|
 |
MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
Subscribe to the daily email here
MONDAY || 8/4/2025 & TUESDAY || 8/5/2025
Good Tuesday morning.
Thank you for reading as a FREE subscriber.
» Become a PAID subscriber here for $7/mo or $70/yr and SAVE TIME and be BETTER INFORMED.
P.S. Some personal news: Amy and I are expecting our first child -- a boy!
“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
Are you one of the 100,000+ subscribers to ATX Pulse, a newsletter that delivers EVERYTHING you NEED TO KNOW about Austin?
 |
Subscriptions are $5/mo, $50/yr or $199/lifetime here: ATXpulsepremium.com.
> Read the most recent FREE subscriber email here.
> Become a PAID subscriber for $5/mo or $50/yr here.
TOP NEWS
“Arrest warrants issued for Texas House Democrats breaking quorum to block GOP redistricting vote,” Austin American-Statesman's John C. Moritz -- "Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows issued civil arrest warrants Monday for the more than 50 Democrats who fled Texas to block a vote on the controversial plan to boost the GOP's numbers in Congress by redistricting.
"They've left the state ... and turned their backs on the constituents they swore to represent," Burrows told the mostly Republican House members who did attend the floor session. "They've shirked their responsibilities under the direction of pressure of out of state politicians and activists who don't know the first thing about what's right for Texas."
Shortly after, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas Department of Public Safety officers "to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans."
The warrants allow law enforcement officers to compel the return of absent members found to be in Texas, but they are not subject to criminal arrest for breaking quorum. They don't authorize officers to go out of state to bring back the dozens of Democrats who decamped to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to deny the House the quorum it needs to conduct business.
Just six of the House's 62 Democratic members were present for the seven-minute floor session.
Burrows, R-Lubbock, told the chamber, and repeated during a brief news conference later, that the House will pass the redistricting plan sooner or later.
The new congressional map proposed by Texas Republicans would add five more winnable GOP seats by wiping out a Democratic-leaning district in Dallas, Austin and Houston, and adding additional Republican voters to two districts in South Texas currently held by Democrats Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez.
"Leaving the state does not stop this House from doing its work, it only delays it," the first-term speaker said. "And every day this chamber is unable to act, the cost grows."
The "cost" likely refers to the $500 per day fine that comes with breaking quorum, and which was triggered with the warrants Burrows signed. Under House rules, absent members are required to pay the fines with their own money, which means funds raised for their political accounts may not be tapped.
While Democrats cast their decision to leave the state halfway through the special legislative session called by Abbott as a principled move to protect mostly voters of color from being denied representation in Congress, Burrows noted that the fate of other matters, particularly relief for the Central Texas residents whose lives were upended by last month's deadly flooding, was being jeopardized by their actions.
"You understand that the issue before us, disaster recovery, fighting for the families who lost loved ones in the floods, human trafficking and more, are not abstract policy debates," Burrows said as if he were speaking to the absent Democrats. "They are real world problems demanding immediate solutions."
Democratic state Rep. Terry Canales of Edinburg said he stayed in Texas both as an acknowledgement the outcome of redistricting is inevitable and "to have a seat at the table" in case Republicans were in the mood to compromise.
The other Democrats who stayed in Texas were Richard Raymond of Laredo, Amando Martinez of Weslaco, Joe Moody of El Paso, Oscar Longoria of Mission, and Sergio Munoz also of Mission.
"Nobody could explain to me what the end game was," Canales said in a short interview. "I know how this ends. I can count to 76."
Even if House Democrats block a quorum for until the special session ends on Aug. 19, nothing is stopping Abbott from calling another.
When House Democrats broke quorum in 2021, then-Speaker Dade Phelan also issued warrants to bring them back. But Democrats finally returned to Austin voluntarily." AAS ($)
FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE ENDED: As of July 11, 2022, we have moved to a paywall for free subscribers. Free subscribers will only receive the top story in their morning email. Free subscribers will need to become paid subscribers to receive full story summaries.
