Abbott’s Plan
The featured photo will be debated on the Texas House Floor today. The pro-voucher forces say they have the votes to pass Abbott’s Plan.
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Now this is a good deal. See this from the Trib:
House Democrats are threatening to kill all constitutional amendments for the rest of session unless the House votes to put school vouchers before voters in November. They appear to have the numbers to make good on that special session-inducing threat.
More than 50 House Democrats have signed on to that plan, according to at least four Democrats and Capitol staffers briefed on the tally, enough to handcuff the Legislature on constitutional amendments. The move comes as Gov. Greg Abbott is attempting to squash any changes to his top legislative priority, Senate Bill 2, including a bill amendment that would have voters weigh in on the proposed education savings account program.
Blocking constitutional amendments is one of the last bits of leverage Texas Democrats have left after House Republicans this session undid the decades-long tradition of giving the minority party committee chairmanships. Killing vouchers is Democrats’ top legislative priority, and Democrats say they are prepared to pull all the stops to thwart the measure and others they oppose.
Constitutional amendments require at least 100 votes from the House’s 150 members to pass the chamber before going before Texas voters. With 62 Democrats in the House, Republicans need at least 12 Democrats to make any constitutional amendment happen.
Several top Republican and bipartisan priorities hinge on the passage of constitutional amendments. One of those priorities would allow judges to deny bail for certain violent level offenses. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has threatened to force a special session if the Legislature fails to pass that measure.
Already, proposed constitutional amendments appear to be at a bit of a standstill in the House, and Democrats claim responsibility. The House has not adopted any constitutional amendment proposals since the start of the month, when the House adopted its proposals to lower property taxes on businesses (House Joint Resolution 1) and ban taxes on financial transactions (House Joint Resolution 4).
Here is the entire Trib read: Texas Democrats to hold up GOP priorities over vouchers | The Texas Tribune.
It is good to see House Democrats employ this tactic. Hang tight, please.
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New from my neighborhood. See this from the Chron:
First, the headline:
A street divided: Why 11th Street’s redesign is causing tension in Houston’s Heights neighborhood
The story:
Crossing 11th Street used to feel like a dangerous game of chance, said longtime Heights resident Jeff Worne.
Before the street redesign, Worne told his kids that if they were biking on Nicholson Street, they had to turn around at 11th Street. The busy four-lane road felt too dangerous to cross.
But after Houston completed a redesign of the corridor in 2023, Worne said the difference was noticeable.
“Now, when you’re on 11th, you can definitely feel that people are going slower, which facilitates safe crossing,” Worne said.
And this:
Not every business owner along 11th Street agrees with the redesign.
Jim Stratton, who has run C&D Hardware since 1999, said he never saw 11th Street as particularly dangerous.
“There are people who speed everywhere, no matter what street it is,” Stratton said.
Stratton said he’s not against bikes or safety improvements but believes the redesign added congestion and hurt his bottom line. He wishes the bike lanes had been installed on parallel, less-trafficked streets.
“I’m glad they’re able to bicycle,” he said. “But bike lanes don’t belong on a heavy commercial street.”
Stratton also said the bike lanes contributed to a decline in revenue at his business. He shared financial data for his hardware store with the Houston Chronicle showing a decline in revenue since 2020, with the steepest drop occurring in 2023, the year the bike lanes were added.
While the pandemic and broader economic shifts may be contributing factors, Stratton said the redesign hasn’t helped.
“People are avoiding 11th Street when they can,” he said.
The Chronicle’s own review of Stratton’s financial numbers shows the hardware store enjoyed a banner year in sales in 2020 at the start of the pandemic, when many customers were working from home. The store generated more than $2.8 million in sales, nearly 37 percent more than the previous year. Revenues since then have dropped to around pre-pandemic levels and leveled off in 2024, according to the company’s financial data.
And finally, this:
At-Large Council Member Twila Carter said she supports removing the bike lanes and intends on sending Whitmire a letter from C&D Hardware to be read at city council.
Carter said she rarely drives the corridor, but when she does, she’s “a nervous wreck.”
“11th Street is a huge thoroughfare through the Heights,” she said. “When you go from four lanes to two, and throw in bike lanes and curbs, for people who aren’t used to that, it just doesn’t feel necessary.”
Here is the entire read: A street divided: 11th Street redesign sparks Heights debate.
Commentary has talked about this before. For the most part, I don’t use 11th Street. I also try not to weigh in on the debate. I go to C&D Hardware on occasion. They do have competitors Home Depot and Lowe’s on the North Loop West and now a Home Depot on Studemont and I-10 that impact their bottom line.
On Council Member Carter weighing in, yes, she is a city council member who lives in Kingwood.
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The Astros shutout San Luis last night.
