Enlarge Joe Deshotel

Sarah Goodfriend, second from left, and Suzanne Bryant, center, with their daughters (far left and far right) and Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir, second from right. DeBeauvoir issued Goodfriend and Bryant a marriage license on Feb. 19, 2015.

The CEO of high-profile Austin ad agency GSD&M circulated a letter Thursday afternoon stating his opposition to HB 4105, the gay marriage bill supported by House Republicans as a way to prevent the handing out of marriage licenses to same-sex couples should the U.S. Supreme Court rule against states’ ability to ban same-sex marriage.

In his letter, Duff Stewart credited a diverse workforce for his company’s success.

“Without an inclusive and open environment, our agency would fail,” Stewart wrote. “We wouldn’t be able to attract the best talent or cultivate a culture in which anyone can feel comfortable sharing his or her own beliefs, living their life and be proud to do so. We put our people first, and we expect our government officials to do so as well.

“The clock is ticking, and GSD&M urges other Texas business leaders to speak out now and advocate for change so the generations to come are free of these discriminatory discussions and closed-minded thinking.”

*****

Some bills due up for consideration before HB 4105 included Doug Miller’s HB 3196 clarifying the law on what constitutes improper photography and Byron Cook’s HB 37 requiring disclosure of the sources of “dark money” spent to influence political campaigns.

All of those represented potential collateral damage from the chubbing effort intended to derail the gay marriage bill.

*****

One high-profile bill on public education funding fell victim to the legislative maneuvering around HB 4105 earlier in the day.

Facing a slew of amendments and the prospect of a day-long debate holding up hundreds of other bills ahead of the chamber's key bill passing deadline, Public Education Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock pulled the plug on his attempt to fix the state’s school finance system ahead of Supreme Court action.

Aycock — who acknowledged from the start he faced a tough battle to get lawmakers to tackle reforming the state's problem-plagued school finance system with the lawsuit pending before the Texas Supreme Court — had at least hoped to have a floor debate on the issue.

But with the Senate unlikely to move on the matter even if it did clear the House, Aycock said it was unfair to tie up the chamber's time with the bill.

*****

At a House Ways and Means hearing this week, members learned about a previously unknown problem with the Senate’s property tax cut proposal. Senate Joint Resolution 1 would ask voters to amend the constitution to approve a change in the homestead exemption. The election would be on Sept. 12.

Ro'Vin Garrett, the Brazoria County tax assessor-collector, speaking for the Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas, said running that election will cause some problems. For starters, it’ll cost money.

Then there’s the trouble of holding that election so close to the start of early voting for the uniform November election.

“The two elections, one September, one November, back to back, is a concern,” Garrett said.

Garrett said that holding the election in September could cause troubles for counties in sending accurate property tax bills to homeowners on time. Holding that election any later would make it even tougher.

*****

The Texas Association of Business announced the creation of the Nelson Salinas Education Fund in memory of its government affairs manager who passed away earlier this month.

The fund is designed to help his niece and nephew with their college costs. For more information on how to donate, click here.

Disclosure: The Texas Association of Business is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.

Enlarge Bob Daemmrich

The set at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. on Oct. 10, 2011, the night before Rick Perry's fourth Republican presidential debate.

Late last week came word that a 2016 presidential debate is coming to Texas.

Houston will play host to the Feb. 26 debate, which will include the Republican candidates. NBC News, Telemundo and National Review are teaming up to put on the event.

The debate will fall just days before the Texas primary.

*****

Houston mayoral candidate Bill King has made his first TV campaign ad, “City of Opportunity,” the first of a series that his campaign says will air through Election Day and beyond.

Citing his legal and business background, the businessman and attorney says in the ad, “Let’s work together to fix the streets, catch the crooks and balance the budget. Let’s get Houston back to basics.”

King is one of several announced candidates in the race to succeed Annise Parker, who is term limited from running for re-election. The others include state Rep. Sylvester Turner, former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and former Congressman Chris Bell.

The election is set for November.

*****

And because the 2016 primary fights can’t get here fast enough, consider these items.

Former Hood County Constable Mike Lang announced Tuesday he has the backing of all but two of the county's Republican precinct chairmen in his challenge to state Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland.

Lang is partly pinning his hopes on a strong performance in Hood County, the most populous county in House District 60. Keffer's primary challenger in 2014 beat him in Hood County by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

Lang is among a handful of candidates who have already declared they are challenging longtime incumbents in 2016. Keffer has not made an official announcement about whether he will seek an 11th term.

*****

In some D.C. political news, Dallas Republican Congressman Pete Sessions responded this afternoon to a news report that deep-pocketed state Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas, isn’t ruling out a run for Sessions’ seat.

"I would submit to you that he’s got his hands full right now and probably be busy doing that," Sessions said, referring to Huffines' work in the Legislature. "And I’m sure somebody just asked him a question about it. I think he’s pretty busy and so am I."

