Tag Archives: Texas 2014 elections

Houston Politics

Leticia Van de Putte Releases ‘Texas First’ Jobs Plan

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Unlike her Republican counterpart, the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor is actually talking about jobs.
This week, State Senator and statewide office hopeful Leticia Van de Putte unveiled the Texas First jobs plan— a comprehensive plan to ensure that Texas not only continues the growth of today, but builds a better economic future for tomorrow. As the Burnt Orange Report noted, she also unveiled the plan in her own special way… at Houston’s St. Arnold’s brewery.  Here’s an excerpt from the plan…
Leticia understands that Texas needs to invest in roads, water, and public education to ensure a prosperous future for Texas businesses and workers. She sees the possibilities that our state’s lush natural resources provide and knows that our economy will remain strong if we foster trade with our neighbors. Leticia understands that with a strong business climate and a quality workforce, businesses will continue to bring jobs to Texas.
Over the past year, every major industry expanded in Texas. These industries created 371,000 jobsbetween June 2013 and June 2014. Leticia is committed to placing Texas in the best position to keep industries like “mining and logging” and “transportation and utilities” strong, while also attracting the industries of the future. Leticia knows that under her leadership, the state has great potential to expand jobs in the biomedical and technology industries of Texas.
Leticia believes that an educated and skilled workforce is crucial to attracting new jobs and ensuring they are filled by Texans. Leticia knows that in order for Texas to prosper, it must prepare students for jobs that may not yet exist, as well as those that have a long history in this state. Currently, there is agrowing need in Texas for healthcare professionals and teachers, as well as mechanics and computersupport specialist. No matter what the industry, Leticia is committed to prepare Texans to take on any job of the future.
Leticia believes that growing a smart economy requires a pro-business environment that stimulates rather than stifles business growth. She understands that Texas needs to balance keeping taxes low and fair while also investing in job creation. She recognizes that Texas needs a system of predictable regulations so that we can continue to attract businesses from across the country and the world.
Even as the current border situation has dominated the news cycle, Van de Putte has managed to not only give clear, reasoned strategy of how to best handle that situation, but to also move her campaign forward with plans such as this one.  While Dan Patrick mires himself in harmful anti-immigrant, anti-Texan rhetoric, Van de Putte is proving that it is possible to lead by example in the Lieutenant Governor’s race.  As a champion of the booming craft beer industry and other small businesses, Van de Putte has shown that she has a firm and relevant understanding of how today’s Texas economy works.
Equality, Texas Politics

Greg Abbott: LGBT Texans Aren’t Stable Enough For Marriage

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Marriage in most families is a momentous occasion, and for those that choose to walk down the aisle, it marks the beginning of a new life for the wedded couple.  Marriages form a backbone of not only family history, but American history as well.  But for LGBT Texans that treasured history is being not only prevented, but destroyed by the state’s Big Government Attorney General.  As revealed this week, Greg Abbott has decided to be a roadblock to equality yet again, filing an appeal to the recent ruling that struck down the state’s marriage ban.  Here’s the information directly from the full text of the Attorney General’s filing…

Texas’s marriage laws are rooted in a basic reality of human life: procreation requires a male and a female.  Two people of the same sex cannot, by themselves procreate.  All the Equal Protection Clause requires is that Texas’s marriage be rationally related to a legitimate state interest.  Texas’s marriage laws easily satisfy that standard.  The state’s recognition and encouragement of opposite sex marriages increases the likelihood that naturally procreative couples will produce children, and that they will do so in the context of stable, long-lasting relationships.  By encouraging the formation of opposite sex marriages, the State seeks not only to encourage procreation but also to minimize the societal costs of procreation outside of stable, lasting marriages.

Curious how the Attorney General, and Republican candidate for Governor keeps bringing up this point about stability.  Clearly Abbott doesn’t think that LGBT Texans are “stable enough” to handle meaningful relationships.  Of course, as the Houston Chronicle points out, these are the very same flawed arguments that have been rejected several times in other Appeals courts…

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and pro-gay marriage activists were surprised Abbott led with the “responsible procreation” argument since it has been rejected in the 10th and 4th Circuit Courts.

