Riots, the Mob, and “They” vs “We”
2) Excuses – As with prior riots, I have become tired of the excuse-making by those who are in support of the rioters. Thinking your cause justifies violence is dangerous no matter what the cause. Full stop.
3) Blame – I am also disgusted by those who paint half of the country with a broad brush based on the actions of a few.
4) They – “They” has become the most dangerous word in politics. By using “they” we take the worst examples from any group and then assign their actions as being representative of the whole group. The violent actions of the rioters in DC were the actions of the rioters in DC. They are not representative of half the country. The violent actions last year by the rioters in Portland and other cities are the actions of the rioters in Portland and other cities. They are not representative of half the country.
5) We – We Americans have much more in common than we have differences. We live in one of the most culturally diverse and most wealthy countries in the world. We have freedoms that most people dream about and yet take them for granted. Never in the history of the world have a people had so much and thought they had so little.
6) Unfortunately, we live in a time where everyone can curate their news to tickle their ears and make sure they keep their cognitive biases happy and unchallenged. We feel contempt for others who don’t see the world the way we do, which makes us feel better about ourselves (though oddly makes us feel worse about the world).
Money, money, money!
Priorities, Preparation, and Politics Today
New Session, New Speaker, New Rules
-
On Tuesday, January 12th, for the 87th time in the history of our great state, the Texas Legislature convened for its 140-day long, biennial legislative session. It is my honor to represent the amazing folks of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Foard, Knox, and Wichita Counties (aka House District 69) for the 5th time.This session is shaping up to be unlike any session before due to the realities of working in the midst of Covid-19. There will be difficult choices to make as we grapple with the budgetary impact of the virus – and government response to it – on the economy (and therefore state revenues). We will also be dealing with the logistical issues that arise when we have the need to stay safe and provide transparency in a situation where members have vastly different views of the risks of Covid.As always, the first day of session began in the House with the election of the Speaker of the House. Dade Phelan, my colleague from Beaumont, was overwhelmingly elected as the new Speaker. I know Dade to be a good, fair man who believes that conservative answers work best for the people of the state. Wednesday and Thursday were spent voting on the rules that will govern the Texas House during this session (as every session stands on its own).The next two to three weeks will bring a lull to most members, as the Speaker is now tasked with the incredibly important job of quickly and intelligently organizing the House into committees that will hear and act on the bills that will define the session over the coming months.My staff and I have been working during the interim on our legislative agenda and have already filed 5 bills that we hope to see passed in the coming session. Below, you will find a brief explainer for each of these bills. If you want to see more details of the bills, you can click on the link to read the text of the bill or you are welcome to reach out to my office with any questions you may have.Next week, we will provide a preview of the issues that we believe will gain the most attention over the next 137 days (but who’s counting?).
On a personal note, session always provides special challenges for my family and for the other men and women that serve in the Legislature. I would sincerely appreciate prayers for elected officials, our families, and the deliberations and decisions that will be made over the coming months.
It’s Game Time, Early Voting, & All the Way Down the Ballot
-
President – Trump/Biden/Jorgensen/Hawkins
-
US Senator – Cornyn/Hegar/McKennon
-
US Rep, Dist. 13 – Jackson/Trujillo/Westbrook
-
Railroad Commissioner – Wright/Castaneda/Strerett
-
Chief Justice, Supreme Court – Hecht/Meachum/Ash
-
Justice Supreme Court, Place 6 – Bland/Cheng
-
Justice Supreme Court, Place 7 – Boyd/Williams/Strange
-
Justice Supreme Court, Place 8 – Busby/Triana/Oxford
-
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 – Richardson/Frizell
-
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 – Yeary/Clinton
-
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 – Newell/Birmingham
-
State Board of Education, District 15 – Johnson/Betancourt
-
State Representative, District 69 – Frank
- Archer – http://www.co.archer.tx.us/page/archer.Elections
- Baylor – http://www.co.baylor.tx.us/page/baylor.County.Clerk
- Clay – https://www.co.clay.tx.us/electionsadmin
- Foard – http://www.foardcounty.texas.gov/upload/page/9439/2020/img-201009125724.pdf
- Knox – https://www.knoxcountytexas.org/docs/20201006_145846.pdf
- Wichita – https://wichitacountytx.com/download/early-voting-locations-2/?wpdmdl=3068&refresh=5f85f957cedf71602615639
- Archer – http://www.co.archer.tx.us/page/archer.Elections
- Baylor – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yHZrLcmmywexnGPT2cgl08g-ljMgP2Ba/view?usp=sharing
- Clay – https://www.co.clay.tx.us/electionsadmin
- Foard – County Clerk – 940.684.1365
- Knox – https://www.knoxcountytexas.org
- Wichita – https://wichitacountytx.com/download/sample-ballot-general-election/?wpdmdl=3074&refresh=5f85fa97019011602615959
Endorsement for Drew Springer for Senate District 30
Beginning this Monday, September 14 through Tuesday, September 29, voting will be taking place for the Texas State Senate spot that includes all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita Counties (along with others not in my house district). This race will determine who fills the State Senate seat currently occupied by Pat Fallon. It is tremendously important for the people in these three counties to participate in big numbers in this election to make sure that we are well-represented in the Texas Senate by someone who knows this area when the Legislature convenes in January.
The Election, Redistricting, and What To Do to Keep Texas from Turning Blue
-
Vote
-
Encourage others to vote (especially in areas with competitive races)
-
Donate to candidates in key races
-
Volunteer
2020 Early Voting Announcement
- President – Donald Trump
- US Senator – John Cornyn
- US Representative District 13 – See comments below
- Railroad Commissioner – Ryan Sitton
- Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 – Bert Richardson
New Year, Running Unopposed and CPS Review
As some of you may know, I have been blessed this year to be unopposed in both the Republican primary election and in the general election in November. That means that I will be “reelected” as your state representative for another two year term (2021-22). The best part of being unopposed is that it allows me to use the next 11 months to dig in on policy work as we prepare for the next legislative session.
End of Session Recap Part 2 – Income Tax & Health Care
Every session feels a little different as you get drawn into different issues and responsibilities. The 86th was one that was defined, for me, by my committee responsibilities and the world of healthcare that they encompassed. It’s an incredibly important policy arena and, while the learning curve is steep, I am very glad that I was able to dig in during this session (and in the upcoming interim).
There may be no more important issue to Texans and how they interact with their government than on healthcare. It is a vital issue but one too often characterized by overwhelming bureaucracy, bad information, high costs, and political fear-mongering. Also, to a large degree, healthcare and health insurance (not the same thing) policy is driven at the federal government level, leaving the state a smaller room for policy maneuvering.
In this newsletter, we have highlighted the major legislation that came through the Human Services and Public Health Committees on which I served. While by no means exhaustive (Human Services had 285 bills referred to it; Public Health had 360), it is intended to provide a window into many of the issues my staff and I worked on. We have also provided a brief synopsis of HJR 38 which will, if approved by voters in November, prohibit the imposition of a state income tax in Texas.
It has been fantastic to be back home now for over a month. Hope to run into you in the district soon!
May God bless you and your family,
… this is an excerpt from Newsletter dated April 22, 2018