TOP NEWS
“Three Venezuelan men face charges, immigration detainer in fatal Garland motel shooting” DMN ($)
#TXLEGE
“Senate panel OKs latest bill restricting use of government and school bathrooms by transgender people” Texas Tribune
STATE GOVERNMENT
“Texas GOP AG says prosecuting Democrats who fled state will be a 'challenge'” ABC News
“Texas DPS assist with immigration arrests at Austin construction site” AAS ($)
2026
Rick Perry guest column: “Why I am supporting John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate primary” Hou Chron ($)
“Ken Paxton’s long-distance quest for a Trump endorsement” CNN
“Wesley Hunt tests waters of a Senate bid, setting up possible heavyweight primary with Cornyn and Paxton” Texas Tribune
TEXANS IN DC
“Ted Cruz pushes to save poker pros from surprise tax hit in the Big Beautiful Bill” DMN ($)
BUSINESS NEWS
“Tesla awards CEO Elon Musk millions of shares valued at about $29 billion” AP
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> HOU CHRON: "Warrants issued for Texas Democrats breaking quorum to block redistricting vote" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "Texas is about to outlaw THC vapes, even if lawmakers don’t ban all consumables" DMN
> HOU CHRON: "Mayor Whitmire removes members of LGBTQ board after member requested a meeting" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "Texas Republican district attorney posts video smoking weed to protest prohibition" DMN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Gov. Abbott orders arrest of 50+ Texas House Democrats who left state to fight congressional redistricting" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> HOU CHRON: "Trucker accused of funding violent gang to overthrow Haitian government arrested in Houston, FBI says" HOU CHRON
> THE TEXAN: "Texas House Republicans Enact ‘Call of the House,’ Issue Arrest Warrants for Over 50 Quorum-Breaking Democrats" THE TEXAN
> THE TEXAN: "Abbott Threatens to Remove House Democrats from Office for Redistricting Quorum Break" THE TEXAN
> KXAN: "Here are the Texas House Democrats who broke quorum" KXAN
> KXAN: "Texas House authorizes law enforcement to track down absent lawmakers" KXAN
> EP TIMES: "Gov. Greg Abbott targets El Paso Rep. Vince Perez in Texas redistricting arrest push" EP TIMES
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Plano officials consider property tax rate, higher water costs in budget discussions" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> EP TIMES: "El Paso urging Texas to keep Fort Bliss, airport in US Rep. Veronica Escobar’s district" EP TIMES
> TPR: "Protestors rally near Alamodome with calls to postpone Project Marvel development" TPR
> SAEN: "Mayor Jones criticizes ‘leak’ of court hearing in councilwoman’s DWI case" SAEN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Boil water notice issued following leak near FM 1488 and FM 1774" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> HOU CHRON: "Tropical Storm Dexter forms as 2025 hurricane season intensifies" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launches digital ad blitz against absent House Democrats" DMN
> HOU CHRON: "Texas House Democrats flee the state to block a vote on new congressional map" HOU CHRON
> THE TEXAN: "Texas House Democrats Flee the State to Break Quorum Over Congressional Maps" THE TEXAN
> KXAN: "Texas governor threatens to remove Democrats who left state over Trump-backed redistricting" KXAN
> TX TRIB: "Harris County leader wants voters to extend child care efforts as pandemic funding runs out" TX TRIB
> TPR: "Officials scramble to stop flesh-eating pest advancing toward Texas" TPR
> KXAN: "Abbott threatens absent House Democrats with removal, felony charges" KXAN
> MRT: "Texas governor threatens to remove Democrats who left state over Trump-backed redistricting" MRT
> EP TIMES: "Why the proposed Texas congressional map may not be a lock to net five new GOP seats" EP TIMES
> KXAN: "Texas Democrats explain quorum breaking, Republicans demand arrests to force Trump-ordered redistricting vote" KXAN
> DMN: "Rangers could be without Josh Jung as crucial stretch vs. left-handed pitchers awaits" DMN
> HOU CHRON: "Wearable technology in Texas high school football is about to change the game" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "High anxiety: The aviation industry is on a wild ride, especially in North Texas" DMN
> HOU CHRON: "Houston daycare owner accused of leaving children in hot car while she shopped" HOU CHRON
> FWST: "13-year-old hides under clothes as mom’s ex shoots siblings, Texas cops say" FWST
> DMN: "Woman killed, 2 hurt during Fort Worth triple shooting, police say" DMN
> HOU CHRON: "A Houston woman's dementia misdiagnosis led to years of frustration" HOU CHRON
> FWST: "Man shot after altercation at birthday party in north Fort Worth, police say" FWST
> FWST: "Officer kills charging dog after fatal mauling at park, California police say" FWST
> MY RGV: "Renaissance kickoff: Brownsville rolls out downtown planning effort" MY RGV
> HOU CHRON: "See what Texas community college leaders earned the most last year" HOU CHRON
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports scores:
Fri
> MLB: Boston 2, Houston 1
> WNBA: Indiana 88, Dallas 78
> MLB: Seattle 4, Texas 3
Sat
> MLB: Boston 7, Houston 3
> MLB: Texas 6, Seattle 4
Sun
> MLB: Boston 6, Houston 1
> MLB: Seattle 5, Texas 4
Mon
> MLB: Houston 8, Miami 2
> WNBA: Dallas at NY
> MLB: Texas 8, New York 5
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
> 5:40pm: MLB: Houston at Miami
> 7:05pm: MLB: New York at Texas
Tomorrow's Texas sports schedule:
> 1:35pm: MLB: New York at Texas
> 3:40pm: MLB: Houston at Miami
DALLAS COWBOYS: "After Cowboys’ internal chess match in camp, Dallas welcomes key litmus test from Rams" DMN ($)
DALLAS COWBOYS: "10 early standouts from Cowboys training camp: CB Kaiir Elam, WR CeeDee Lamb and more" DMN ($)
HOUSTON TEXANS: "A setback for offensive line as Cam Robinson is injured" Hou Chron ($)
TEXAS FOOTBALL: "Texas takes top spot in USA Today preseason coaches poll, leading nine SEC teams" AP
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: "San Antonio Spurs, De’Aaron Fox agree to four-year, $228M extension, AP source says" AP
HOUSTON ASTROS: "Astros' bats erupt for big fourth inning on their way to series-opening rout of Marlins" Hou Chron ($)
HOUSTON ASTROS: "Astros’ Isaac Paredes will rehab hamstring injury instead of undergoing season-ending surgery" AP
TEXAS RANGERS: "Rangers get dramatic swings from two guys who needed it most: Joc Pederson and Josh Jung" DMN ($)
TEXAS RANGERS: "Rangers right-hander Jacob DeGrom is fastest to 1,800 career strikeouts in MLB history" AP
| ||||||||||
