The Texas Fossil Fuel Fan Club Meets Again

Inside the Legislature’s latest love letter to big oil.

Due to climate change, between 40% and 70% of all Earth’s species could become extinct within the next 100 years. We already know that 97% of the world’s scientists agree on climate change, while the fossil fuel industry pays off the remaining 3%. Yet, if you listen to the Republicans in the Texas Legislature, you’d think we aren’t in a crisis. Instead of actively working to prevent the extinction of the human race, the GOP seems hellbent on accelerating it.

And nothing screams “we care about the planet” like HB2890, a proposal from Rep. Jared Patterson to form a Gulf Coast interstate compact to protect liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. Patterson opened his remarks by gushing over LNG’s $44 billion contribution to GDP and the thousands of jobs it supposedly supports. He warned that Biden’s temporary pause on LNG exports devastated Texas, as if the administration had banned brisket and bluebonnets.

But that’s what it’s all about with these guys. Profit over people, always.

Methane leaks from natural gas infrastructure are a major contributor to global warming, and exporting LNG only increases emissions through the energy-intensive liquefaction and transport processes.

Texas Republicans aren’t content with just protecting fossil fuels from climate regulations. They’re also gearing up to create Fossil Fuel Police.

HB48 would create a special oilfield theft task force within the Texas Department of Public Safety. At a time when Texas schools are underfunded, the grid is still fragile, and maternal mortality rates are climbing, the Legislature wants to spend over $7 million of taxpayer money protecting oil profits.

During the bill layout, they discussed that oil theft has been a problem in Texas since the discovery of oil, but they’re just now getting around to deploying public resources to protect billion-dollar fossil fuel companies in 2025… You know, because of the culture.

Republicans are essentially pushing to subsidize corporate loss prevention. Meanwhile, the industry continues to pollute the air, leak methane, and lobby against climate policy, without paying their fair share in environmental costs.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get more absurd, here comes so-called Democrat Richard Raymond (D-HD42), carrying a bill to protect... wait for it... oil and gas infrastructure.

HB1169, which Raymond proudly introduced “on behalf of” Republican Chairman Drew Darby (R-HD72), would require the Texas Railroad Commission to draft a “comprehensive emergency response plan” for oil and gas operations. Because apparently, what’s vulnerable in Texas isn’t our crumbling power grid or vulnerable communities, it’s fossil fuels.

Raymond represents Laredo, a city already choking on freight traffic and suffering from poor air quality. Yet, here he is, not fighting for green investment but ensuring the state has a plan to protect the petroleum pipeline.

Richard Raymond needs to be primaried.

As we’ve seen so many times this legislative session, Richard Raymond is a Republican masquerading as a Democrat. Last week, he even introduced a resolution condemning the assassination attempt of Donald Trump.

Not to say we should condone political violence. Of course, we shouldn’t. But does anyone still care about this? Someone shot at Trump, they missed, and in return, Republicans wore Maxi-pads on their ear at the GOP Convention. We’ve all moved on. Not Richard Raymond, though.

Raymond does not hold Democratic principles or fight for Democratic causes. He votes with Republicans more than 90% of the time. You could drop him into the GOP caucus tomorrow and no one would notice. He’s that far gone.

This is a man who treats oil companies like sacred institutions, defends fossil fuel profits like they’re under siege, and spends more time protecting pipelines than people. He doesn’t champion labor rights, fight for climate action, or push for reproductive justice.

And now, with Congressman Henry Cuellar under federal indictment, it’s widely speculated that Raymond may run for Cuellar’s seat in Congress, as a Democrat. If he doesn’t, he’ll switch parties because that’s where he belongs. Richard Raymond is a Republican in all but name, and the only reason he hasn’t flipped is because he knows it’s easier to hold onto power with a “D” next to his name in Laredo.

Which is why he needs a serious primary challenger next year.

And if you thought Republicans, and their so-called Democratic enablers, were done bending over backwards for the fossil fuel industry yesterday, think again.

HB49, a bill Chairman Drew Darby described as “critical” to the future of oil and gas in Texas, offers sweeping legal protections to companies that handle oilfield wastewater.

For every barrel of oil Texas pulls from the ground, at least five barrels of this contaminated water come with it. And guess what? We’re running out of places to dump it. Saltwater disposal wells are filling up, and some have triggered earthquakes in West Texas.

HB49 would shield oil and gas companies, third-party transporters, and “beneficial users” from liability.

Another attempt to greenwash fossil fuel production. If a company poisons a river or contaminates an aquifer, it shouldn’t be shielded from lawsuits. They should be held accountable. Full stop.

Just when you thought they couldn’t possibly do more to shield the fossil fuel industry, House Republicans pulled out one more trick: a constitutional amendment to preemptively ban something that doesn’t even exist in Texas.

HJR138 would amend the Texas Constitution to prohibit the state from ever implementing a carbon tax.

There is no carbon tax in Texas. No one is proposing a carbon tax in Texas. And no one in the Legislature has filed a bill to create a carbon tax in Texas. Because, according to Daniel Alders (R-HD06), God blessed Texas with hydrocarbons, and taxing carbon would be a slap in the face to the Almighty Himself.

HJR138 isn’t about good governance. It’s about preemptive obedience to the fossil fuel industry. It’s about preventing future climate action before the debate begins. And most of all, it’s about locking the door to progress and throwing away the key.

With all of the absurdity surrounding fossil fuels yesterday, at least Republicans gave us a few laughs.

The picture below is of David Cook (R-HD96) while someone testified against his bill. The bill was about property rights after a divorce, but the faces he made during the witness’ testimony were hilarious. He was like a teenager, forced to sit through a group project presentation he disagreed with, cycling through disbelief, boredom, and the urge to roll his eyes into another dimension.

Cook’s politics are shit, but his poker face is way worse.

Then, there was Brian Harrison (R-HD10).

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee met to adopt the reports from the various SubCommittees. Harrison is on the Appropriations Committee, which means he had camera time and would try to get as much attention as possible.

His first temper tantrum:

And his second:

The third:

And even a fourth:

Although the Appropriations Committee met for only 35 minutes yesterday, half of the meeting was focused on Harrison and his crybaby tears. The Committee chair, Greg Bonnen (R-HD24), came prepared, rules in hand, to check all of Harrison’s points of order (POO). When Harrison shouted about how there were 14 Republicans on the committee, someone should have had his back, only one GOP member threw him a lifeline.

It was only Monday.

In case it wasn’t clear, the Texas Legislature isn’t just in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry. They’re fully curled in its lap, purring like a well-fed housecat.

From Jared Patterson’s LNG fan fiction, to the creation of Oilfield Cops, to constitutional amendments against imaginary carbon taxes, and Richard Raymond pretending to be a Democrat while auditioning for the petroleum PR team, this session has been a masterclass in how to serve corporate polluters while pretending it’s for “the people.”

Meanwhile, the real people, Texans dealing with blackouts, bad air, underfunded schools, and crumbling infrastructure, are told to sit down, shut up, and be grateful for all that freedom oil and gas supposedly brings.

Freedom without breathable air or clean water is a punchline, not a principle. The longer our state leaders prioritize fossil fuel profits over public health and the planet, the harder the crash will be when reality finally hits.

So let them posture, throw tantrums, and pass bills for problems that don’t exist. We’ll be here, taking notes, organizing, and making sure that some of these guys have to find new jobs come next election.

Preferably ones that don’t involve legislating.

Stay loud, Texas.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

• June 3: The beginning of the 2026 election season.

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

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