Summer Sale: ONLY 25¢! |
Take a tour of the weird side of #txlege Twitter
You may imagine that the Texas Legislature's biennial sessions in Austin are full of detailed, sober discussions about the hyper-specific ramifications of minute policy choices.
You would be right, sort of, but you'd also be missing a whole lot that's happening on the website formerly known as Twitter.
In May, state Rep. Briscoe Cain took to the front microphone on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives — a room with a long, prestigious history full of old, wooden desks and portraits of important people — to accept a new and "prestigious" prize. In that moment, the digital world and the world of serious policymaking collapsed into one, our Austin Bureau's Cayla Harris reported Thursday.
It was the 88th session Sevvie award — a completely online, made-up honor from the account @3SeveralDays and bestowed upon dozens of Texas legislators, lobbyists, staffers, journalists and others who comprise the far-reaching #txlege community.
3SeveralDays is one of many anonymous Texas politics meme accounts that have emerged on Twitter in recent years, garnering a large following inside the Capitol. They poke fun at lawmakers, lobbyists and the events under the dome.
Nicknames include: "Danny Crabcakes" for Maryland-native Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, "Chairman Brisket" for Rep. Cain, "Schwertle" (like the Pokémon) for Sen. Charles Schwertner, "Caprese bologna" for Rep. Giovanni Capriglione and "Old Man Craddick" for 79-year-old Rep. Tom Craddick, the Legislature's longest-serving member first elected in 1968.
Check out the full story to go through the looking glass into this strange corner of #Txlege Twitter. And as a bonus, read this 2021 article highlighting the rise of #Txlege on Twitter, foreshadowing much of what's in today's story.
 | Edward McKinley, state government reporter |
Who's up, who's down
Up: Your weight.
If you decide to sign-up to be an official "Buc-ee Bud-ee" with a finance firm looking to collect info on Buc-ee's snacks. The taste tester will try 25 different foods at a Buc-ee's location within two weeks of being chosen for a payday of $1,000, plus another $250 to cover the costs of snacks, gas and merchandise.
Down: Energy use.
The Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, issued a voluntary conservation notice Thursday asking Texans who safely can to reduce energy use from 3 to 8 p.m today. Electricity demand could surpass supply during those hours, ERCOT warned. Hopefully it won't be the electric grid going down, instead.
What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.
What else is going on in Texas
|
|
|
Pick of the day
Photo by: Jon Shapley/Staff photographer
Hearst Newspapers published a new analysis based on Texas jail populations that identifies off-the-radar facilities where inmates face threats at higher rates, including guard use-of-force, attacks between prisoners or suicides and attempts.
What else I'm reading
Texas Monthly reports: An oil executive wants to block the South Llano River for private recreational purposes. Hill Country residents are outraged.
|
Unsubscribe | Manage Preferences | Privacy Notice
Houston Chronicle
4747 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77027
© 2023 Hearst Communications
No comments:
Post a Comment