May 4, 2026 2:30 PM Democratic backed candidates surge in local elections across Texas while the right wing suffers losses on school boardsIt’s another data point in a midterm when Democrats show signs of ascendancy; an exception was overperformance by Republicans in a special election to succeed former Sen. Creighton in Southeast Texas Billions
of dollars, book bans, and local leadership were on the ballot over the
weekend. And if it was fair to say that local elections were leading indicators
back when right wing candidates and causes were victorious in these contests,
it’s just as fair to say the same with Democrats surging and right-wing
candidates losing at the ballot box across Texas. Let’s
start with school board elections. Democrats
backed and campaigned for candidates in suburban school districts and won big. The rest of the story, subscribers only By James Russell |
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May 4, 2026 2:00 PM Breaking with tradition, Speaker Burrows set to address delegates at the Republican Party of Texas ConventionGrumbling about Burrows from groups like the True Texas Project was met with praise for the speaker from some on the SREC, who called it a "HUGE step forward to unite the party for November…” First, let’s
stipulate that the Republican Party of Texas – the entity itself,
not to be confused with the majority of voters across
the state – has long been a mess of an organization. That’s been truer at
certain times and under various chairmen than others. At this
point it seems like the last time Texas Republicans were truly unified, they
were the minority party in this state. Unlike previous presiding officers of
the Texas House, Speaker Dustin Burrows has made it a
priority to make peace with and within the RPT and pass as many of the party’s priorities
as possible even after winning the gavel with the help of Democrats last year. Some conservative
activists will never forgive him for that, but their numbers seem to be dwindling. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
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May 3, 2026 6:45 PM Abbott's political consultant issues not so thinly veiled threat to lobbyists with public and private sector clients “…lobbyists who trash the top lege priority next session (property taxes) with their secret dinners…should get on board or their other clients must just drop your firm,” Dave Carney said. Meantime, budget writers have privately been warned by Lt. Gov. Patrick that a budget deficit could be looming, per multiple Texas Senate sources, further complicating the governor’s plans There have
always been threats and intimidation at the Texas Capitol, but
things seem to be moving to another level. Around 11am
on Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott’s political mastermind Dave Carney
issued a not so thinly veiled threat against lobbyists who might be pointing
out various weaknesses in the vague but sweeping property tax proposals put
forward by the state’s chief executive in his bid for reelection. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
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May 2, 2026 7:25 PM Longtime Montgomery County DA Brett Ligon declares victory in special election to succeed former Sen. Creighton in the Texas Senate Early returns showed Ligon up 75 to 25 over Democrat Ron Angeletti |
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May 1, 2026 3:01 PM People on the MoveStaffer moves, big appointments, a significant departure, and more It was an emotionally
taxing week, to be understated about it. The
outpouring of concern from all of you amid everything else that’s going on is
an incredible reminder that the Texas Capitol really is a
community and that not everyone understands that. But y’all
do. Tonight,
on the Quorum Report Radio podcast you’ll hear a tribute to the
late Chad Hasty along with a deep dive into what may happen next after
this week’s landmark ruling on redistricting. And a tip of the hat to Lt. Gov. Dan
Patrick for his work in the saga of the families still grieving after the
tragedy last year at Camp Mystic. You can find links to listen to
the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify on the
Quorum Report homepage. Of course, the show’s available on all other podcast
apps as well. There are
a few significant career moves to pass along to you this week. That’s what People
on the Move is all about. The career news usually tends to slow down a bit
as we move toward the summer months so feel free to send anything you think I
might have missed to ksbraddock@gmail.com.
If you use “POTM” in the subject line, it’s a huge help. Thank you
and here’s the latest edition. The rest of the story, subscribers only By Scott Braddock |
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April 30, 2026 1:09 PM Camp Mystic withdraws application to host campers this summer
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April 30, 2026 12:27 PM Chad Hasty passed awayLongtime conservative radio host on KFYO and other stations was a Texas Capitol favorite. He will be dearly missed – SB This
statement was just released by News/Talk 95.1 & 970 KFYO and Townsquare
Media: We are deeply
saddened to share the news that longtime host, beloved personality and Lubbock
institution Chad Hasty passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday morning.
He was 43 years old. Chad
joined Lubbock radio in 2003 and soon became the voice of KFYO's morning show.
In 2021, The Chad Hasty Show moved to late afternoons, where he continued
informing and entertaining audiences across the region. Whether cutting through
the news of the day or interviewing some of the most prominent political
figures in the state and country, Chad always delivered an engaging and
thought-provoking show for his loyal listeners. In 2011,
Chad married his wife, Jennifer, and the two shared a love of travel and
exploring new places together. He and Jennifer had recently become foster
parents — a meaningful milestone he embraced with characteristic warmth and
dedication. Townsquare
Media Lubbock's Market President Dan Endom shares: "We are stunned and
heartbroken by the sudden passing of our beloved KFYO family member, Chad
Hasty. Chad was not only a brilliant on-air host, but an even better friend.
