Last Tuesday, January 8th was the first day of the new legislative session in Texas. The biggest and most notable difference was that Joe Straus was no longer in attendance. Gone are the days of favoritism, lobby controlled legislation winding its way through committees, and stopping ones that would benefit the conservative cause. Tuesday, saw a new speaker sworn in to office for the first time in 10 years. Dennis Bonnen, a representative from Angleton, Tx., assumed the mantle of Speaker of the House for the 86th session. Speaker Bonnen was elected by unanimous vote of the entire body and perhaps more importantly, nominated unanimously by the House Republican Caucus earlier in December. You can see his acceptance speech Here starting at the 1:16:00 mark
The only other item of business for the week was the passing of the House Rules for this session. After last year, where the Rules debate became quite contentious and lasted several hours, this years debate barely lasted an hour and the fireworks were mostly duds. Only two amendments drew the ire of some activist across Texas. The first was an amendment by Rep. Matt Schaefer, (read here) from Tyler, which sought to increase staff budgets during the period between sessions, to the same amount they get during the session. It failed, but he and many members of the Freedom Caucus received criticism for it, due to it being perceived as not being fiscally conservative. The second amendment that drew some flak was by Rep. Jonathan Stickland, from Bedford. (read here) He proposed that constituents should be able to register their opinions, for/against a bill, at House District offices, rather than having to drive to Austin to do so. This amendment also failed but with mixed support from Freedom Caucus members. This particular amendment received the greatest amount of backlash from conservative activist around the state.
For some context, in the 85th session, during the rules debate, there were many amendments brought forth that tried to increase the transparency in which the House conducted its business. For instance, Rep Tony Tinderholt tried to pass rules that required the Calendars Committee to publish a record vote when that committee decided to pull a particular bill from reaching the floor. Many people, were expecting for this session to see the same types of rule changes proposed. Rep. Stickland's amendment, which he proposed in the 85th, was the only attempt this year at some resemblance of requiring the House to be more transparent. This author reached out, to several representatives from East Texas, in order to get a better understanding of why this rule was defeated so easily. Only Matt Schaefer and Cole Hefner responded. The biggest concern for each of them was that this rule change would have put some undo pressure in the district offices, which are already understaffed and underpaid. They also said the process and implementation of the rule change hadn't been completely vetted and properly studied in regards to fiscal issues. See Matt Schaefer's comments.
One thing is for sure, transparency in the House is still lagging. The House may operate on a better tone and less divisiveness, now that a new Speaker is in charge, but until Texans start seeing actual changes to how the House operates, there will always be some skepticism.
Showing posts with label Matt Schaefer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Schaefer. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Friday, November 30, 2018
The session is coming, the session is coming!
As of this writing, there are only 39 days until the 86th Texas Legislative Session begins. The general election back on Nov 6th saw a few changes in the makeup of both the House and Senate but not so much that Republicans lost control of either body. Going into the session, the House will be made up of 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats. The Senate will comprise 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. Lt Gov. Dan Patrick won re-election and will preside over the Senate while Representative Dennis Bonnen out of Angleton, Tx., just south of Galveston, is considered the presumptive Speaker of the House. On January 8th, the House will vote to make the Speaker nominee official.
I'm hopeful the new session will address issues that Texans have been wanting for several cycles now but haven't been able to receive, mainly due to big money lobbyist and some outgoing legislatures that blocked those reforms each chance they got. In fact, Rep. Bonnen has indicated that the biggest influence on legislation in previous sessions, an Austin lobbyist, will no longer have a seat at the table this year.
In the March 2018 primaries, Republican voters went to the polls and voted on eleven different propositions, priority subjects that the Texas Republican Party wanted feedback on. All eleven propositions passed and here in East Texas, they did as well. Some of these propositions coincide with the Legislative Priorities developed at the Republican Party Texas Convention of 2018.
The biggest priorities I believe Texans want to see addressed, are property tax reform and school funding. In the primary, voters across the State said they wanted to replace the property tax system with a consumption base system, (Prop 1) with 68% of the vote and to cap revenue increases at 4%, (Prop 10) with 94% of the vote. Voter Fraud (Prop 8) and school choice, (Prop 5), were also propositions on the primary ballot.
The East Texas breakdown by house districts and the percentage each proposition received as an aggregate:
Prop 1 Prop 5 Prop 8 Prop 10
HD1, Gary VanDeaver 62 73 97 94
HD5, Cole Hefner 66 71 97 88
HD6, Matt Schaefer 64 81 95 94
HD7, Jay Dean 67 73 96 94
HD8, Cody Harris 67 75 96 93
HD9, Chris Paddie 65 77 97 95
HD11, Travis Clardy 68 79 96 95
We will continue to watch our legislatures and see if they vote the will of their constituents or continue to block reform and pay homage to special interest groups.
