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  • 1 month later...
5 minutes ago, BarryLaverty said:

Betcha 50 cents that the current Speaker of the House in Texas won't be in that job the next legislative session. 

He won't be in his job because the REPUBLICAN majority has finally got tired of having a RINO speaker.....it won't be because of losing any seats........come to think of it, the dims couldn't find a more liberal speaker in their own ranks.....so he'd probably keep his job even if THEY won.......:rofl:

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Bonnen blamed "moderate" republicans for things....what does he think HE is.......he is more liberal then most dimtards.......and good riddance to him.....I can't see him being chosen as speaker next term.....maybe we can FINALLY get a speaker with Texas values and get abortion stopped cold in our state.......

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21 minutes ago, WestHardinfan1 said:

Bonnen blamed "moderate" republicans for things....what does he think HE is.......he is more liberal then most dimtards.......and good riddance to him.....I can't see him being chosen as speaker next term.....maybe we can FINALLY get a speaker with Texas values and get abortion stopped cold in our state.......

Bonnen also campaigned on Constitutional Carry, then concocted a bogus reason to kill it and not even allow a vote ... I truly believe he is in cahoots with Abbott to keep it from becoming law in Texas ... 

Edited by KirtFalcon
yo mama
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10 minutes ago, BarryLaverty said:

Ya beat me to it!  Yep, I think we can see him not having that position for a number of reasons and a lack of support from more than one group he needed before to get in that spot. 

I don't like loose ends.....:rofl:

 

And he is definitely toast......good riddance......

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  • Mr. P changed the title to TEXAS Politics 🇨🇱

His own brother signed a letter against him...bet that Thanksgiving dinner will be fun! Bring on the Democrats, as Texas turns more and more purple, headed to BLUE. 

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/10/22/Dennis-Bonnen-to-not-seek-reelection-to-Texas-House/

Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen won't seek reelection after recording scandal

By Tuesday morning, more than 30 House Republicans had either called for the speaker's resignation or had stated they no longer supported him.

BY CASSANDRA POLLOCK 

 
 

Speaker Dennis Bonnen in the House Chamber on March 27, 2019, the day the House will take up HB1, the 2020-21 budget plan. Speaker Dennis Bonnen in the House Chamber on March 27, 2019, the day the House will take up HB1, the 2020-21 budget plan.  Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune

First-term Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen on Tuesday announced he will not seek reelection to the lower chamber in 2020 — completing a stunning fall for the Angleton Republican who enjoyed near unanimous support in the House just months earlier.

“After much prayer, consultation, and thoughtful consideration with my family, it is clear that I can no longer seek re-election as State Representative of District 25, and subsequently, as Speaker of the House,” Bonnen said in a statement, which included a list of 43 House Republicans — a majority of the House GOP Caucus — that the speaker said "have made clear that it is in the best interest of both myself and the House to move on." (Bonnen's own brother, Greg Bonnen of Friendswood, was among those on the list.)

Bonnen’s political future was first called into question in late July, when hardline conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan, who heads the group Empower Texans, revealed that Sullivan, Bonnen and one of the speaker’s top allies had met at the Texas Capitol the month before. At that meeting, Sullivan alleged, Bonnen and state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, suggested Empower Texans go after a list of 10 House Republicans and told Sullivan his group could have media access to the lower chamber in 2021. Bonnen also disparaged multiple Democrats, calling one “vile” and another “a piece of poop," and said his goal for the next legislative session is to make it the worst "in the history of the legislature for cities and counties."

A majority of members were at first unsure of what to think about the allegations, given that Sullivan was a longtime critic of House leadership and that their new speaker had overseen a legislative session that was hailed largely as a success. The allegation that Bonnen had planned to politically target members from his own party also seemed to contrast what he had announced on the last day of the session: If an incumbent targeted another colleague, regardless of party, there would be consequences.

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But that uncertainty disappeared for a lot of members last week, when Sullivan released his secret recording of that June 12 meeting that largely confirmed his allegations against the speaker. Bonnen, in response, said he did nothing criminally wrong — a nod to the current criminal investigation into the matter by the Texas Rangers — and insisted the 150-member “House can finally move on.”

