Vol 32, Issue 24 Print Issue

The Week in the Rearview Mirror

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Texas can ban license plates with the Confederate flag, with the 5-4 majority agreeing that the plates would "constitute government speech" with a message that the government would seem to endorse. Justice Stephen Breyer, who wrote the majority opinion, said people wanting to display that message could do so "on a bumper sticker right next to the plate."

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is eliminating a ban on deep fryers and soda machines in schools, saying the policy was a "one-size-fits-all approach mandated from Austin" and that school district should be able to decide on the issue. Critics say the policy change will hinder efforts to reduce Texas' high childhood obesity rates, but Miller said his plan will also bring more local food from farmers into schools and promote healthy options.

Denton's City Council repealed its ban on fracking early Wednesday in response to House Bill 40, a new law that prohibits those bans. The city's ban — which its voters approved last year — was facing a lawsuit from the state and the Texas Oil and Gas Association.

State Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, announced he won't run for re-election after serving 10 terms in the House. Keffer, an ally of House Speaker Joe Straus, was already facing a primary challenge from the right, as are some other Straus backers.

Gov. Greg Abbott predicted a "new era of job growth" as he signed a $2.56 billion bill reducing business franchise tax rates by 25 percent, along with other tax cuts. The overall package, Abbott said, will make it "so easy to sell Texas" as he travels around the country hoping to get businesses to relocate to Texas. Already, Abbott had made a push to bring General Electric here, away from proposed tax increases in Connecticut.

A broad review of athletes' academics is underway at the University of Texas at Austin, following a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education that basketball players cheated under former men's coach Rick Barnes. Greg Fenves, the university's new president, said the "top-to-bottom review" will help him get a better understanding of UT athletes' academic life and that the university has "always been dedicated to winning with integrity."

San Antonio's interim mayor, Ivy Taylor, said her supporters "defeated a political machine" in narrowly beating former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte for a full term as mayor. Josh Robinson, a Taylor strategist, called it a "new day in San Antonio," while Van de Putte's campaign manager, Christian Archer, said the low Democratic turnout in the race should "scare every Democrat in Bexar County."

Gov. Greg Abbott signed the open carry and campus carry legislation into law over the weekend, saying the gun rights groups who supported the measures "worked profoundly to ensure that the Constitution is lived up to." Meanwhile, a discussion is underway at college campuses about how they'll establish the gun-free zones the campus carry law allows.

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

Political People and their Moves

Donna Bahorich was named chairwoman of the Texas State Board of Education by Gov. Greg Abbott for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2017. Bahorich, who began service on the board in January 2013, represents District 6 in Harris County.

Houston appeals court judge Michael Massengale will challenge Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann, who confirmed this week that she is running for re-election. She joined the court in 2010.

The two announced contenders for the open Senate District 1 seat — state Reps. Bryan Hughes and David Simpson — released two big endorsement lists. The Hughes campaign announced that it has the backing of Attorney General Ken Paxton, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, seven GOP county chairmen in the district as well as several prominent leaders among the party's conservative wing. The Simpson campaign released a list of more than 170 county precinct chairmen and activists, including former state Rep. Erwin Cain.

Former Mayor Jay Dean announced on Thursday that he plans to run for the House District 7 seat being vacated by Simpson.

State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, released a statement this week that she will not challenge U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, in next year's party primary election.

House District 47 state Rep. Paul Workman, R-Austin, announced this week that he will stand for re-election. His name had been mentioned as a possible contender for the Senate District 24 seat that is now open following the decision by Horseshoe Bay Republican Troy Fraser not to seek re-election.

Three Dallas/Fort Worth-area state representatives formally announced re-election bids on Thursday: Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth; Linda Koop, R-Dallas; and Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson.

Bastrop entrepreneur Brent Golemon is running again for House District 17, he announced Monday. In February, Golemon lost a special election for the Central Texas seat to fellow Republican John Cyrier.

The political arm of the tort reform group Texans for Lawsuit Reform announced on Tuesday that it is endorsing Tom Oliverson, who is running for the open Harris County-based House District 130.

Kevin Roberts, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the Harris County-based House District 126, announced on Tuesday the endorsements of a trio of prominent Houston-area Republicans: Steve Hotze, president of Conservative Republicans of Texas; Terry Lowry of The Link Letter; and Gary Polland of the Texas Conservative Review.

Richard Fry, Mary Louise Phelps and Scott Rewak have joined the family law practice of Austin-based law firm Ikard Wynne LLP.