January 4, 2024
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Best of the Bayou
Today we're talking about primary election trends...
If you read one thing: Early voting kicks off in just weeks for the March 5 primaries, which will decide the Democratic and Republican nominees in races up and down the ballot, from president to county constable.
With these all-important primaries fast approaching, here are three trends to watch, each of which carries major stakes for the future shape of Texas politics:
Can Abbott change the math on vouchers?
Gov. Greg Abbott made it his top priority last year to give families taxpayer dollars to enroll their children in private schools, but the proposal ran into a wall of opposition from Democrats and 21 largely rural Republicans in the Texas House.
Abbott will need to net at least 13 more pro-voucher members to reach a 76-vote majority. That would mean flipping more than half of the seats held by anti-voucher Republicans — many of whom represent areas where there are few accredited private schools, if any.
How much clout does Ken Paxton have?
Attorney General Ken Paxton is aiming to unseat a number of GOP members in retaliation for voting to impeach him in May — in some instances pitting his preferred candidates directly against the governor's.
Far more is at stake than Paxton's own political clout. The attorney general is generally supporting primary challengers who are openly hostile to House Speaker Dade Phelan, whom Paxton and his allies have accused of leading the impeachment effort to distract from the House's insufficiently conservative legislative record.
If enough Paxton-supported candidates depose Phelan's incumbent GOP allies, the speaker's control of the gavel could be in jeopardy by January 2025, when members will convene for the next regular session and elect a speaker for the next two years.
Will some Democrats pay a price for siding with Republicans?
With essentially every GOP-controlled seat in the Legislature out of reach, some Democrats are turning to primaries involving their own members who have broken with the party on high-profile issues.
Among them are two Houston Democrats, state Reps. Shawn Thierry and Harold Dutton, who voted with Republicans earlier this year to ban gender transition care for minors and bar transgender college athletes from competing on the teams that match their gender identity.
- Read Jasper Scherer's full story here.
Stay in the Loop
Photo by: Susan Barber
📰 Need to Know
- Here's how long DMV appointments can take in Houston. Long wait times persist for appointments at many Texas Department of Public Safety driver's license offices, despite a new online system and a more than $400 million investment made over the last decade.
- When Latino students at an East End HISD school demanded change. Eager to learn but lacking the resources, the predominantly Latino student body at Stephen F. Austin High School in the East End revolted in the fall of 1989.
- Report: 'Love is Blind' contestant suing Netflix over 'traumatic' experience. A former "Love Is Blind" contestant from Texas is suing Netflix and Delirium TV, the show's production company, according to a report from Variety.
💼 Business
- Millions of U.S. households still face surprise overdraft fees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is taking aim at surprise overdraft fees and other "junk fees."
- These charts show how rapidly the Texas power grid is changing. The ERCOT grid, which faces increased scrutiny after deadly outages in 2021, has seen growth in renewable energy and electricity demand in recent years.
🚗 Outside the Loop
- Biden administration sues Texas over new border security law. The move sets up a legal battle that could go to the U.S. Supreme Court over a state's ability to essentially deport people suspected of crossing the border illegally.
- 9 new businesses coming to The Woodlands area in 2024. After several new retailers opened amid The Woodlands' holiday season, even more restaurants, services and eateries are scheduled to open in the new year.
Point of View
Photo by: Yasmeen Khalifa
Whitmire wants Houston to be great. Will Harris County help?
John Whitmire has built a career on forging alliances. He'll need to rely on those relationships to help Houston solve its many problems, writes the Editorial Board.
- Confiscate guns fired into the air to celebrate. Fireworks are OK, but people shooting off their guns to celebrate the new year should have them confiscated, one reader writes.
- Whitmire must build on Turner's housing success. As Mayor John Whitmire takes office, we reflect that Sylvester Turner's strong multifamily housing record could have been even stronger, writes the Editorial Board.
Houston vs. All Y'all
Photo by: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Staff Photographer
'Ted Cruz curse' re-emerges following Texas Longhorns' playoff loss.
A Ted Cruz curse seems to be overblown, but the U.S. Senator hasn't watched his team win a game in a decent while.
- Woody Williams returns to UH in pitching and development role. The former major league pitcher returns to the University of Houston, where he played in late 1980s, to help coach Todd Whitting's staff in their first year in the Big 12.
Get Out
Photo by: Photo By Matthew Murphy For MurphyMade
Things to do in Houston this weekend: Tina Turner, Playoff Fan Central.
Our top weekend picks also include comedian Jared Freid, Autograph Show of Texas, Houston Rockets and more.
- Houston pitmaster Willow Villarreal to open new BBQ spot in East End. Good news for barbecue fans and residents of the Near East End: pitmaster Willow Villarreal and his partner, Jasmine Barela, are planning for a brick-and-mortar project on McKinney in the new year.
As we close today's newsletter, let's take a moment of silence for the Houston restaurant and bar closings that defined 2023.
Puzzle of the Day: Really Bad Chess
Try to win in the lowest number of moves to score the highest amount of points. Don't let them put your king into checkmate.
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