Two of Texas’ top Republicans are airing out their dirty laundry in print.
In a Texas Tribune report breaking down how the power grid failure will play an important role for candidates in 2022, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan take pot shots at each other about the issue.
“With broad bipartisan support, the Texas Senate passed legislation to require a repricing to return money to ratepayers,” Patrick told the Tribune. “House leadership refused to allow their members to vote on these issues.”
Here’s how Phelan responded:
“Lt. Gov Patrick has held his post since 2015 without making the grid a priority, but in only my second month as Speaker it was the House that first demanded action and accountability after the fatal grid collapse,” he said in a statement. “The House’s approach to grid reform was about saving lives in the future while the motivation behind and who benefits from the Senate’s approach remains unclear.”
The bickering comes two weeks after a new analysis by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas estimated another cold snap could knock out the state’s power grid.
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
