The Ides Of March: An Update From The Texas Legislature

The haunted halls of the Texas Capitol and the Republican's transition to Big Brother.

The ghost of Alexander W. Terrell.

Alexander W. Terrell’s name sends shivers down the spine of every voting rights activist in Texas, and for a good reason. Terrell’s legacy is one of hate, oppression, and outright cruelty. As a Confederate officer, he fought to uphold slavery and the racist ideals that it embodied. And as a politician, he went even further, devising a heinous piece of legislation known as “Terrell’s Election Law.”

This Texas law was the epitome of evil, implemented to silence the voices of “white tramps” and people of color. With the introduction of the poll tax and other voter suppression tactics, Terrell’s Election Law had devastating consequences that would be felt for decades. And yet, the ghost of Alexander W. Terrell still haunts the Texas Capitol to this day.

Conservative lawmakers scurry about like rats each time a new legislative session begins, desperately searching for ways to disenfranchise marginalized communities. They’re possessed by the spirit of Terrell himself, driven by a dark and unyielding hatred that seeks to keep Texas stuck in the past.

Unlike the days of Alexander Terrell, Conservatives must be careful with their language.

Take Bryan Hughes’ bill, SB 2, for example. The premise of the bill, according to Republicans, is to reinstate the punishment of illegal voting to a felony after it was bumped down to a misdemeanor last session by mistake. However, 40 years post-Lee Water, we know not to take what Conservatives say at face value.

Upon further inspection, you will find that SB 2 changes the mens rea of the bill. Mens rea is a legal term referring to the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing while committing a crime.

Changing the mens rea of the bill now includes penalizing illegal voting if a person makes a mistake, not knowing they were doing something wrong. You can see some examples that Democratic Senators used below if you have the time. (Warning, the video is over two hours.)

When Hughes wrote this bill, he did so with two people in mind, Crystal Mason and Hervis Rogers. In both cases, they thought they had the legal right to vote and cast a ballot, and in both cases, they were arrested for illegal voting. Mason was sentenced to five years in prison, and Rogers’ charges were dismissed.

This bill targets marginalized communities to scare people away from voting and jail people who make honest mistakes. With the rapidly changing demographics in Texas, the only way Republicans can continue to hold on to power is by ensuring that most people don’t vote.

The bill passed the Senate, 19-12, along party lines. However, it still has to go to the House, so Democrats will have another opportunity to kill it.

Texas Republicans are the party of big government and Big Brother.

In recent years, Texas Republicans have made it their mission to chip away at local control, placing more and more regulations in the hands of the state government. Despite promoting small government and personal liberty, the party's actions have made them the champions of big government.

From imposing limits on cities’ and counties’ ability to ban fracking to interfering with local ordinances on everything from plastic bags to sick leave, the Texas GOP has shown a clear preference for state control over local decision-making. This has led to frustration and opposition from many local officials, who argue that they know their communities best and should have the power to make their own rules.

The battle between state and local control in Texas was a central issue in Austin today, with implications for everything from economic development to social justice.

HB 2127 by Dustin Burrows is called the “Texas Regulatory Consistency Act” and says that local governments like cities and counties can't make their own rules. If they make their own rules, those rules won't be valid.

Morgan Meyers, Craig Goldman, Ken King, and Richard Peña Raymond signed the bill as authors. All of these men are millionaires (including Burrows). This is an important point, as Burrows prefaced this bill as “pro-business.”

It should also be noted that Richard Peña Raymond is the Democratic House Rep from HD42 in Laredo.

Over the last several years, we’ve seen Democrats in South Texas embrace a conservative ideology. It’s disconcerting and is hindering Democrats all over the state.

HB 2127 is about ending freedom. This bill would undermine local nondiscrimination ordinances that protect LGBTQ access to insurance, employment, and housing. It would also undo worker protections like water breaks leaving them in danger of heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and even death. And it would affect a local government's ability to regulate payday lenders.

I’ll post the full hearing on YouTube tonight.

The true nature of a bill is evident from the voices that support it. In the case of this particular bill, a quick look at the list of individuals testifying in favor of it is enough to tell us how damaging it could be for ordinary people. The only voices heard in favor were those of lawyers for big corporations. This bill prioritizes the interests of corporations and lobbyists over the needs of the people, leaving little doubt that it would have serious negative consequences for the public.

Here are a few more tidbits:

Beto opened up about the Texas Democratic Party.

Beto was on Rick Wilson’s podcast last week, if you missed it. It’s a good listen if you want to hear more about what happened in the 2022 election. He got candid about the Texas Democratic Party and called out their failures to build an infrastructure.

The Craddick Family is making mountains of cash from oil and gas rights.

Former House Speaker Tom Craddick and his Oil Commissioner daughter, Crissy Craddick, are pulling in millions of dollars annually, raising eyebrows at Texas Monthly.

The first Senate redistricting is tomorrow.

It’s spring break, so I’ll be able to watch it in real time. It's difficult to believe that Texas is undergoing yet another round of redistricting hearings, a process that has become synonymous with political gamesmanship and power grabs. We’ll only change this by increasing voter turnout and encouraging others to become politically involved. We can break the cycle of political stagnation and ensure that the voices of all Texans are heard.

"The only things you find in the middle of the road are yellow lines and dead armadillos." - Texas Agricultural Commissioner Jim Hightower