Since then, a growing number of Republicans — and Democrats, too — have called on the speaker to resign, arguing that the damage done by Bonnen is beyond repair. After the House GOP Caucus met Friday and released a statement condemning both Bonnen and Burrows for their remarks, the speaker’s biggest blow politically came Monday night, when five of the chamber’s most influential Republicans announced they could no longer support Bonnen for the post.

By Tuesday morning, over 30 House Republicans had either called for the speaker’s resignation or had pulled support for the speaker.

After the speaker's announcement Tuesday, Sullivan tweeted that it Bonnen "could have behaved ethical" — but "instead chose lies, deceit, dishonor, and ruin."

"He has gone from 3rd constitutional officer in Texas to a cautionary tale," Sullivan said.

Bonnen's decision not to seek reelection means his seat in House District 25 will be open for the first time in over two decades. One Republican, emergency room nurse Rhonda Seth, was already running for the seat before Tuesday, aiming to take out Bonnen. The district in southeast Texas is solidly Republican.

With Bonnen's exit, members will be jockeying among one another to become the next speaker. That election officially won't happen until the next time the Legislature convenes, which is scheduled to happen in January 2021. In the meantime, if Bonnen remains in place until then, he can carry out typical interim duties, which include assigning issues for committees to study ahead of the next legislative session.

The race to replace Bonnen is coming ahead of a competitive election cycle for Republicans, who, after losing a dozen House seats to Democrats in 2018, are gearing up to hold onto their majority in the lower chamber. If Democrats were to flip nine seats and hold onto the dozen they picked up, they could be the party in power in the House and, consequentially, elect a member from their caucus to lead the lower chamber.

It's unclear what role — if any — Bonnen will play in 2020 in helping to hold onto the GOP seats. In July before Sullivan's allegations surfaced, Bonnen announced he had infused a new political action committee with $3 million to support House Republicans running for reelection. Since the speaker became engulfed with the drama though, some members have privately wondered whether Bonnen would be a help or hindrance to their fundraising efforts heading into the election cycle.

Democrats, for their part, cast Tuesday's news as a "a victory for transparency and accountability."

"Texans are tired of politicians, like Republican Speaker Bonnen, who use backroom deals, cover-ups and outright lies to pursue power over everything," said state party chair Gilberto Hinojosa in a statement. "Now more than ever, it is clear that only the election of Texas Democrats will return of ethics and good governance to our great state.”

Patrick Svitek

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, BoHogg said:

Not sure why it’s on the ballot since the current TX constitution bans an income tax unless a majority of  Texas voters approve of one in a statewide referendum.  

This takes the option of a referendum away......just in case ....

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When states, like TEXAS, don't follow court orders to keep foster care kids protected. 

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2019/11/08/maybe-a-50000-a-day-fine-will-force-texas-to-project-vulnerable-foster-kids/

 

OPINION EDITORIALS

Maybe a $50,000-a-day fine will force Texas to protect vulnerable foster kids

We applaud Judge Janis Graham Jack for her determination to keep safe the 11,000 abused and neglected children in long-term foster care safe

A federal judge levied a $50,000-a-day fine against the state of Texas for ignoring her ruling to provide 24/7 supervision of foster children in group settings.  (May 2016 file photo by G.J. McCarthy/Staff photographer)
A federal judge levied a $50,000-a-day fine against the state of Texas for ignoring her ruling to provide 24/7 supervision of foster children in group settings. (May 2016 file photo by G.J. McCarthy/Staff photographer)

By Dallas Morning News Editorial

2:00 AM on Nov 8, 2019

 

Sometimes it takes significant consequences to force necessary action.

A fed-up Judge Janis Graham Jack warned the state of Texas last month that she would hold the agency in charge of the state’s long-term foster care system in contempt of court if it continued to drag its feet on orders aimed at improving this system.

