Texas Senators Advance ERCOT bill
The Electronic Reliability Council or ERCOT is back in the news cycle this week after the company asked millions of Texans to try to conserve their energy because of the low supply and high demand on the power grid. In a tweet on April 1, ERCOT urged consumers...
Biden administration pitches infrastructure plan to Texas
After the passage of the COVID relief package, the American Jobs Plan is the next major item on President Biden’s agenda. The proposal would invest more than $2 trillion, primarily on infrastructure. Although infrastructure spending is widely popular among the public,...
Musings: The dangerous lie of “constitutional carry.”
A few years ago, I spent a year living in Portland, Oregon, and was surprised to learn, shortly after arriving in town, that I would need to pass a written exam before being approved for an Oregon driver’s license. Working on campaigns, I’ve lived all over the...
NCAA targets Texas with latest statement against transgender discrimination
On Monday, the NCAA issued a statement affirming it would not hold championships in states that discriminate against transgender athletes in collegiate sports. The proclamation should serve as a warning to Texas, which is on the verge of passing several pieces of...
Gun v. Taser: Does Potter’s shooting of Daunte Wright make sense?
In yet another police involved shooting in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed in his car after he was pulled over for an expired car registration according to a Brooklyn Center Police report on April 13. According to his...
Castro, Warren urge Biden to include immigration legislation in infrastructure plan
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are among 22 members of Congress urging Biden to include a pathway to citizenship in his major infrastructure plan and legislative package, the American Families Plan. The lawmakers penned a letter...
Texas Republicans push anti-renewable energy bills
Texas Republicans have made renewables their latest legislative target. A number of bills are being considered in the Texas legislature that would impose additional costs on renewable energy. This comes right after wind power just generated more electricity in Texas...
Asian American Pacific Islander Victory Fund announces new think tank
Asian American Pacific Islander Victory Fund, a PAC dedicated to electing Asian Americans around the U.S., announced this week it would be launching AAPI Victory Alliance, an organization dedicated to empowering the AAPI electorate and fighting for progressive issues....
Biden announces executive orders on guns
In a press conference last week, Joe Biden announced six executive orders on gun policies. The six orders include an annual report on gun trafficking from the Department of Justice, filing “ghost guns” and pistols with modifiers under the National Firearms Act,...
Texas Senate committee considers bill to criminalize transgender child care
On Monday, the Republican-led Texas Senate State Affairs Committee began considering a bill that would make it illegal for parents and doctors to consent or administer transition-related care to children. If signed into law, SB 1646 would criminalize transition...
A further look at the ‘Eyes of Texas’
On March 9, The University of Texas at Austin’s The Eyes of Texas History Committee released a report about UT Austin’s official song, “The Eyes of Texas.” Neither the report nor the committee could strip the song of its “Alma Mater” status, per the report....
Republicans are Running Out of Sports to Watch
Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott made headlines when he reneged on throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers’ home opener. Citing the MLB’s decision to move its summer All-Star Game from Atlanta in response to Georgia’s new voter law, the Republican went...
Voter suppression is bad for democracy. It’s also bad for business.
The voter suppression bills quickly advancing through Texas’ legislative process have been denounced by faith leaders, civil rights advocates, grassroots activists, local election officials and a host of respected leaders across Texas. The message is clear, whether...
What the American Jobs Plan means for Texas
The Biden administration has officially unveiled its $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan as part of its Build Back Better agenda. The plan seeks to create millions of jobs, tackle climate change, and make the United States more competitive vis-a-vis China. Although...
Activists push for bill offering direct payments to Texans hurt by freeze
Advocacy groups including Workers Defense Action Fund, the ACLU of Texas, and MOVE Texas gathered in a virtual town hall Thursday to make noise for the POWER Act, a bill that would provide between $1,000 to $2,500 to Texans affected by the February snowstorm. ...