Our deepest condolences go out to Jennifer and his baby girl, Ava. It's hard to
imagine not seeing his welcoming presence roaming the halls of Townsquare Media
Lubbock." Chad was a
native of Grand Prairie, Texas, and a proud graduate of Texas Tech University. |
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April 29, 2026 11:24 AM Multiple sources say long time transportation boss Michael Morris was fired from the North Central Texas Council of Governments
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April 29, 2026 9:38 AM In Louisiana case, US Supreme Court deals major blow to Voting Rights Act just as Florida takes up redistrictingA huge victory for the GOP while Democrats and voting rights advocates call the decision "intellectually dishonest and wrong" Via the NPR
News Desk in DC: The U.S.
Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision along partisan lines, ruled that Louisiana's
2024 election map, which created a second majority-Black congressional
district, was "an unconstitutional racial gerrymander." Although
the court kept Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act intact, Wednesday's decision
all but guts the landmark law that came out of the Civil Rights Movement and
protected the collective voting power of racial minorities when political maps
are redrawn. It isn't
yet clear how the decision will affect November's midterms. Primaries are well
underway in most states. Once
considered the jewel in the crown of the civil rights movement, the Voting
Rights Act has been largely dismembered since 2013 by the increasingly
conservative Supreme Court. The major exception was a decision just two years
ago that upheld the section of the law aimed at ensuring that minority voters
are not shut out of the process of drawing new congressional district lines. |
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April 28, 2026 4:00 PM Owners of Camp Mystic apologize to families of flooding victims but Texas lawmakers argue it is too little too lateSenators Perry and Kolkhorst were particularly hard on the Eastlands, who said to the families: “We tried our hardest that night and it wasn’t enough to save your daughters…We were devastated alongside you.” While arguing
they did their best, family members in charge of Camp Mystic
apologized to the families of the 27 girls who died at the camp as a result of the July 4, 2025, floods during the second
day of a hearing examining what exactly went wrong that fateful weekend. But the
apologies were not enough for lawmakers gathered for a joint Texas House
and Texas Senate committee hearing, who asked pointed questions
about gaps in communication, training and ability to run the camp going
forward. While the
historic Guadalupe River floods took the lives of an estimated 140 people
across Central Texas, the all-girls Christian summer camp has been the focus of
the hearing, including a detailed report presented by investigator Casey
Garrett the previous day. “I think
about the night of the flood every moment of every day,” said a tearful Edward
Eastland, whose father Dick also died in the floodwaters. The rest of the story, subscribers only By James Russell |
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April 28, 2026 10:44 AM Kronberg says Iran War could cause headaches for Texas budget writers in 2027On Texas Capital Tonight, QR Publisher Harvey Kronberg covered that plus the immigration fight Gov. Abbott picked with Houston, Dallas, and Austin |
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April 28, 2026 10:35 AM New digital ad from Cornyn slams Paxton on a Taxpayer-Funded Albanian Scandal
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April 27, 2026 3:50 PM Texas lawmakers receive disturbing findings from investigators of the Hill Country flooding tragedyTestimony included descriptions of cruel prank calls to parents who lost their daughters in the flood; Lt. Gov. Patrick has called for Camp Mystic to lose its license but conspicuously quiet about most of it is Gov. Abbott while some of his former appointees represent the camp Camp
Mystic had no
evacuation plan, college-age counselors were untrained for emergencies, and
staff failed to take opportunities to evacuate during last year’s tragedy on
site. That’s according to a report presented to the Texas House
and Senate committees investigating the camp and other problems
that occurred in response to the July 2025 floods. While the
historic Guadalupe River floods took the lives of an estimated 140 people
across Central Texas, the all-girls Christian summer camp, where 27 girls died and
founder Dick Eastland died, has come under intense scrutiny. The Texas
Rangers recently visited the site, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has
called for its license not to be renewed. Conspicuously
silent about most of this, though, has been Gov. Greg Abbott, whose former
appointees David Whitley and John Scott now represent the camp. As the General
Investigating Senate Committee on July 2025 Flooding Events Chair Pete
Flores said plainly: “This tragedy could have been prevented.” The rest of the story, subscribers only By James Russell |
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April 27, 2026 8:55 AM US Supreme Court reverses El Paso federal court, leaving new Texas Congressional map in place
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Copyright May 04, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved 