I’m old.

I’ve covered hurricanes in Florida, NC, NY, TX and from DC since early 1990s.

I just don’t ever remember having a governor not in the state when one comes on shore, until now.

Abbott today is just now returning to Texas 5 days after Beryl hit

houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…
I talked to my old FL sources like USF’s Darryl Paulson and UCF’s Aubrey Jewett and none of us could remember a time.

But we all could remember instances where governors canceled trips & hustled home just at the threat of hurricane. Charlie Crist, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, etc

This one is big y'all.

For years some far-right pundits have theorized on TV screens and blogs about the so-called "invasion clause" of the U.S. Constitution and how it can stop border crossings.

But Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans took that theory and made it the underpinning of this law that is now in effect in Texas thanks to the Supreme Court's decision today.
via @houstonchronhoustonchronicle.com/politics/texas… Basically the concept is you declare an invasion under Article I, Section 10 Clause 3 of the Constitution to supersede federal laws that typically would bar states from enforcing immigration laws.

I can't believe I'm saying this. But, Uvalde was even worse than we've been told.

We knew about the 376 cops on the scene who did not go into the class for 77 mins.

Assoc Attorney Gen Gupta today said the "pain, failures & missteps" did not end when they finally went in. Because there was no leader, there was no plan to triage victims.

"Without appropriate precautions, victims who had already passed away were taken to the hospital in ambulances while children with bullet wounds were put on school buses without any medical attention," she said.

Texas is on the verge of becoming the biggest state to bar colleges and universities from using diversity, equity and inclusion to hire more diverse faculty & staff

Sen Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, says “we’re putting a bow on the legislation & it’s headed to the governors desk” Still waiting to see the deal myself, but in general if bars public universities from having #DEI offices or DEI staff. Creighton stresses this is all about hiring and staff NOT about student recruitment or admissions policies

Almost on cue Jim McIngvale is proving a key point in a big profile @sarahesmith23 just wrote on him about how he's becoming more and more involved politically.

Last night, that turned to him helping @GovAbbott pitch a school choice program in Texas w/ private school component Mattress Mack told the crowd at a rally in Houston that 1 of the reasons he's been so successful in his business is because of facing so much competition.
"All we're talking about with school choice is giving some competition" @MattressMack. "I think that the right thing for TX"

🚨BREAKING
Texas Republicans are on the verge of giving Gov. Greg Abbott precedent-setting power to overturn future elections in Harris County and call for new elections.

houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas… via @HoustonChron The legislation is aimed directly at Harris County because during the midterm election some polling places ran out of ballot paper. Under SB 1993, if it happens again, Abbott's appointed Sec. of State would be able to call for a new election - a power only a judge holds now

Right now, the Texas Senate is moving to pass legislation that would allow the state to call an entirely new election for a county that runs out of paper for ballots more than one hour.

But it only applies to 1 county.

Guess who?

Gold star if you guessed Harris County It was just 2 weeks ago @jen_rice_ and @act_rational
provided this great look at what happened and the fallout.
houstonchronicle.com/politics/houst…

At the Texas Peace Officers’ Memorial ceremony and vigil tonight @GovAbbott is greeting families of fallen officers and giving them medals of honor Here’s some of what he told the families.

I’m on the Texas Capitol grounds right now, where they are about to hold a ceremony at Texas Peace Officers' Memorial where they will honor officers lost in the line of duty. Gov @GregAbbott_TX and @DanPatrick among the hundreds of law enforcement and their families here to honor 58 who are being added to the memorial.

After more than 5 hours of action, the Texas Senate just voted 19-12 to eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public universities and colleges in Texas.

The bill now moves to the Texas House. If it passes there unchanged, it would go to Gov. Abbott.

https://twitter.com/JeremySWallace/status/1648799061498028033

This was a straight party line vote with all 12 Democrats opposing the bill and many warning it would set back schools as they try to hire more diverse faculty that reflect the state's majority-minority population.

NEW: What’s the relationship like between 2 of the most powerful Republicans in Texas?
🥶 🥶 🥶

These guys have barely spoken to each other this year and now Dan Patrick is calling Dade Phelan names.

On TV!
houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas… This is important not for gossip sake, but because we have 40 days left in the Legislative Session and these guys are miles apart on huge pieces of legislation - notably property tax cuts.

Texas Sen Brandon Creighton right now on the floor of the Senate talking about his bill to kill diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Texas colleges. Creighton said these programs are being used to exclude certain job candidates and have created bloated, expensive bureaucracies at schools with little real results

"Will she die in vain, or will her life save another child — maybe your child?” - Veronica Mata, whose 10-year-old daughter Tess died at Robb Elementary.
houstonchronicle.com/politics/artic… via @HoustonChron I wish more people could have listened to the families members of Uvalde and Santa Fe children
as they made their case last night to state lawmakers. No matter where you fall on the gun debate, it is important to hear these people out and respect the loss.

Farewell Stephen F. Austin State University and hello "Stephen F. Austin State University, a member of The University of Texas System"

TX Senate today voted out a bill that technically abolishes @SFASU in Nacogdoches so it can become part of the official UT system Don't worry, it really keeps its name so we don't have 2 UTs with Austin in the name or SFAUMUTS. Yikes.

All current Lumberjack students and faculty automatically switch over with no problem.

I just arrived at the unveiling of the new Barbara Jordan Building in Austin just blocks from the Texas Capitol where she shattered so many barriers in becoming the 1st Black woman to ever serve in the Texas Senate. Who is Barbara Jordan. Well, I’ll let @SenRoyceWest tell you:

The Texas Senate just now passed SB 1397 that will allow the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to continue operating for another 12 years. Texas requires agencies to go through a "sunset review" regularly to assess how they are functioning and address concerns. Way too much to put in a few tweets, but here are some of the things State Sen. Charles Schwertner outlined.

You know what they didn't teach me in Texas history class in the 7th grade (yes that is a thing here)?

About the day 86 years ago when a natural gas leak blew up a school killing about 300 students and teachers in East Texas. As I and many others struggle to come to terms with Uvalde, the idea that soooo many kids could go to school and just never come back is maybe the worst thing I can imagine as a father.

Any Tandy fans or classic Texas Instruments fans out there? I went totally old school in my story today referencing Texas’s 1980s heyday as a semiconductor mecca - a title the state is suddenly making a legit run at once again. houstonchronicle.com/politics/artic… My toaster probably has more computer power than that beauty, but, man, when we got ours I thought we were in the technological age! 🤣

Can y’all do me a solid? I’ve started a new experiment with the Texas Take newsletter and really want people to take it for a spin. It’s free & has stuff I’m sure you’re not going to find anywhere else about TX politics. Signup at bottom of the page here: houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas… Today’s edition has breaking news about Texas public universities, a big change along the border in the RGV and disturbing news out of Fort Hood.

More than 40% of our population in Texas is Hispanic. Want to take a guess at what percentage of professors at UT and A&M are Hispanic?

10% at UT
5% at A&M

At the risk of connecting really obvious dots, want to guess why colleges have tried to use DEI to find more diversity? That is critical to know as you read my latest about how our flagship universities are left trying to fix those numbers as GOP launches yet another new effort today to stop DEI. I had exclusive interviews with UT and A&M leaders about it all:
houstonchronicle.com/politics/artic…

At the Texas Capitol right now where @GovAbbott is leading a press conference on the states efforts to become the center of microchip manufacturing in the US and the world. Specifically he’s pushing for legislation to help attract more microchip makers and get colleges to produce more engineers.

This just two days after @RepMcCaul was at the University of Texas hosting a round table discussion with federal and industry officials