April 10, 2024 1:22 PM Some Texas lawmakers and business leaders urge the Biden administration to authorize work permits for migrants It all coincides with the legal challenges around Senate Bill 4; Rep. Anchia said “to decrease illegal immigration, we must increase legal immigration” Elected
officials, students, and immigration reform activists joined Woody Hunt,
Senior Chairman of Hunt Companies of El Paso and a Republican
megadonor, in urging the Biden administration to on expand work authorization
for immigrants. A news
conference on the issue unfolded Tuesday as the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of
Appeals considered the constitutionality of SB4 allowing state
and local law enforcement in Texas to arrest and initiate deportation
proceedings against people they suspect of “unlawful presence” in the United States.
Yolanda
Batz, a Dreamer and University of Houston student, wants
to be a nurse but she can’t without a work permit. The law
already pushed her further into the shadows, she said, adding that she is “petrified”
over the idea that SB4 could be enforced. The rest of the story, subscribers only By James Russell |
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April 9, 2024 4:21 PM Paxton to face off in court with Harris County leadership over program to put public funds in the hands of individuals Paxton says a “guaranteed income” program is “plainly unconstitutional”; in Houston, County Attorney Christian Menefee fires back “Republican leaders in Austin should be finding ways to improve the lives of all Texans, instead of blocking local government from helping people” Citing
the portion of the Texas Constitution prohibiting tax dollars
from flowing to individuals, Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday
announced his office is suing Harris County leaders over their plan to offer “guaranteed
income” for some Houston area families. Under
the program unveiled by County Judge Lina Hidalgo last year, the county
would randomly pick roughly 2,000 families to receive cash payments of $500 per
month for nearly 2 years. That money would come from the more than $20 million
in federal funds received by the county as part of the American Rescue
Plan passed by Congress in response to the pandemic. Earlier
this year Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, sent
this letter asking Paxton's office whether the program was constitutional. In
social media posts and elsewhere, Sen. Bettencourt called the proposal “lottery
socialism.” The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
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April 8, 2024 1:11 PM 23 members and candidates release their plan for restricting the way the Speaker of the Texas House is electedThey're calling it a "Contract with Texas" Saying
the last session was “marked by obstruction, dysfunction, and a lack of fundamental
fairness in application of the House’s rules,” a baker’s dozen House members
and candidates on Monday released their plan for restricting the way the speaker
is chosen. The
group headed up by Rep. Brian Harrison and others said “the future of
our state is on the line” and argued that “the message of last month’s
primaries was self-evident and sent a clear message that business as usual is
not acceptable.” The rest of the story, subscribers only |
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April 5, 2024 3:37 PM People on the MoveStaffer moves, lobby moves, appointments, a retirement, and more Are
you ready for the eclipse? Apparently,
the whole world is converging on the I-35 corridor and some other parts of
Texas this weekend – as if the traffic on 35 isn’t bad enough – to check out the
event on Monday. Just remember: Use those glasses and don’t look right at the
sun. You
might be surprised at some of the people who need to be reminded of that. It
was great to see so many of you this week in Nacogdoches at the Lone
Start Legislative Summit. There was a very nice tribute to outgoing
Rep. Travis Clardy, who will be missed in Austin and is still loved at
home. I also had a great time speaking with North Texas leaders at the Dallas
Regional Mobility Coalition lunch meeting earlier today at the NTTA
headquarters. Thanks so much for having me. Meantime,
there’s some pretty significant career news to tell you about in the Texas
Capitol community. You might think folks know where you’re headed. But
the way to know it is to have it appear in Quorum Report. That
applies to your friends and adversaries, by the way.
Send the scoop to ksbraddock@gmail.com
and use POTM in the subject line. Please and thank you. Here’s
the latest edition of People on the move. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
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April 5, 2024 3:34 PM Club for Growth makes six-figure investment in support of Brent Hagenbuch in SD 30 runoff
From
the Club for Growth announcement: Club
for Growth Action announced it is committing six figures to support Brent
Hagenbuch in Texas’ State Senate District 30 runoff election. President Donald
Trump, Governor Greg Abbott, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick have all
endorsed Hagenbuch in the race. “For
too long, too many self-proclaimed ‘republicans’ have been elected to the Texas
State Legislature with zero interest in supporting the same pro-growth
legislation, like school freedom, that true conservatives have championed not
only in Texas, but across the country,” said Club for Growth Action President
David McIntosh. “Families in the Lone Star State deserve better, and we will
not rest until every Texan has access to the quality education their children
deserve.” |
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April 4, 2024 1:32 PM Texas Monthly unearths the way TPPF got its property tax exemption on its downtown Austin building“The approval of the property tax determination letter was not a judgment call by upper management. . . It was clearly favoritism and a misuse of the law,” said a former employee of the comptroller The
story from Forest Wilder and Russell Gold finds that the Texas Public
Policy Foundation convinced the state comptroller that it should be
exempt from paying taxes on its lavish headquarters because it conducts
“scholarly scientific research.” |
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April 4, 2024 11:56 AM Covey considering debate challenge after Speaker Phelan threw down the gauntletBut Covey says it's Phelan who hasn't wanted to appear alongside him since the beginning of the campaign Speaker
Dade Phelan's GOP challenger David Covey says he is considering whether
to join Phelan onstage in Beaumont next month in what would be their first televised
debate. "I
am deeply committed to telling the truth about my record and vision for House
District 21 and believe that Southeast Texas voters are owed the opportunity to
make an informed choice – especially in such a pivotal, high-stakes runoff
election,” Phelan said in a written statement after he accepted the invitation
from Fox 4 television in Beaumont-Port Arthur. The rest of the story, subscribers only |
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April 3, 2024 10:31 AM Club for Growth launches runoff air assault on Speaker PhelanNew TV ad from the DC-based group calls Phelan a "Democtat in Disguise" |
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Copyright April 10, 2024, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved 