Good morning,

Just two weeks left in a year that cannot end soon enough! Are you ready for 2021?

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Modify your email preferences [[link removed]].

Let’s face it: 2020 has been a uniquely bad year for a lot of people. We’ve all had moments of using, um, colorful adjectives to describe it. So as the year comes to a close, I’m doing a little experiment. Specifically, I’m curious what one word [[link removed]] stands out to you in describing 2020. Good or bad, positive or negative, a name or place…?

Rather than email it, please follow the link [[link removed]] to tell me what (family-friendly!) word comes to mind in describing [[link removed]] 2020. I had a conversation yesterday with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar about the state of our economy, the impact of the economic shutdown on the biennial budget, and what he is advising lawmakers as they make their spending plans.

As the CFO for state government, Hegar contends Texas’ economic situation isn’t as dire as predicted during the summer, but still cautions lawmakers to be conservative – and cautious – in their budget planning.

You can watch the interview [[link removed]] on our website, or listen to it as part of the Texas Scorecard Conversations podcast series [[link removed]]. Ahead of Saturday’s special election runoff in Texas Senate District 30, Republicans Shelley Luther and Drew Springer met in a debate hosted by radio show host Chris Salcedo. Luther and Springer each earned 32 percent of the vote in the six-way September 29 special election, sending them to this runoff.

Erin Anderson reports [[link removed]] the debate covered four key issues: election integrity, school choice, taxpayer-funded lobbying, and property taxes.

Springer, an incumbent state representative from Muenster, has the backing of Austin lobbyists and establishment Republicans. Luther is a political newcomer who rose to national prominence this year by opposing the economic shutdown ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott. Luther was briefly jailed for her stance, though released by order of the Supreme Court. Conservatives went one for two in Tuesday night’s important runoffs for two Austin City Council seats, taking out a Democrat ringleader of the city’s recent far-left turn. Adam Cahn reports [[link removed]] political newcomer Mackenzie Kelly upset incumbent Jimmy Flannigan by a vote of 52 to 48 percent. Meanwhile, incumbent Allison Alter barely survived a challenge from Jennifer Virden. Both seats are in the northwestern part of the city.

The election results capped a contentious year-long local debate in Austin over homelessness and public safety – with those issues deeply at play in the runoffs for both seats. The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously this week to purchase the Pier 1 building at 100 Energy Way to serve as the new city hall. Robert Montoya reports [[link removed]] the vote added $100 million of new taxpayer-backed debt—$69.5 million for the building itself, and the rest for renovations.

According to data from the Office of the Texas Comptroller, Fort Worth had a debt [[link removed]] of over $2 billion last year – or, $2,202 per resident. Statistics and polling expert Jim Ellis has broken down Texas’ 2020 election returns in a new commentary [[link removed]]. With projections that the Lone Star State will receive an additional three congressional seats as a result of reapportionment, Ellis predicts “a major political fight” in the months ahead.

“Despite predictions of a ‘blue wave’ hitting Texas and putting the state in play for Joe Biden, Republicans once again swept the competitive races.” – Jim Ellis [[link removed]] In a new commentary, Rachel Bovard looks at the unprecedented power [[link removed]] that has been concentrated in the hands of “big tech” – and the nearly bulletproof legal shield that they claim.

“A handful of Big Tech companies are now controlling the flow of most information in a free society, and they are doing so aided and abetted by government policy. That these are merely private companies exercising their First Amendment rights is a reductive framing which ignores that they do so in a manner that is privileged—they are immune to liabilities to which other First Amendment actors like newspapers are subject—and also that these content moderation decisions occur at an extraordinary and unparalleled scale.” – Rachel Bovard

As a nonprofit news organization serving Texas’ grassroots, we rely on special donations and recurring monthly contributions. Help us end the year [[link removed]] in a strong position to help citizens be informed – and keep score – throughout the legislative session.

Today in History

On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully conducted the first heavier-than-air, controlled aircraft flight. Orville flew 120 feet for 12 seconds along the beach near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Later in the day, Wilbur flew the craft for nearly a minute, traveling 850 feet.

Number of the Day

762,890,446,427​

Number of domestic miles flown by U.S. passengers in 2019.

[Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics [[link removed]]]

Quote-Unquote

“If you can walk away from a landing, it’s a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it’s an outstanding landing.”

– Chuck Yeager​

Your Federal & State Lawmakers

U.S. Senator

John Cornyn - R

(202) 224-2934

U.S. Senator

Ted Cruz - R

(202) 224-5922

Governor of Texas

Greg Abbott - R

(512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor

Dan Patrick - R

(512) 463-0001

U.S. House, District

Update your address so we can show your congressman [[link removed]] -



Texas Senate, District

Update your address so we can show your state senator [[link removed]] -



Texas House, District

Update your address so we can display your state rep [[link removed]] -



Something not right?

Make sure we have your address right [[link removed]]!

Manage / Update Your Email Preferences [[link removed]] Request A Speaker [[link removed]] Contribute [[link removed]] A product of Texas Scorecard

www.TexasScorecard.com

(888) 410-1836

PO Box 248, Leander, TX 78646

PO Box 700981, Dallas, TX 75370

PO Box 12862, Odessa TX 79768 Produced by Michael Quinn Sullivan and Brandon Waltens, the Texas Minute is a quick look at the news and info of the day we find interesting, and hope you do as well. It is delivered weekday mornings (though we'll take the occasional break for holidays and whatnot).

This message was originally sent to:

John xxxxxx |

If you ever stop receiving our emails, it might be because someone unintentionally removed you from the list. No worries; it is easy enough to reactivate your subscription immediately on our website.

[link removed]

Before you click the link below... If someone forwarded this email to you, clicking the link will end the subscription of [email protected]. Unsubscribe [link removed]