On Tuesday, she followed through – fining the state $50,000 a day for ignoring her orders on nighttime watches of foster children in group settings. The fines start Friday and will double on Nov. 15. They will continue until court-appointed monitors confirm that children are being watched 24/7 by an adult who is awake. Around-the-clock supervision was included in her sweeping orders.

 
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We don’t like to see taxpayers forking over more dollars in this case. But we applaud Jack for her determination to keep the 11,000 abused and neglected children in long-term foster care safe. The longer this case drags on, the more danger these kids are potentially exposed to.

“I can no longer find DFPS credible,” Jack said, referring to the Department of Family and Protective Services. “They’ve lied to me at almost every level [and] this is just shameful.”

 

“Shameful” is the right word.

Texas foster children in group settings, such as this emergency shelter at Jonathan's Place in Dallas, must be watched over 24/7 by an adult who's awake, a federal judge insisted Tuesday.

A reminder that Jack ruled in this case in 2015. She understandably has lost patience with the state to follow through on her remedies. Perhaps the federal fines will finally be the spark that lights a fire under officials and helps them understand that she’s serious about protecting vulnerable kids.

Of course, it should never have come to this. Though Texas has made some progress — approving raises for caseworkers to reduce turnover, for example, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have fought the basic essentials of this ruling for too long. Jack has rightly chastised the state for dragging its feet on implementing many recommended improvements.

The state has already spent $10 million fighting this ruling that could have gone to improving the lives of these children. It’ll be even more costly now unless Texas does the right thing and complies with Jack’s orders.

It’s not too much to ask for the state to make sure vulnerable kids are being closely watched by an adult at all times. We’ve seen the horrors that can happen when they are not.

Judge Jack accused Texas of “obstruction” and being “recalcitrant” in carrying out her sweeping orders. It’s hard to see it any other way. Further inaction is not an option here.

At the end of the week, Texas will start racking up thousands of dollars in federal fines this state can ill-afford. And until there are real fixes to this entire system, vulnerable children will continue to pay the real price.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Or is THIS a plot by the Demmycrats, too???? 😎 Turns out they think that Trump is a 'polarizing figure' who hurts them in races. Heresy!

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2019/11/26/republican-party-of-texas-election-strategy-document-for-2020-elections-leaked-to-democrats/

Politics

Texas Republican Party’s 2020 election strategy document lands in Democrats’ hands

Republicans expressed concern about ‘the polarizing nature’ of President Trump

Updated at 7:50 p.m.: Revised to include new information throughout

AUSTIN -- In a bizarre political blunder, a document laying out the Republican Party of Texas’s election strategy for the 2020 elections has ended up in the hands of Texas Democrats. Attacking Democratic candidates through websites and mitigating “the polarizing nature” of President Donald Trump are part of the plan.

The document — called a draft for initial discussion by the Texas GOP Party chair — was titled “Primary/General Election 2020 [Draft]” and began showing up in Democratic emails Monday evening.

It includes a target list of 12 statehouse districts, including six in North Texas, that Republicans are aiming to take back in next year’s elections. Negative attacks through websites, and highlighting diverse Republicans to counter a “narrative driven by Democrats” about the GOP’s lack of diversity are also part of the strategy.

Republican targets in North Texas are Dallas County Democratic Reps. Ana-Maria Ramos, Terry Meza, Rhetta Bowers, John Turner and Julie Johnson, as well as Denton County Rep. Michelle Beckley.

 

“Starting after the Primary, the RPT will generate microsites for negative hits against the Democrat candidates in our twelve target race—we expect each microsite to be roughly $500,” the document reads. “We will then begin rolling out these websites, prioritizing the races that were within 4% in the 2018 election.”

Democrats are trying to take the majority in the Texas House for the first time since 2003. After gaining 12 seats in 2018, the Democrats narrowed the gap in the House to 67-83. And they have made no secret of their desire to win the majority next year.

“Republicans have already fumbled the ball and we aren’t even in 2020 yet," said Manny Garcia, executive director of the Texas Democratic Party. “They know they’re in deep trouble ‘given the polarizing nature of the President’ and expect ‘Republicans will refuse to turnout during the General Election because they don’t want to vote for him.’ The Texas Republican Party is desperate.

