Riots, the Mob, and “They” vs “We”
From January 8, 2021
I rarely comment on federal issues. This is an intentional choice by me to resist the temptation to weigh in on every drama, both real and perceived, that is taking place in DC and played out in the media. I do this because: 1) I can’t typically impact these decisions; 2) I often don’t have sufficient information to intelligently comment; and 3) there are countless other sources for constituents to find out about national issues (that is not the case with state issues).
However, the events in DC on Tuesday are so consequential that I feel I must weigh in (on the off chance that anyone is listening).
1) The mob that attacked the US Capitol on Tuesday should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Their actions were far from patriotic, were inexcusable and have no place in a civilized country. Those who participated in the violence must be dealt with severely.
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).
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).
We must do better if we want to live together in peace.
May God bless you and your family,
James B. Frank
Money, money, money!
Thanks to the wisdom of past Texas leaders, our state constitution requires the Legislature to pass a balanced budget every two years. While this constraint means that we must make tough choices on which programs to fund, it ultimately forces us to be good stewards of the state’s resources. In Texas, we don’t have the option of putting off necessary, difficult budget decisions by borrowing more money. The US Congress could certainly benefit from such a requirement, but that’s another story.
As we progress further into the 87th Legislative Session, we begin the process of creating and approving the state’s budget for the next two years. This edition of our weekly newsletter will provide an overview of the budget-building process, including a step-by-step explainer of how the budget works its way through the Legislature.
The process begins with the Comptroller’s Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE). Essentially, this estimate lets the Legislature know how much money we have available to spend. While early projections from months ago appeared bleak due to economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the current estimate paints a picture that is much less grim.
Following the Comptroller’s report, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) released their budgetary recommendations. This 1,000 page document will act as the starting point for our discussions. You can view the entire document here.
With the Biennial Revenue Estimate and the Legislative Budget Board’s recommendations in hand, the Legislature can now begin to draft, debate, and approve the final budget. This process can be lengthy and confusing, but will hopefully conclude with a budget that puts the needs of Texans first without raising taxes. Below, you can find a more in-depth breakdown of what to expect as the Legislature creates the budget.
May God bless you and your family,
James B. Frank
Priorities, Preparation, and Politics Today
In the midst of a fairly busy national news week, including the Presidential Inauguration, the Texas Legislature is in the organization and preparation phase of the 140-day session. While we wait for committee assignments, my staff and I have been working on our priorities, filing legislation, and preparing for the busy days ahead.
For example, this week I introduced HB 1210, which would ensure earlier notification when new wind energy projects potentially endanger military missions. There is still some work left to do on this bill, but I’m hopeful it can continue the work Texas has done to protect national security and the economic importance of military bases.
I’d also mention that despite all of the talk regarding possible protests and riots at the Texas Capitol, there were, thankfully, no major incidents. I sincerely appreciate the work of the National Guard troops and DPS officers who ensured the safety of all at the Capitol.
Looking ahead, I’ve outlined five of the big issues that I expect to consume the majority of the Legislature’s time and attention this session: the budget, redistricting, health care costs and access, the government’s response to COVID-19, and the separation of powers. I’ve given a brief overview of each issue below, but, as always, I encourage you to contact my office should you have any questions or comments.
Finally, I have left you with some thoughts I have on the sad state of discourse in American politics that was taken largely from a Senator Ben Sasse op-ed. I believe this is a very important topic and wanted to share it with all of you who read the newsletter.
May God bless you and your family,
New Session, New Speaker, New Rules
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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
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Is today the first day of “Early Voting” or is it really just the first of 19 days that you are allowed to vote for the Nov 3rd elections? Calling it “Early Voting” makes it sound like you are doing something wrong by voting early and should wait until the “real” election day (in this case Nov 3rd).
On the contrary, I believe that voting is so important that you should vote at your earliest opportunity once you have made up your mind on the choices you will make on your ballot. If you wait until the last day to vote (aka Election Day), there are countless things that could keep you from voting (severe weather, family emergency, work responsibilities, personal illness, etc.). It seems risky to unnecessarily put off voting until the last possible day.
One good reason to delay is if you are still researching the many candidates and issues that will be on your ballot when you arrive at your polling site. While virtually everyone has decided how they are going to vote for President, there are very important offices and issues down the ballot that will likely have an even greater impact on your local community than the President will. While the ballots in the six counties I represent will all be different as you go down the ballot, everyone will be voting on at least the following (my vote is in bold):
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President – Trump/Biden/Jorgensen/Hawkins
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US Senator – Cornyn/Hegar/McKennon
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US Rep, Dist. 13 – Jackson/Trujillo/Westbrook
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Railroad Commissioner – Wright/Castaneda/Strerett
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Chief Justice, Supreme Court – Hecht/Meachum/Ash
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Justice Supreme Court, Place 6 – Bland/Cheng
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Justice Supreme Court, Place 7 – Boyd/Williams/Strange
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Justice Supreme Court, Place 8 – Busby/Triana/Oxford
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Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 – Richardson/Frizell
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Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 – Yeary/Clinton
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Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 – Newell/Birmingham
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State Board of Education, District 15 – Johnson/Betancourt
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State Representative, District 69 – Frank
NOTE: It is very important to remember that you will NOT have the option of doing one-punch straight-ticket voting in this election. That means you will need to make your selections all the way down the ballot so I encourage you to plan accordingly as it may take a bit longer for you to complete your ballot than in years past (if you used the one-punch option).
We have links to the elections pages from all six of the counties in HD-69 (Archer, Baylor, Clay, Foard, Knox, Wichita) below if you’d like to see polling locations or take a look at a sample ballot from your area.
The ability to get out and freely and fairly vote for our representation at all levels of government is a vital component for our system to work. Please take advantage of the extra week of early voting and get out and vote!
May God bless you and your family,
James B. Frank
Voting Information (Polling Locations, Sample Ballots, and Other Info)
Polling Locations
- 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
Sample Ballots
- 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
Special Election
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 is a general election with 5 Republicans and 1 Democrat battling for the seat. If no one gets 50% of the vote, a runoff will be necessary. With the start of session looming in January, I appreciate Governor Abbott so quickly scheduling this special election so that we will have someone representing us in the other chamber from the outset.
Great Guy
I am supporting and have unreservedly endorsed Drew Springer for this position. Drew currently serves as the state representative for HD-68, the district which surrounds the six counties I represent. I have served with Drew in the Texas House for four terms and assure you that he’s a hard worker, a true conservative, and understands the unique issues of our district. He will be an effective voice for us in the Senate.
He is a close friend, someone that I trust wholeheartedly, and someone that I firmly believe is best qualified to represent this area on the myriad of issues that will be coming before the Texas Legislature next session. I have included a map of the district below so you will be able to see whether you are in SD30. I would also note that Drew lives 70 miles from Wichita Falls (in Muenster, Texas) as opposed to virtually every other candidate, most of whom are from the metroplex.
Big Favor
I am asking you to vote on Monday or Tuesday of next week for Drew–don’t wait. It should take less than 5 minutes of your time as it will be the only election on the ballot. I am also asking you to ask your friends to do the same via text or social media. (I will warn you that if you choose social media, you need to be prepared for the inevitable blowback, false stories, etc. that are sure to follow.)
It is a blessing to represent you in the Texas House.
James
. . . This is an excerpt from a newsletter sent September 11, 2020