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March 27, 2023 5:18 PM
In hearings last week and today, legislators in the Texas
House and Senate heard arguments for and against bills creating
restrictions for drag shows as well as cracking down
on gender affirming health care for youth. The hearing on Senate Bills 12
and 1601 in Senate State Affairs focused on questions
about what constitutes a drag performance and where they can take place. The House
Public Health Committee hearing on HB 1686 by Insurance
Chairman Dr. Tom Oliverson questioned the science of health care for
transgender youth. Chair Stephanie Klick said that on the Oliverson proposal, she’d
allow for testimony to continue until midnight tonight.
SB 12 by State Affairs Chairman Bryan Hughes would
ban any “a sexually oriented performance” in public where children are present.
SB 1601 would deny state funding to libraries where so-called “drag time story
hours” occur.
Supporters of the bills, including Dr. Steve Hotze,
some pastors, and representatives from the socially conservative group Texas
Values, argued the legislation would prevent children from exposure to
highly sexualized experiences.
But opponents outnumbered supporters by far in both
hearings.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By James Russell
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Copyright March 27, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 27, 2023 9:10 AM
As we first reported this morning, the chatter is getting louder
out of H-Town, where sources indicated that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee over the weekend told attendees at a closed-door event that she is indeed running for mayor. Her remarks have now been confirmed.
As you know, the field for mayor is already crowded and includes Sen. John Whitmire, Chris Hollins, Amanda Edwards,
Gilbert Garcia, Robert Gallegos, Lee Caplan, and others.
Developing…
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Copyright March 27, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 25, 2023 2:26 PM
Subscribers can download a
copy of his resignation letter.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
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Copyright March 25, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 24, 2023 12:50 PM
It appears many Republican senators have seen mail pieces in their districts demanding a vote on vouchers; the speaker’s district has been block walked by the same group complaining about Democratic chairs, attacking local public schools, and demanding “school choice”
A group that appears to be
pretty well financed is targeting GOP Texas
Senate districts with mail pieces promoting school vouchers as championed
by Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. They’re also campaigning
heavily against Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on the
issue.
The group, Young
Americans for Liberty, is telling GOP voters to call their senators including
Pete Flores, Angela Paxton, and Tan Parker and tell them to
“force a vote on school choice.”
Who is behind Young
Americans for Liberty?
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright March 24, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 24, 2023 12:00 PM
"So many of our friends and loved ones have struggled with these diseases,” Mr. Kronberg said. “I could not be more pleased that Scott is helping lead this year’s effort to continue fighting these diseases and hope that you will join us in the effort to end this scourge once and for all.”
As you may know, the
mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is deeply personal
to us at Quorum Report. Harvey Kronberg's wife, Michele
Kronberg, passed away suddenly in 2017 after a leukemia diagnosis. To say
it was devastating would be an understatement. That's why when I was asked to
help raise money to fight blood cancers this year, the choice was clear.
We are doing this.
“Although it was not the
direct cause of my sweet Michele’s passing, it was definitely contributory to
her leaving me way too soon," Mr. Kronberg said. "So many of our
friends and loved ones have struggled with these diseases. I could not be more pleased that Scott is
helping lead this year’s effort to continue fighting these diseases and hope
that you will join us in the effort to end this scourge once and for all.”
This
year, I am proud to participate in the The Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society's Visionaries of the Year campaign as a team member,
working to make the largest impact possible for LLS's mission. Every dollar you
give helps in the fight.
Click
here to donate. Depending on your browser, you may have to right click and open in a new tab.
Thank you so much -SB
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Copyright March 24, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 23, 2023 1:59 PM
From Law.com:
U.S. District Judge
Earl Leroy “Lee” Yeakel III of the Western District of Texas-Austin
Division has given notice of his intent to retire after nearly 20 years of
service. Yeakel, 78, informed President Joe Biden and U.S. Supreme
Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. that he intends to
retire from the office on May 1.
Yeakel was nominated by
President George W. Bush and was confirmed in less than three months by
the Senate on July 28, 2003, receiving his commission the next day. Yeakel is
known for his defenses of abortion rights. In 2013 he ruled that abortion
restrictions enacted by the state were unconstitutional in the case of Whole
Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. Most of his orders in
that case were overturned at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In
2014, Yeakel ruled that the state’s abortion restrictions imposed an undue
burden upon women seeking pre-viability abortions. His rulings were upheld by
the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016.
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Copyright March 23, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 23, 2023 1:44 PM
The amendment by Sen. Gutierrez dealing with online gun sales was found by Patrick to not be germane to a bill that the author says is aimed at cracking down on the use of bots to purchase goods online
There was some unscripted drama
on the floor of the Texas Senate Thursday afternoon after Sen. Roland
Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, tried to attach a gun policy amendment to a bill that
the author says is aimed at cracking down on the use of bots to purchase goods online.
It led to a rare appeal of
the ruling of the Chair.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright March 23, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 22, 2023 4:13 PM
"I cannot emphasize enough that these votes are a rare and powerful opportunity that we have not had in past sessions and will not have in future sessions," HDC Chair Martinez Fischer wrote
As Texas Republican
leaders work to pass priorities that will require two-thirds votes of both the House
and Senate – like increasing the homestead exemption as pushed by
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick or capping property appraisals as preferred by Speaker
Dade Phelan – House Democratic Caucus Chairman Trey
Martinez Fischer argues an opportunity exists for legislators in his party
to create serious leverage in other discussions.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright March 22, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 22, 2023 2:37 PM
Chair Leach and gaming companies point out $7 billion in illegal sports bets are already placed in Texas annually; groups like Texas Values and the Southern Baptist Convention argue "The more you legalize something, the more you have of it”
Facing strong but
respectful disagreement from social conservatives including Southern Baptists, Texas
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeff Leach on Wednesday laid
out his proposed legislation to legalize sports betting in House State
Affairs.