I'm hopeful the new session will address issues that Texans have been wanting for several cycles now but haven't been able to receive, mainly due to big money lobbyist and some outgoing legislatures that blocked those reforms each chance they got. In fact, Rep. Bonnen has indicated that the biggest influence on legislation in previous sessions, an Austin lobbyist, will no longer have a seat at the table this year.
In the March 2018 primaries, Republican voters went to the polls and voted on eleven different propositions, priority subjects that the Texas Republican Party wanted feedback on. All eleven propositions passed and here in East Texas, they did as well. Some of these propositions coincide with the Legislative Priorities developed at the Republican Party Texas Convention of 2018.
The biggest priorities I believe Texans want to see addressed, are property tax reform and school funding. In the primary, voters across the State said they wanted to replace the property tax system with a consumption base system, (Prop 1) with 68% of the vote and to cap revenue increases at 4%, (Prop 10) with 94% of the vote. Voter Fraud (Prop 8) and school choice, (Prop 5), were also propositions on the primary ballot.
The East Texas breakdown by house districts and the percentage each proposition received as an aggregate:
Prop 1 Prop 5 Prop 8 Prop 10
HD1, Gary VanDeaver 62 73 97 94
HD5, Cole Hefner 66 71 97 88
HD6, Matt Schaefer 64 81 95 94
HD7, Jay Dean 67 73 96 94
HD8, Cody Harris 67 75 96 93
HD9, Chris Paddie 65 77 97 95
HD11, Travis Clardy 68 79 96 95
We will continue to watch our legislatures and see if they vote the will of their constituents or continue to block reform and pay homage to special interest groups.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Sending Mixed Signals
Now that the 2018 primaries are over, most will go on about their daily routines and forget about the elections, politics and policies until the next time they realize there's an election. Ninety percent of registered voters do not vote, as evidence by the dismal voter turnout. Based on my experience, I'm betting only three percent of those that bother to vote, have any idea of the issues or an idea of how the candidates stand on issues. People vote mostly because they have a friend who told them who they are voting for, or what they've seen on tv, heard on radio ads or what they've read on the many mailers that come during election time. Actual investigation and research are never done by most. This is how most incumbents keep winning. They rely on the uneducated electorate, the low information voter. When information does present itself, it's ignored or spun by the opposition as not true. However, Galileo reminds us that "the truth is easy to understand once it is discovered, the point is to discover it". This is why I write this blog, To help people discover the truth.
Thomas Jefferson linked an enlightened citizenry to an educated one. He spoke of governments degenerating when trusted to the rulers of its people. That the people themselves are the safe depositories to correct abuses in power, but they must be educated, to inform their discretion, so that freedom may be preserved. He said " though the people may acquiesce, they can not approve what they do not understand". I talked with hundreds of people over the course of these last primary elections, many of them on election day as they were exiting the voting locations. I found that many did not know who the candidates were or what positions they held on certain topics. It frustrated me so, that I thought, why are they voting at all? The overall returns of election night to me, were discouraging, not just because my favorite candidates lost, but because of how our citizenry doesn't pay enough attention to these matters. Jefferson also wrote "No nation is permitted to live in ignorance with impunity", and " The most effectual means of preventing power to tyranny is to illuminate, as far as practicable, the minds of the people at large."
Candidates are one thing, when it comes to being educated before you vote, but ideas are quite another. In the Republican primary of 2018, there were 11 propositions on the ballot. For each proposition, voters were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement. These propositions came from the 2016 Texas GOP platform and voted on by the State Republican Executive Committee, to be placed before the Texas Republican primary voter. All eleven propositions passed. These propositions are not binding to any laws, but only to serve as guiding principles for Republican voters and ultimately, Republican legislators. These are opinion questions and as such, research and investigation are not necessary. Or are they?
Remember, these propositions came from the GOP 2016 platform. Many bills were presented in the last legislative session that reflected these platform positions. Bills like HB 948 by Representative Tony Tinderholt, which sought to abolish abortion in Texas. This was proposition #7 on your ballot. It is specifically plank #90 in the platform and linked to planks #88 & #89, right to life and reversing Roe v Wade. The fact that these ideas, platform planks did not pass in the 85th session, drove the SREC to place these positions on the ballot to get a better idea of what the electorate at large wanted, not just the delegates to the State Convention. Lets unpack all the propostions.
Prop 1: Replace the property tax system with a consumption based system. Passed 68%-32%
Prop 2: Toll roads approved by voters. Passed 90%-10%.
