And at the end of the first week, they adjourned until January 26.
#Txlege week 1 recap:
— Planned Parenthood Texas Votes (@PPTXVotes) January 15, 2021
Day 1: Welcomed by armed Militia groups
Day 2: Dan Patrick changes Senate rules to shut out the minority party
Day 3: Attempt to prioritize unconstitutional abortion bans
Day 4: Reps have gone into quarantine after COVID-19 exposure on the House Floor. pic.twitter.com/CfLnKOEAGJ
At least one member caught COVID.
State Rep. Michelle Beckley (@ForHD65) skipped opening day of #txlege out of fear of contracting COVID-19. But she had to come in on the following days to vote on House rules for the session.
— Taylor Goldenstein (@taygoldenstein) January 15, 2021
On Thursday, her seat mate tested positive (W/ @jblackmanChron)https://t.co/sBnPwAsovO
Before moving on, let's note for the occasion of MLK Day that while casino gambling and relaxed cannabis legislation may be on life support, hopes for passing a symbolic bill striking a blow for social justice remain high.
After a year of racial reckoning, Black lawmakers believe they can finally eliminate Confederate Heroes Day in Texas https://t.co/jBcWuLF2ub
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 18, 2021
The state Capitol was locked down through the Inauguration on Wednesday in order to limit the opportunities for mischief and misadventure. Some Fa protestors showed up anyway.
A small group of people wearing “Trump 2020” and “Make America Great Again” hats are gathered at the Texas State Capitol Saturday. One of the men has a large knife and zip ties attached to his belts trap. @statesman #texasstatecapitol pic.twitter.com/QQ3q5E72ef
— Heather Osbourne (@Ozzy_Statesman) January 16, 2021
Those who chose to mark their disapproval with the Pro-Fas in our federal government also rallied.
Small protest outside @TXRandy14’s office in League City calling for him to resign. Weber, and a majority of House Republicans, voted to reject electoral votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania #galvnews pic.twitter.com/1ghPtZzZLu
— John Wayne Ferguson (@JohnWFerguson) January 16, 2021
Part 2 of the #RGV community organizers' demonstration: a projection on the border wall itself that reads, "Mr. Biden, tear down this wall. #NotAnotherFoot." The incoming president must keep his word, and we will hold him to it. pic.twitter.com/UMetBOfgwp
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) January 16, 2021
The group gathered Saturday outside the Senator's Houston office and called him out over his opposition to Joe Biden's electoral win. https://t.co/ocNZrc6cFL
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) January 16, 2021
And provided action items for those who didn't want to leave the house, too.
Our Houston representatives @JacksonLeeTX18 @RepAlGreen @RepFletcher and @RepSylviaGarcia haven't *yet* cosponsored @RepCori's resolution to hold fellow reps accountable.
— Houston DSA (@HoustonDSA) January 14, 2021
Time to call and let them know they should!
☎️ Script and numbers in our pinned tweet ☎️ https://t.co/HEazEZy4Bk
The NRA wants to come to Texas to escape some of their many problems.
Bankruptcy experts say @NRA's plan to re-incorporate in Texas is less of a relocation and more of a legal play to avoid a potentially disastrous lawsuit in New York. That state’s attorney general alleges executives fraudulently used organization funds. https://t.co/ShUk4hvpgl
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 16, 2021
Maybe they could stop buying so much avocado toast?
COVID remains the state's worst problem despite all the others.
Covid has surged almost everywhere in Texas. In Tarrant County, after big events and less strict messaging, it’s the worst: https://t.co/lLxnvRwrdo pic.twitter.com/gkdt92x3Xb
— Mark Dent (@mdent05) January 15, 2021
New article via @TexasTribune: “Lives are at stake”: Three Texas regions battered by coronavirus are out of intensive care beds https://t.co/CJp6XZxTe2
— IndependentLeft.news - Updated 2x Daily! (@IndLeftNews) January 17, 2021
Jacob Vaughn at the Dallas Observer documents the communication breakdowns at all levels of government for the vaccine chaos. Socratic Gadfly, in his weekly roundup of coronavirus news, led off with COVIDIOTS in a Love Field baggage carousel and went on to note the airport's and Southwest Airlines' lack of responsiveness.
Texas made it harder to get a COVID vaccine through poor planning and execution | Commentary https://t.co/ZD15i5QDRD
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) January 14, 2021
Criminal and social justice headlines:
"These families are not criminal suspects, the Austin police officers who killed members of our community are... I am not willing to subject Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales to APD's empty lip service about transparency." - Gonzales family attorney, Rebecca Webber
— Pay People To Stay Home #PPTSH (@chrisharris101) January 14, 2021
https://t.co/HSVEGOtLPe
The family of a Killeen, Texas, man fatally shot by police in the front yard of his home during a mental health check is calling for the officer's arrest. From @NBCNews: https://t.co/Jz9EoKPjIS
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 15, 2021
Two high-profile cases of police killings will go before a grand jury by the end of March, Travis County District Attorney @JosePGarza said. | @England_Weber https://t.co/te5k0VrXPr
— KUT Austin (@KUT) January 14, 2021
And some climate updates.
Texas' oil and gas industry is urging state lawmakers not to put any new obstacles in its path as it continues to recover from economic fallout brought by the pandemic https://t.co/vvSmucut6x
— Austin Statesman (@statesman) January 14, 2021
Obstacles? What obstacles?
In Texas, oil & gas sites like these pollute for months on end because of systemic failures at @TCEQ.
— Earthworks (@Earthworks) January 14, 2021
In a two-part blog series, we're breaking down how TCEQ's permitting and enforcement systems are effectively designed to fail: https://t.co/kFIQXWhAKm pic.twitter.com/aJ95tbSaUn
The city will lease the 240 acres of land to the company for $1 per year. The company will construct a 50-megawatt solar project that will generate enough energy to power 5,000 homes. https://t.co/QwrvPF1sol #khou
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) January 15, 2021
And wrapping today's Wrangle, a tip of the Stetson to Willie Lusk, Jr.
"My boots add inches to a man's height but yards to his morale."
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) January 17, 2021
---- Lubbock bootmaker Willie Lusk. Willie, an African American in a trade dominated by Anglos and Hispanics, was famed for the quality of his boots. Ronald Reagan, Audie Murphy etc... were customers. Here's a pair pic.twitter.com/MMq6GqdvzA