“It hasn’t succeeded very often because it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and it doesn’t really comport with what most of us think about marriage,” said Rebecca Robertson, legal and policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. “(State law) doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be reasonable.”

Any outcome in the 5th Circuit would be a win for the gay marriage movement, said Steve Rudner of Equality Texas.

If the court upholds Judge Garcia’s ruling overturning the ban, it will bolster LGBT activists’ case. If it becomes the first appeals court to toss out such a ruling, creating a circuit court split, it could put the Texas case on a fast-track to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Whether or not this ridiculous appeal is part of some meticulously orchestrated plot to entice the Supreme Court, or if it’s just the Attorney General’s blunt ignorance on display, only time will tell.  But one thing we can be sure of:  Greg Abbott is no friend of the LGBT community, or of any kind of equality for the state of Texas.  He has shown time after time that he doesn’t support women’s rights, property rights, or even the rights to obtain vital information.  This latest infringement on the rights of Texans should not be ignored.  If you care about personal freedom for anyone in any capacity, please do NOT vote for Greg  “Big Government” Abbott this November.

(image credit:  Texas Democratic Party)

Texas Politics

Van de Putte Bests Patrick in Latest Fundraising Haul

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It’s been a good month for the Senator from San Antonio, as Alex Ura of the Texas Tribune reports…

Democratic state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte and Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick, who are facing off in a fiery race for lieutenant governor, have both raised about $1 million since the end of May — with Van de Putte slightly outraising Patrick, according to fundraising numbers released by both campaigns.

Since defeating incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in a May 28 runoff, Patrick has raised $1 million. Van de Putte, who ran unopposed, raised about $1.2 million in the same time period. Four months ahead of the general election, the two candidates are working with similar balances in their respective war chests, with Van de Putte reporting $1.1 million cash on hand while Patrick has $946,982 in the bank.

The two campaigns released some fundraising totals ahead of the Texas Ethics Commission’s Tuesday deadline for reports covering fundraising activity and expenditures through June 30. The reports were not immediately available.

The post goes on to say that Dan Patrick is still far ahead in total campaign resources.  The Republican has $7.8 million in funds compared to a $2.3 million total for Leticia Van de Putte.

Good news here is that Van de Putte has again proven her ability to run a successful campaign for Lieutenant Governor.   Pundits no longer have to debate about whether or not she can raise money, because she is.  It’s not necessary for her to actually win the fundraising race, but she does need to have enough money to be competitive.  Texas Democrats should find much encouragement in these numbers.

Politics

TexWatch 2014: Ballot Set

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Now that the state of Texas has completed state runoff elections, residents of the Lone Star State now have a set ballot for this November.  Among the top races, State Senator Dan Patrick handily won the GOP’s nomination for Lieutenant Governor over current office-holder David Dewhurst, and will go on to face Democratic standard-bearer Leticia Van de Putte this fall.   State Senator Ken Paxton bested Dan Branch for the GOP nod in the Attorney General’s race, while Sid Miller grabbed the nod for Agriculture Commissioner over fellow State Rep Tommy Merritt.  The runoff election, with its low turnout on a rather damp weather day for much of the state, was a decisive victory for Tea Party forces.  David Alameel easily defeated LaRouche Democrat Kesha Rogers in the US Senate Primary, and now faces Republican incumbent Jon  Cornyn in November.

As Christy Hoppe of the Dallas Morning News observes, the Democratic and Republican ballot choices offer a stark contrast in more ways than just party ideology, as the GOP slate for 2014 turns out to be far more white and male than in previous years…

The Texas Republican Party has a girl problem.

A glance down the list of GOP nominees set after Tuesday’s runoffs makes it look as if U.S. Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth has signed up for shop class.

She is the lone woman among the 50 congressional, statewide and top judicial Republican candidates.

In a year when the marquee races for governor and lieutenant governor will feature Democrats Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte, the Grand Old Party looks like it’s going stag.

Candidate Lisa Fritsch warned during the primaries of “the party of all these men and the same old recycled candidates.”

And Fritsch is a staunch conservative who was challenging Greg Abbott for the nomination for governor.