Of course, it didn’t take long
for certain conservative groups to weigh in against the effort which would take
a state constitutional amendment and the required two-thirds votes of both the House
and Senate that go along with this kind of change. This past
weekend, it became perhaps clearer than ever just how hard supermajority
support would be to achieve when the Texas House Freedom Caucus
reiterated the group’s opposition to any expansion of gambling whether it is in
the form of sports betting, casinos, or anything else.
“This is corporate welfare
at its worst by giving special privileges to existing wealthy and woke
professional sports and gambling businesses,” the caucus said. “This isn’t a
free market, and not worth the harm to families in Texas that comes from
gambling addiction.” Setting aside the silly language about “woke” sports franchises,
that’s a baker’s dozen of House Republicans declaring they are hard “no” votes on
gambling.
But on Wednesday, Chairman
Leach looked undeterred.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright March 22, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 22, 2023 11:18 AM
“Solicitor General Judd Stone told the Supreme Court it’s not the agency’s fault that lawmakers may not fund the $3.3 million settlement this year”
The
story from Dallas Morning News reporter Lauren McGaughy
The Office of Texas
Attorney General Ken Paxton says a group of whistleblowers who sued the
agency should have known it could take years to get legislative approval to
fund their proposed settlement.
In a response filed with
the Supreme Court of Texas on Monday, Solicitor General Judd
Stone argued it’s not the agency’s fault that lawmakers may not fund the $3.3
million settlement this year and accused the four whistleblowers of
“coordinating with the media” to influence the negotiations. “Respondents knew
and should have known that such approval would likely be controversial and
could take at least one additional legislative session,” Stone wrote.
“Respondents also should have known that large settlements or judgments can
lead to disputes.”
“Nevertheless, respondents
agreed to a binding [settlement] ‘contingent upon all necessary approvals for
funding’ without a timing provision,” he added.
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Copyright March 22, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 21, 2023 3:24 PM
Law enforcement on scene estimated roughly 200 in attendance; former Gov. Perry is now a spokesman for parental empowerment but stops short of endorsing vouchers, TASB poll shows the more people hear about vouchers, the less they like ‘em
One day ahead of what's
sure to be a marathon Texas Senate hearing on the school voucher
proposal backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a new poll shows that the
"more Texans learn about voucher programs, the less likely they are to
support them."
The Texas
Association of School Boards released the poll on the same day Gov. Greg
Abbott headlined a pro-voucher rally on the north steps of the Texas
Capitol. Despite organizers’ efforts to bus people in from San Antonio
and Houston, law enforcement on the scene estimated that about 200 people were
in attendance in weather that could be described as barely inclement.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright March 21, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 20, 2023 7:39 PM
Rep. Slawson pushes House priority bill to crack down on algorithms that can be “most addictive to the developing minds of children.” But the parent company of Facebook argues there are “lots of algorithms that we use to keep young people safe on our platforms”
Therapists, teachers, mental health professionals, and
representatives from social media companies lined up Monday in front of the Select
Youth Health and Safety Committee to discuss Rep. Shelby Slawson’s
House Bill 18 – the leadership’s priority bill on safety of
children online.
Also known as the Securing Children Online Through
Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, the bill is designed to protect youth
from what advocates describe as dangerous algorithms.
“In the new scope of online social interaction, the very
worst elements of society have taken root,” Rep. Slawson said in her layout.
“And the kids in our state have seen increased rates of self-harm, suicide,
substance abuse, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and other mental
health issues.”
What's worse, Slawson said, is that platforms collect vast
amounts of data while giving parents little recourse to intervene.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By James Russell
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Copyright March 20, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 20, 2023 5:53 PM
The Texas House Public Health Committee on Monday
took up several bills targeting vaccine requirements and a bill commissioning a
study of the COVID-19 vaccine.
As you can imagine, each was contentious in its own way.
The bipartisan House Bill 44 by Rep. Valoree
Swanson would kick doctors off Medicaid if they refused to see
patients based on their vaccination status. But Republican and Democratic committee
members remained skeptical, concerned that the intent was anti-vaccination and
could upend vaccinations.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By James Russell
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Copyright March 20, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 20, 2023 1:10 PM
“The real agenda is community censorship to make it easier to sabotage — and privatize — our public schools.”
As Gov. Greg Abbott
prepares this week to reportedly pay for bus loads of “school choice” activists
to descend on the Texas Capitol, the head of the Texas
Association of School Boards on Monday sought to rally school board
members from across the state against the voucher proposal set to be heard in a
Senate committee.
In an open letter to
school board members across all 254 counties, TASB Executive Director Dan Troxell
wrote that attacks on public schools have reached an apex and the stakes couldn’t
be higher.
The rest of the story, subscribers only
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright March 20, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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March 20, 2023 11:28 AM
Rep. Chris Turner was the lone "no" vote
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Copyright March 20, 2023, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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