“Texas is the biggest battleground state and Texas Democrats are poised to win in 2020," he said.

Texas GOP chair James Dickey said Monday night that a staffer ”drafted some initial thoughts for discussion. He said that “it should not be news“ that Republicans want to to take back the seats they lost in 2018.

 
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”We are doing that so we continue to dominate in 2020 just like we have for 25 years in Texas,” he said.

Points in the plan

Many of the strategies in the plan, like identifying targets and setting up negative attack websites, are not uncommon in politics. But their public disclosure — especially if that disclosure is unwanted or embarrassing — and the level of detail that became public is unusual.

The document lays out a plan to purchase online domain names affiliated with the names of Democratic candidates so that Republicans can reroute them to the negative attack websites.

“For example, we will purchase ZwienerforTexas.com, ZwienerforTX.com, and so on,” the document reads.

 

Democratic Rep. Erin Zwiener of Driftwood is among the other six House members on the list. The others are Reps. Vikki Goodwin and John Bucy of Austin, James Talarico of Round Rock, Gina Calanni of Katy and Jon Rosenthal of Houston.

The document says Republicans will audit search engine optimization results to make sure that the negative attack websites are on the front pages of various search engines and work with other stakeholders — such as Texans for Greg Abbott, the governor’s campaign arm — “to get any more insight on issues that matter to these districts.”

“We will attack these Democrat candidates with contrast hits which we will obtain from, public votes from the 86th Legislative Session, their campaign websites, and any other means to gather negative material on them,” the document says.

In addition to the individual websites, the plan calls for a “master site" to house attacks on Democrats across the state, focusing on federal, state and down-ballot Democrats and “how Democrat values don’t match Texas values.” The master site would be used to fact-check political talking points and for rapid response efforts when national Democrats come to Texas, the document reads.

“This site will generally serve as a vehicle the RPT can use to attack Democrats,” the document reads.

Concern about Trump

The plan also addresses a nagging concern for the Texas GOP: Trump’s unpopularity with some Republicans in the state.

“Given the polarizing nature of the President, I suspect some Republicans will refuse to turnout during the General Election because they don’t want to vote for him - though I don’t know that we will know what this universe would look like without us or a stakeholder creating a model,” the document reads. “Regardless, I suggest we set up a contingency budget to target these folks with mailers, digital ads, and texts to encourage them to turnout for U.S. Senate, State Senate, State House, and so on.”

It is unclear who the "I" in the document refers to.

The plan also identifies the Republican-led elimination of straight ticket voting as “one of the biggest challenges ahead of the 2020 cycle.” To address that, the plan details an effort to convince Republican voters to vote for GOP candidates all the way down the ballot manually through a tagline. Some of the potential taglines include: “Vote Right All the Way Down!” “Vote Right To The Bottom!” and “Vote RIGHT Down the Ballot!”

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16 minutes ago, BarryLaverty said:

Why would I even make that seem rhetorical?! After all, this is the state of embraced feverishly conspiracy theories, Louie 'Gomer' Gohmert, Glenn Beck, Alex Jones, and NightStain! 😆

Glass houses my man.  Florida dems are so dumb they didnt know whether they were voting for pat buchanan or al gore.  I can see where that could be confusing since they're so similar...Not. Of course the explanation for that is that the imported democrat voters probably can't read or speak ingles. The only dumb Rs in Texas are the never-trumper's who refuse to ride his coat tails and are tone deaf to the american people who want secure borders and a foreign and domestic policy that puts america first.  Trump has exposed the dc uniparty frauds.

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3 hours ago, BarryLaverty said:

Why would I even make that seem rhetorical?! After all, this is the state of embraced feverishly conspiracy theories, Louie 'Gomer' Gohmert, Glenn Beck, Alex Jones, and NightStain! 😆

A couple of simple questions for you, Barry. You should be able to answer "yes" or "no", and provide explanations.

1. Do you think all Republicans/Conservatives are stupid?

2. Do you think all Republicans/Conservatives are bad people?

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