State party chairman Steve Munisteri said he’s noticed.

“I would tell you I’ve had discussions with elected officials and party leaders about this very issue,” he said Tuesday. “Frankly, it is a concern.”

Some would say that it’s fitting for the GOP slate to match it’s extreme preferences for the past in both optics and policy.  This overly white, overly male ticket may be just what the doctor ordered to encourage a new electorate in Texas.  Women and minorities show noticeable prominence on the Democratic side of the aisle, and no one should be surprised that they are the ones talking about the issues that matter to most Texans… jobs, healthcare for families and the educational future of the Lone Star State.

Of course with limited resources, whose to say if Davis, Van de Putte, Railroad Commissioner candidate Steve Brown or any of the other Democrats can break through the long-held GOP glass ceiling.  But one thing is for sure… with all Primaries in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to try.

 

Davis Van de Putte

(photo credit:  The Texas Tribune)

 

Politics

More Evidence: Texas Doesn’t Vote

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If you know one thing about Battleground Texas, you know that their organization is taking on a huge task… re-make the voting electorate of the Lone Star State.

And as Ross Ramsey from the Texas Tribune writes, they’ve still got a long way to go to be able to do it.

Senate District 3, the most populous in the state in 2012, had 843,567 people; the least populous, Senate District 28, had 778,341. But look at the differences between populations of voting-age citizens: Senate District 3 had 603,385, while Senate District 6, now represented by Garcia, had 372,420. Even with identical percentage turnouts, one district would have more votes than the other.

That is the basis for one argument against the current districts in Texas, but it doesn’t account for the biggest disparity. Texans in one district do not seem to have the same urge to vote as their counterparts in other areas. Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, won in District 25, where 64.6 percent of the voting-age population cast ballots. Hers was one of three districts where more than 60 percent of adult residents voted. Garcia’s district, in that 2012 election, had a 37.1 percent turnout — one of three Senate districts with less than 40 percent.

The turnout numbers were low not just because of the low voting-age population — the number who got off their sofas to cast ballots in those districts was also abysmal. Those numbers offer a peek into the design of the political maps drawn by Republican legislators: The districts that turn out the most voters tend to favor Republicans by a wide margin in statewide elections, while the lowest turnouts are typically in Democratic districts.

Similarly large disparities show up on congressional and House maps.

Nick Lampson, a Democrat who ran in the 14th Congressional District, received 24,583 more votes in 2012 than Democrat Marc Veasey, but they were in different districts. Veasey went to Congress. Lampson went home. This is even more dramatic: Veasey won the 33rd Congressional District seat with 85,114 votes. His colleague Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, received 194,043 — more than twice as many.

Ramsey tries to be diplomatic here, but to be even more specific, Texas DEMOCRATS don’t vote.  Congressman Veasey represents a heavily Democratic district, while Lampson competed in a district that leans GOP.

But Texas Democrats are definitely out there.  We know this because we’ve seen them before.  The 2008 Texas Primary garnered 2,868,454 Democrat voters to a mere 1,384,663 on the GOP side.  Great candidates, in combination with the right message can drive Democrats to the polls, even in the Lone Star State.  Hopefully Wendy Davis, Leticia Van de Putte and others will find that formula for the 2014 election.

2008 Primaries

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Texoblogosphere: week of February 3rd

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The Texas Progressive Alliance still has a dozen or so Republican responses to the SOTU it needs to get through as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Off the Kuff takes a look at campaign finance reports for Harris County legislative and countywide candidates.

Horwitz at Texpatriate laments the loss of Algebra II as a High school graduation requirement.

In light of some of the more ridiculous back-and-forth between Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott and their campaigns — not to mention James O’Keefe and his clandestine, altered video — PDiddie at Brains and Eggs asks: “Is it insensitive to say that Abbott is ‘running’ for governor?”

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants you to scream in horror over the Republican war on women. All Republican candidates for Lieutenant Governor are FOR keeping a brain dead woman with a severely abnormal fetus on life support against her family’s wishes.

This week, McBlogger has some advice for the Davis Campaign, the press and all the Democratic activists who are eager for a win this year.