Enlarge

For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked them to grade Greg Abbott on his emergency items as well as evaluate the substance of Jonathan Stickland and the likelihood of tax relief that Texans can feel.

For the most part, the insiders are withholding final judgment on Abbott's performance in delivering on his emergency items. On four of the five emergency items — border security, ethics, higher education and transportation — a plurality gave Abbott an incomplete.

The exception was early education, where nearly half the insiders gave Abbott either an A or a B.

With a couple of weeks left in session and the three weeks beyond that for Abbott's veto period, the high incidence of incompletes makes sense. We'll say for now that Abbott is at the midterm. We'll check back again in a few weeks to see what the insiders' final determinations are.

A majority of the insiders — 57 percent — didn't feel that any of these emergency items would trigger a special session.

On the topic of Stickland, this session's perennial back mic occupant, a majority of 53 percent described him as a showhorse, while just 2 percent described him as a workhorse.

Another 20 percent said he was both while 25 percent said neither description fit him.

And with talk of tax cuts dominating the discussion this week in the Legislature, we asked the insiders if the end result would be tax relief that Texans would feel.

Nearly three-fourths said no, while a bit less than one in four said the tax relief would be something that could be felt.

We collected comments along the way, and a full set of those is attached. Here’s a sampling:

Enlarge Emily Albracht

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Let’s assess Gov. Greg Abbott’s performance on his emergency items:

• "Some believe the governor is not a glad-handing, back slapping legislative animal. Others believe, his judicial training and background creates a starting point based on attorney-client privilege, not a get-along-to-go-along posture. In deference, giving the benefit of the doubt is certainly appropriate."

• "The red meat primary issue (Border security) has been secured. The only thing left in the agenda is not to screw up."

• "We may, surprisingly, see a real fall-off from his predecessors in terms of leadership. I was expecting more, frankly."

• "When you set the bar low it's not hard to step over."

• "Abbott has been absent this entire session. While Abbott has capable people in Randy Erben, Jay Dyer, all orders are coming from Daniel Hodge. Since he doesn't have legislative experience, this lack of experience is having a detrimental impact on the Gov."

Enlarge Emily Albracht

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If the Legislature doesn’t complete work on any one of his emergency items, will he call them back for a special session?

• "Maybe border security, it is a hot button issue to those who support other state-wide elected officials."

• "But going back for tax relief is a huge gamble if a reduced revenue estimate provides no tax relief. Read carefully between the lines of the Comptroller's recent comments on funding needs."

• "But he will call us back if tax cuts don't get done."

• "He's a new Governor with three things at his discretion: appointment authority, veto power, and ability to call a Special Session. He's got a pen and he'll show he knows how to use it."

• "If he calls them back for a special session, it will be for budget and tax, not for these emergency items. Either the emergency items will pass in some form, or he'll wave them off."

Enlarge Emily Albracht

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Jonathan Stickland, workhorse or showhorse?

• "He works hard for his folks, his constituents, like-minded Reps and those like-minded interest groups outside the capitol. However, history shows us the enthusiasm for this movement will fade as it is incorporated into the main stream. Recall the TEA party started out as a conservative ECONOMIC movement but has more and more begun to reflect conservative SOCIAL issues as well, same song, next verse."

• "He's done some homework (albeit not well), but his motives are for political favor."

• "He's a show horse, but so is TMF — Stickland is portrayed in the media as ridiculous when he goes into his Don Quixote routine but TMF is portrayed as some kind of hero — the 'bull of the Brazos,' The job of legislators is to work with others to pass legislation — neither of them does much of that — they are both obstructionists, but only one of them is given a lot of grief over it."

• "An earnest youngster who is getting his nose bloodied in the real political world. He'll be better off for it, if he has the sense to learn the lesson that even though he thinks he is right all the time, no one else does. It's always better to listen to the other side. He is at risk of becoming a cartoon."

• "I am not sure anyone can really figure out what Stickland's point is or what he is trying to accomplish. It appears he is just trying to insert Chaos."

Enlarge Emily Albracht

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Will the Legislature give Texans tax relief they can feel?

• "Even at $4.9B no one will feel it. Made for TV tax cut."

• "The problem is they will be able to feel it in the short term, but they will not be able to remember it in the long term."

• "If the House backs the Senate property tax reduction. The House sales tax cut will give most tax paying families happy meals for all. The proposed reduction is comical."

• "If they get a sales tax cut, those Texans who care to look at their receipt may 'feel' it in that sense. No one will feel any of these tax cut proposals in their standard of living, however. The cuts are all basically fluff but help keep down the size of government."

• "Tax relief will be approved, but it depends on your definition of 'can feel.' I may not 'feel' $200/annually, but another person would be elated to see $200/annually."

