germany but with U.S. operations in Lubbock.
Both entities will use the money to expand and modernize facilities, and create upwards of 200 jobs, according to a statement. A third company, SkyWater Technology headquartered in Bloomington, Minn., will get up to $16 million.
All told, X-Fab and Coherent are set to reap the rewards of the federal government’s newfound largesse [ [link removed] ] on semiconductors — a strategically-important sector — both as a linchpin of U.S. government industrial policy, and efforts to counter China’s geopolitical influence.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act is making targeted investments to meet market demands for technology critical to our national and economic security,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
“Today’s proposed investments across Texas and Minnesota would help bolster domestic chip production and help secure our supply chain for decades to come,” she added.
GOP Senator John Cornyn, one of the CHIPS Act’s authors, hailed the funding as a boost as a means to buttress “this vulnerable supply chain, boosting our national security and global competitiveness, and creating new jobs for Texans,” he said in a statement.
“The chipmaking capabilities these resources will enable at Coherent in Sherman will help the U.S. reclaim its leadership role in the critically important semiconductor industry, and I look forward to seeing more Texas-led advancements in the years to come.”" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
2025
“Clayton Perry says his partying days are over as he runs for mayor,” San Antonio Express-News' Molly Smith — “More than two years after downing 15 alcoholic beverages, crashing his Jeep Rubicon into a Honda Civic idling at a red light and then fleeing the scene, Clayton Perry says he’s a changed man.
He looks it. Since leaving office in May 2023 [ [link removed] ], the former District 10 councilman has noticeably trimmed down.
He says he exercises three times a week at a YMCA — on Monday, Wednesday and Friday — and plays tennis daily.
“I feel the best now that I have felt in many, many years,” Perry said in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News.
As he ramps up his mayoral campaign [ [link removed] ], Perry, 69, is opening up about his Nov. 6, 2022, “incident.” He’s still reluctant to call it what it was: a drunken hit-and-run that cut his council career two years short — and could hamstring his long-held mayoral ambitions.
“It’s kind of hard to say that,” he said. “I’ve kind of adopted the word ‘incident’ because it’s softer. It hurts to see this stuff in the news — it hurts my heart.”
Perry is one of more than a dozen candidates vying [ [link removed] ] to replace Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who is term-limited and can’t seek reelection.
He’s the only major candidate who has been charged with driving while intoxicated and fleeing the scene of an accident — misdemeanor charges that were dismissed in April after he completed the terms of his year-long probation.
And then there’s the damning police officer body camera video [ [link removed] ] that shows Perry sprawled in the backyard of his home more than an hour after the accident, barely coherent and with a bloody wound on his head. His shorts are unzipped and it appears that he had urinated on himself. At one point, Perry attempted to use his credit cards to open his back door.
“It was like an out-of-body experience,” he said of the first time he watched the video. “It was a shock.”