Prop 3: GOP members of house vote by secret ballot for speaker. Passed 85%-15%
Prop 4: Employers should use E-verify system. Passed 90%-10%
Prop 5: School Choice using tax credits. Passed 79%-21%
Prop 6: Bathroom Privacy. Passed 90%-10%
Prop 7: Abolish Abortion. Passed 68%-32%
Prop 8: End voter fraud. Passed 95%-5%
Prop 9: Repeal Obamacare. Passed 87%-13%
Prop 10: Cap revenue increases to 4%. Passed 94%-6%
Prop 11: No funding of sports teams. Passed 87%-13%
As you can see, all eleven propositions passed convincingly, including property tax reform and abolishing abortion, the two with the lowest spread but still a 36 point difference. These ideas are what the cumulative GOP voters in Texas want. Lets compare these numbers across the State to the counties in East Texas. The number below each proposition is the percentage of voters that voted FOR the position.
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11
Cass 64 90 88 93 73 96 80 97 93 95 88
Harrison 65 91 87 91 75 95 76 96 89 95 88
Marrion 64 90 87 92 82 94 68 96 89 95 89
Panola 66 92 89 91 69 95 80 97 93 94 88
Sabine 66 93 89 95 83 98 75 98 93 96 87
Shelby 67 92 86 91 79 97 80 97 92 94 86
Gregg 63 89 86 91 73 92 75 95 89 93 87
Upshur 71 92 87 92 73 95 80 97 92 95 89
Smith 64 90 88 91 81 94 76 95 90 94 88
Cherokee 72 92 89 91 80 96 79 97 93 95 90
Rusk 66 92 89 92 78 95 78 96 91 95 88
Titus 66 92 86 91 71 96 77 97 91 95 88
Wood 60 91 89 93 74 95 76 97 92 94 90
Every county listed above falls in line with the state average. Our representatives, Chris Paddie, Jay Dean, Matt Schaefer and Cole Hefner represent these counties. Only Paddie and Schaefer had primary challengers in this last election and both won convincingly. The numbers for representative Schaefer fall in line with his voting record as it relates to each proposition. The voters in Smith county, with the exception of Prop 1 voted at the same rate or better on every other proposition. In regards to property tax reform, they still voted favorably by 28%. Representative Schaefer it would seem is representing his district well. He falls in line with what the voters of Smith county want.
On the other hand, the voters in House District 9 which includes Cass, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Sabine and Shelby counties, seem to be giving mixed signals. The numbers suggest they are overwhelmingly in support of all the propositions but then they also re-elected Chris Paddie, who voted against or didn't support many of the same propositions in the 85th session. Do we interpret this conflict as, there are many low information voters in HD 9 or voters in HD 9 are voting only for a person and not what they believe. In either case, voters in HD 9 need more 'truth discovery' about their elected officials or even their own belief systems. For instance, they said they wanted property tax reform and cap any increases to 4%, (Prop 1&10). Paddie voted against the Senate version that would have capped property tax increases at 4%, in fact, he sided with house leadership to dismiss the session a day early and cut off any debates on the floor or with the Senate. He didn't fight to abolish abortion, (Prop 7) in the aforementioned HB 948. Every county in HD 9 approved this position at or better than the state average. Even when it comes to school choice, voters in every HD 9 county approved this measure overwhelmingly, but yet Mr Paddie continually says he is not in favor of it and will always vote against it. Proposition 11 is another conflict of voter interest. Voters said the state should not be funding private sports teams or venues but representative Paddie voted in favor of doing so.
This phenomenon isn't exclusive to voters in HD 9, but to many districts across Texas. If Republican voters truly believe in the propositions put forth to them on this years primary ballot, then why do they keep electing men and women who do not support these positions? If this election taught me anything, its that there are more voters than not, that need a better understanding of how their representative votes in Austin as compared to what they actually believe. Voters in HD 9 and other districts need to stop sending Mixed Signals. Along with many others, its my goal to illuminate the minds of the people of East Texas.
Thomas Jefferson linked an enlightened citizenry to an educated one. He spoke of governments degenerating when trusted to the rulers of its people. That the people themselves are the safe depositories to correct abuses in power, but they must be educated, to inform their discretion, so that freedom may be preserved. He said " though the people may acquiesce, they can not approve what they do not understand". I talked with hundreds of people over the course of these last primary elections, many of them on election day as they were exiting the voting locations. I found that many did not know who the candidates were or what positions they held on certain topics. It frustrated me so, that I thought, why are they voting at all? The overall returns of election night to me, were discouraging, not just because my favorite candidates lost, but because of how our citizenry doesn't pay enough attention to these matters. Jefferson also wrote "No nation is permitted to live in ignorance with impunity", and " The most effectual means of preventing power to tyranny is to illuminate, as far as practicable, the minds of the people at large."
Candidates are one thing, when it comes to being educated before you vote, but ideas are quite another. In the Republican primary of 2018, there were 11 propositions on the ballot. For each proposition, voters were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement. These propositions came from the 2016 Texas GOP platform and voted on by the State Republican Executive Committee, to be placed before the Texas Republican primary voter. All eleven propositions passed. These propositions are not binding to any laws, but only to serve as guiding principles for Republican voters and ultimately, Republican legislators. These are opinion questions and as such, research and investigation are not necessary. Or are they?
