Good morning!

So, basically, two Democrats announced yesterday they aren’t coming back to the Legislature.

Get the details in today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Thursday, September 23, 2021
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Fox News’ Carlson Blasts Abbott On Border Situation

• Fox News host Tucker Carlson is calling out Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for failing to call National Guard troops to the southern border and refusing to come onto his program, one of the highest-rated in cable news television.
   
• “And we’ve asked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott many times to come on this show to explain why he hasn’t called the National Guard to seal the Texas border and protect the rest of us from this invasion. Greg Abbott has refused to come on [the show] repeatedly. So pretty soon, possibly tomorrow, we plan to invite his primary opponents on the show to describe what they would do if they ran Texas. That might be an interesting conversation.” – Tucker Carlson
   
• Sorry, Tucker, but Gov. Abbott doesn’t really like to take hard questions.

New Items: Property Tax Relief And Bail Reform

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has added additional agenda items for consideration during the ongoing third special legislative session. As Jeramy Kitchen reminds us, the special session began Sept. 20 and could last until Oct. 19, 2021.
   
• The governor expanded the agenda to include property tax relief and a proposed constitutional amendment related to bail reform. The first surprises no one, since members of both the Senate and House have expressed frustration – driven by grassroots activists – that property tax relief has been completely ignored by the GOP-dominated legislature in 2021.
   
• Bail reform has been a priority for Abbott all year, with the issue finding minimal legislative support. Statutory changes to the state’s bail system were made during the second special session in August, but a constitutional amendment failed to advance.
   
• It is notable that Gov. Abbott did not add the remaining legislative priorities of his own party to the agenda. Those legislative priorities include things like a ban on the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying, protecting monuments, or the prohibition of gender modification on children.
      
• Abbott’s special session agenda does, though, contain new regulations on dog tethering.

Maps Changing: Here’s Why

• This third special session of the  legislature is principally devoted to redrawing U.S. House district lines, as well as those for the State Board of Education, Texas Senate, and Texas House. Why?
     
• As Sydnie Henry explains, it all comes down to population. Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts the constitutionally mandated count of the population. From that, representational borders are changed to accommodate population growth and shifts. For example, Texas is gaining two seats in the U.S. House.

Democrat-Enabler Leaving House …

• Just one week after being censured by his home county GOP, State Rep. Chris Paddie (R–Marshall) announced yesterday he won’t seek re-election to the Texas House. Brandon Waltens has the story.
   
• The Harrison County Republican Party approved a resolution to censure the lawmaker, saying their resolution’s purpose was to “demonstrate the widespread dissatisfaction with the lack of representation we have received by Chris Paddie, and the solidarity of the grassroots in opposition to his continued status as our elected representative.”
   
• Paddie accused those pushing the resolution as “trying to tear apart the Republican Party.” House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) called the censure “absurd.”
   
• Now, Phelan and House Democrats will be looking for a new Republican to carry their water and undermine conservative priorities.

… Actual Democrat Also Leaving

• Democrat State Rep. Celia Israel (Austin) also announced yesterday that she would not seek re-election to the Texas House District 50 seat she has held since 2015. Instead, she will be forming an exploratory committee for the 2022 Austin mayoral race. She is a member of the newly formed “Progressive Caucus” in the House, and a founding member of the House LGBTQ Caucus.
   
• Check out Jeramy Kitchen’s report.

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