He’s adamant that he will never again drive under the influence of alcohol." SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> DMN: "Latinos hit especially hard by North Texas meth sentences" DMN [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: "A Texas lawyer explains what eliminating no-fault divorce would mean for families" FWST [ [link removed] ]
> AP: "A Texas man claims he shot his son after mistaking him for an intruder, later burns the body" AP [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: "Thousands blame J&J baby powder for cancer. An obscure Texas law keeps lawsuits buried." FWST [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: "Several Tarrant County educators accused of teacher-certification fraud in statewide probe" FWST [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: "Why are blindfolded sheep flying through the air? Officials are making Texas wild again" FWST [ [link removed] ]
> TX TRIB: "Texas lawmakers are scrutinizing university professors’ influence. Here's how faculty shape their universities." TX TRIB [ [link removed] ]
> TX TRIB: "A 2006 study found undocumented immigrants contribute more than they cost Texas. The state hasn’t updated it since." TX TRIB [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: "Sage Investment Group plans to spend $156M to convert Dallas hotel to apartment" DMN [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: "ERCOT meteorologist warns 'conditions are there' for extreme cold" HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> SAEN: "New curriculum injects religious education into Texas public schools" SAEN [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: "Will Trump's pick for NASA chief get the government out of human spaceflight?" HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: "Fort Worth Omni Theater is ready to open. Here’s a sneak-peak of all the changes" FWST [ [link removed] ]
> FWST: "Former Fort Worth private school band director arrested, faces charges of soliciting minor" FWST [ [link removed] ]
> DMN: "Dallas influencer threatens legal action over seized spider monkey Jorgie Boy" DMN [ [link removed] ]
> HOU CHRON: "Hundreds mourn Harris County deputy constable, young daughter killed in crash" HOU CHRON [ [link removed] ]
EXTRA POINTS
Last night's Texas sports scores:
> NBA: Dallas at Washington
> NCAAM: Stephen F. Austin at UT-RGV
> NBA: Dallas at Washington
> NCAAM: East Texas A&M at Houston Christian
> NCAAM: Lamar at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
> NCAAM: Northwestern State at Incarnate Word
> NCAAM: Xavier at TCU
> NCAAM: Chicago at San Antonio
This weekend's Texas sports schedule:
Fri
> 6:30pm: NCAAM: Prairie View A&M at UAB (ESPN+)
> 7pm: NBA: Sacramento at San Antonio
> 9pm: NHL: Dallas at Las Vegas (ESPN+)
Sat
> 11am: NCAAM: East Texas A&M at Incarnate Word (ESPN+)
> 1pm: NCAAM: UTSA at Arkansas (ESPN+)
> 3pm: NCAAF: #5 Georgia vs. #2 Texas (Atlanta) (ABC)
> 3pm: NCAAM: Seattle at UTEP (ESPN+)
> 3:30pm: NCAAM: Northwestern State at Houston Christian (ESPN+)
> 3:30pm: NCAAM: Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (ESPN+)
> 4:30pm: NCAAM: Butler at #17 Houston (ESPN+)
> 4:30pm: NCAAM: Texas Southern at Sam Houston State (ESPN+)
> 4:30pm: NCAAM: Lamar at UT-RGV (ESPN+)
> 6:30pm: NBA: Dallas at Toronto
> 7pm: NCAAF: #17 Clemson vs. #8 SMU (Charlotte) (ABC)
Sun
> 11:30am: NCAAM: Vanderbilt at TCU (ESPN+)
> 12pm: NCAAM: Tarleton State at UCF (ESPN+)
> 2pm: NCAAM: #22 Texas A&M at Texas Tech (ESPN2)
> 2pm: NCAAM: Rice at Texas State (ESPN+)
> 3pm: NCAAM: Prairie View A&M at Mississippi State (SEC)
> 4pm: NCAAM: #25 Connecticut at Texas (ESPN)
> 6pm: NBA: New Orleans at San Antonio
> 7pm: NHL: Calgary at Dallas (ESPN+)
> 8pm: NBA: Houston at LA Clippers
TEXAS FOOTBALL: Sherrington: "Texas' run game rolling, ready for second crack at Georgia" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
TEXAS FOOTBALL: "Texas has nation's top recruiting class after landing elite defensive lineman from Georgia" AP [ [link removed] ]
TEXAS FOOTBALL: "No Bevo? SEC tells Texas there's no room for its 1,700-pound longhorn at title game vs. Georgia" AP [ [link removed] ]
SMU FOOTBALL: "SMU prediction: Can Mustangs win ACC title over Clemson?" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
DALLAS COWBOYS: "Jake Ferguson's concussion was a dose of reality for the Cowboys' TE" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
DALLAS COWBOYS: "Bengals K Cade York dating Cowboys cheerleader: 'She's gonna be cheating for me'" DMN [ [link removed] ] ($)
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: "Spurs rule out Victor Wembanyama for second game in a row" SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: "Spurs could break Frost Bank Center lease" SAEN [ [link removed] ] ($)

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