Our thanks to this week's participants: Gene Acuna, Clyde Alexander, George Allen, Jay Arnold, Charles Bailey, James Bernsen, Andrew Biar, Allen Blakemore, Tom Blanton, Chris Britton, Kerry Cammack, Snapper Carr, Corbin Casteel, Elna Christopher, Harold Cook, Kevin Cooper, Randy Cubriel, Curtis Culwell, Denise Davis, June Deadrick, Holly DeShields, Tom Duffy, David Dunn, Jack Erskine, John Esparza, Jon Fisher, Tom Forbes, Neftali Garcia, Dominic Giarratani, Bruce Gibson, Stephanie Gibson, Scott Gilmore, Eric Glenn, Kinnan Golemon, Daniel Gonzalez, Jim Grace, Wayne Hamilton, Bill Hammond, Ken Hodges, Steve Holzheauser, Deborah Ingersoll, Mark Jones, Robert Kepple, Richard Khouri, Tom Kleinworth, Sandy Kress, Dale Laine, Nick Lampson, Pete Laney, Dick Lavine, James LeBas, Luke Legate, Homero Lucero, Matt Mackowiak, Jason McElvaney, Steve Minick, Bee Moorhead, Mike Moses, Steve Murdock, Keats Norfleet, Todd Olsen, Nef Partida, Gardner Pate, Bill Pewitt, Tom Phillips, Wayne Pierce, Allen Place, Kraege Polan, Gary Polland, Jay Pritchard, Ted Melina Raab, Tim Reeves, Patrick Reinhart, David Reynolds, Carl Richie, Jeff Rotkoff, Grant Ruckel, Jim Sartwelle, Barbara Schlief, Stan Schlueter, Steve Scurlock, Ed Small, Mark Smith, Larry Soward, Leonard Spearman, Dennis Speight, Colin Strother, Michael Quinn Sullivan, Sherry Sylvester, Sara Tays, Trey Trainor, David White, Darren Whitehurst, Woody Widrow, Seth Winick, Angelo Zottarelli.

Enlarge Todd Wiseman

Friday, May 15

• Last day for final votes (third reading) on all non-local House bills and resolutions originating in that chamber

Jockeying continued all week between the House and Senate leadership over the form of tax relief this session. Negotiations on the issue were being closely followed because the impasse could trigger a special session if it is not resolved. The latest word on Thursday, though, was that a deal could be struck before week's end.

The Senate referred the House's border security bill for a hearing early next week, a signal that the two chambers have forged a deal on passing legislation on the topic declared a legislative priority by Abbott earlier this year.

Facing a midnight deadline in the House to take initial votes on that chamber's bills, Democrats dragged their feet, working to delay a vote on a bill forbidding the use of state or local funds to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation this week approving a measure that would ensure that some high school seniors who fail to pass state exams can seek an alternate route to graduation.

Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday boosted University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall's efforts to dig into admissions at UT-Austin by siding with Hall in a dispute over whether regents can have access to confidential student records. Even after that ruling, though, Hall was told that he can't see confidential student information related to admissions.

The controversy over the secret videorecording project of lawmakers by the American Phoenix Foundation escalated further on Sunday after the disclosure that a copy of the footage had been shared with Breitbart Texas. As the week unfolded, Texas Rangers had become involved as the videographers were confronted more and more frequently by Capitol reporters and lobbyists.

Donald R. "Dee" Margo of El Paso was named by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Oversight Committee for a term to expire on Jan. 31, 2021. Margo is a former state representative for House District 78 from 2011-13.

John L. Nau III was named chairman of the Texas Historical Commission by Abbott for a term to expire on Feb. 1, 2021. Additionally, Abbott appointed former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson and Anna Benavides Galo for terms to expire Feb. 1, 2019, and Feb. 1, 2021, respectively.

Benjamin M. Hanson of Austin was named by Abbott to the State Cemetery Committee for a term to expire on Feb. 1, 2021.

Rodolfo “Rudy” Madrid Jr. of Kingsville was appointed by Abbott to the Commission on State Emergency Communication for a term to expire on Sept. 1, 2017.

Zak Covar is stepping down from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the agency announced. His resignation is effective June 1. Covar, who was appointed to the commission in January 2014, is leaving to pursue a private sector job.

GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz on Monday named the California and Michigan chairmen of his presidential campaign. Saul Anuzis will lead Cruz's 2016 bid in Michigan, while Ron Nehring will take the helm in California. Both men are former chairmen of the Republican parties in their states.

Deaths: Bob Nichols, 88, former president of engineering firm Freese and Nichols, former national president of the National Society of Professional Engineers

Disclosure: The Texas Historical Commission is a corporate sponsor of The Texas Tribune. Dee R. Margo and John L. Nau, III are major donors to The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.