Neil at All People Have Value wrote about the slate of Green Party candidates running in Texas in 2014. All People Have Value is part of NeilAquino.com.

And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Nonsequiteuse scoffs at the notion that Texas may turn into California.

Texas Redistricting updates us on the proposed fixes to the Voting Rights Act and other election law news.

John Coby names Randy Weber the frontrunner to replace Steve Stockman as the craziest Congressman from Southeast Texas.

Texas Clean Air Matters reports on the longrunning legal battle between Texas and the EPA over clean air regulations.

The Lunch Tray alerts us to potential changes to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Randy Bear examines the reasoning behind various LGBT groups’ non-endorsement of Wendy Davis in the Democratic primary for Governor.

Greg Wythe has the data to analyze the actual impact of Texas’ voter ID law in Harris County.

BOR asks why the Texas Medical Association supports candidates who oppose their own stated positions, and gets a non-responsive answer from them.

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TexWatch 2014: Voting Issues Already??

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If you pay attention to the mainstream news, you may think that Texas’ first “test run” of the new Voter ID law is going quite well in the 2013 elections. Early voting procedures have been “largely successful” … at least that’s the line that many in the GOP are trying to spin. Of course many reasonable Texans probably don’t define success has having to sign an affidavit or use a provisional ballot that might be thrown out. But here’s something to keep in mind… even with the extra prohibitions, most voters showing up in 2013 are the ones most committed and most able to vote. They are by and large the people that will have their photo ID, and will go through the trouble of signing an affidavit. They are the people that will even ask for a Provisional Ballot if they don’t have photo ID. In short, 2013 is such a light election turnout that you’re not going to see the same issues that will occur in 2014’s national election. The huge number of voters that have been annoyed… nearly 1 in 4 Texans that early voted had to sign an affidavit… were so determined to cast their ballot that they did whatever it takes. In a state where so few people vote to begin, this just won’t be the case in a higher turnout election. Many people are going to give up entirely.

Just today, I spoke to Dr. Martha Serpas, Professor of English at the University of Houston. She is a resident of the Eastwood neighborhood, and went to go vote at Ripley House. When she went to the polling location, she told the election workers that she did not have a photo ID, and asked to vote by Provisional Ballot. According to the new law, this is the procedure… no photo ID means that you are to be allowed to vote by Provisional Ballot. But in Professor Serpas’ case, they denied her request for the Provisional Ballot, and told her she could not vote without a proper photo ID. She was clearly frustrated by the experience, and told me about it directly.

Granted, this is one isolated case, but it begs a question. Now that it is Election Day, how many people are going to vote at Ripley House, and being turned away because their election workers aren’t following the parameters of the law? Keep in mind that just 12 months ago, Texans were not required to have a photo ID… they could come and cast their vote by showing any legal document with their name and address. That includes things like a utility bill, student ID, marriage certificate or other documents. Even with all of the recent press surrounding the new law, most people still have no clue about the changes. In an inner city neighborhood, many residents do not drive, and don’t even own a car. No driving means they have little if any use for a Driver’s license. If these people show up to vote today, they are being caught off guard. And if they show up to vote at places like Ripley House, they are being turned away, and not even offered a Provisional Ballot.

If you’re in Texas, have you heard of any similar stories at your polling place? If so, please share them in the comments. As we approach the 2014 elections, these occurrences need to be documented in every way possible.

CRITICAL UPDATE on this story…

After speaking with Dr. Serpas, I learned some additional information that must be included. She went to vote at the above location on Election Day, but she told me that she normally votes early. This is an important point, because on Election Day, you are only allowed to vote at your designated precinct. When she showed up on Election Day at Ripley House, it was the wrong location for her to be able to cast her vote. So the poll workers would’ve been correct in denying her a Provisional Ballot at that location, and should have instead directed her to the proper polling site.

However, Dr. Serpas says, that they never even checked what her proper polling location should’ve been. She simply says that they asked her for photo ID. When she said she didn’t have one with her and asked for a Provisional Ballot, they turned her away without verifying her information. It would be one thing to deny ballot because it’s the wrong location, but if you’re not going to check, then the error still lies with the Election Officials.