Remember, these propositions came from the GOP 2016 platform. Many bills were presented in the last legislative session that reflected these platform positions. Bills like HB 948 by Representative Tony Tinderholt, which sought to abolish abortion in Texas. This was proposition #7 on your ballot. It is specifically plank #90 in the platform and linked to planks #88 & #89, right to life and reversing Roe v Wade. The fact that these ideas, platform planks did not pass in the 85th session, drove the SREC to place these positions on the ballot to get a better idea of what the electorate at large wanted, not just the delegates to the State Convention. Lets unpack all the propostions.
Prop 1: Replace the property tax system with a consumption based system. Passed 68%-32%
Prop 2: Toll roads approved by voters. Passed 90%-10%.
Prop 3: GOP members of house vote by secret ballot for speaker. Passed 85%-15%
Prop 4: Employers should use E-verify system. Passed 90%-10%
Prop 5: School Choice using tax credits. Passed 79%-21%
Prop 6: Bathroom Privacy. Passed 90%-10%
Prop 7: Abolish Abortion. Passed 68%-32%
Prop 8: End voter fraud. Passed 95%-5%
Prop 9: Repeal Obamacare. Passed 87%-13%
Prop 10: Cap revenue increases to 4%. Passed 94%-6%
Prop 11: No funding of sports teams. Passed 87%-13%
As you can see, all eleven propositions passed convincingly, including property tax reform and abolishing abortion, the two with the lowest spread but still a 36 point difference. These ideas are what the cumulative GOP voters in Texas want. Lets compare these numbers across the State to the counties in East Texas. The number below each proposition is the percentage of voters that voted FOR the position.
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11
Cass 64 90 88 93 73 96 80 97 93 95 88
Harrison 65 91 87 91 75 95 76 96 89 95 88
Marrion 64 90 87 92 82 94 68 96 89 95 89
Panola 66 92 89 91 69 95 80 97 93 94 88
Sabine 66 93 89 95 83 98 75 98 93 96 87
Shelby 67 92 86 91 79 97 80 97 92 94 86
Gregg 63 89 86 91 73 92 75 95 89 93 87
Upshur 71 92 87 92 73 95 80 97 92 95 89
Smith 64 90 88 91 81 94 76 95 90 94 88
Cherokee 72 92 89 91 80 96 79 97 93 95 90
Rusk 66 92 89 92 78 95 78 96 91 95 88
Titus 66 92 86 91 71 96 77 97 91 95 88
Wood 60 91 89 93 74 95 76 97 92 94 90
Every county listed above falls in line with the state average. Our representatives, Chris Paddie, Jay Dean, Matt Schaefer and Cole Hefner represent these counties. Only Paddie and Schaefer had primary challengers in this last election and both won convincingly. The numbers for representative Schaefer fall in line with his voting record as it relates to each proposition. The voters in Smith county, with the exception of Prop 1 voted at the same rate or better on every other proposition. In regards to property tax reform, they still voted favorably by 28%. Representative Schaefer it would seem is representing his district well. He falls in line with what the voters of Smith county want.
On the other hand, the voters in House District 9 which includes Cass, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Sabine and Shelby counties, seem to be giving mixed signals. The numbers suggest they are overwhelmingly in support of all the propositions but then they also re-elected Chris Paddie, who voted against or didn't support many of the same propositions in the 85th session. Do we interpret this conflict as, there are many low information voters in HD 9 or voters in HD 9 are voting only for a person and not what they believe. In either case, voters in HD 9 need more 'truth discovery' about their elected officials or even their own belief systems. For instance, they said they wanted property tax reform and cap any increases to 4%, (Prop 1&10). Paddie voted against the Senate version that would have capped property tax increases at 4%, in fact, he sided with house leadership to dismiss the session a day early and cut off any debates on the floor or with the Senate. He didn't fight to abolish abortion, (Prop 7) in the aforementioned HB 948. Every county in HD 9 approved this position at or better than the state average. Even when it comes to school choice, voters in every HD 9 county approved this measure overwhelmingly, but yet Mr Paddie continually says he is not in favor of it and will always vote against it. Proposition 11 is another conflict of voter interest. Voters said the state should not be funding private sports teams or venues but representative Paddie voted in favor of doing so.
This phenomenon isn't exclusive to voters in HD 9, but to many districts across Texas. If Republican voters truly believe in the propositions put forth to them on this years primary ballot, then why do they keep electing men and women who do not support these positions? If this election taught me anything, its that there are more voters than not, that need a better understanding of how their representative votes in Austin as compared to what they actually believe. Voters in HD 9 and other districts need to stop sending Mixed Signals. Along with many others, its my goal to illuminate the minds of the people of East Texas.
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