Two weeks ago, I posted about the amount of elections we’ve had and the costs. I posted without really including any context and you all, rightfully, let me hear it!

I took it in and used it for our reporting.

I hope you’ll take a look at my reporting which shows the cost breakdown for all 254 Texas counties.

I spoke with election reform advocates who wants the state to consider rank choice voting

I feel like Talarico’s campaign had a lot of early momentum and now they’ve stalled out. I haven’t seen any events in my area in weeks. I get that there were a couple of really big things like the Obama endorsement and I understand that it might be a thing about the runoffs, but I wish there was more going on with it. It just seems like it’s moved vastly onto social media and I’m not seeing as much physical signs of campaigning

Today was the last day for schools all across Texas that will never reopen in the fall. Here in McKinney alone, three elementary schools — Eddins, McNeil, and Wolford — are closing for good. Kids who walked those halls last week won't have a school to go back to in August.

The more I dig up on the "why", the angrier I get. A billionaire from Pennsylvania, a Wall Street options trader who has never lived in Texas — gave Greg Abbott over $10 million to purge Republican legislators who voted against school vouchers. West Texas oil and fracking billionaires Tim Dunn and the Wilks brothers have been pouring tens of millions into our state politics for 30 years trying to gut public education. And it finally worked. SB 2 passed, $1 billion in public school funding got redirected to unaccountable private schools, some that advertise as having "coaches" instead of teachers (wtf right?)

I'm angry and saddened for my kids and for the AMAZING loving and caring teachers and staff of these schools, that pour their hearts everyday, with very little support, to educate our kids.

There are no morals left in Texas politics. If money can buy little kids education, what else matters?? I despise all these people.

Featuring our very own John Cornyn, who has voted in lockstep with Trump all along the way.

The Houston Chronicle editorial board goes beyond Houston to weigh in on the Democratic primary in the 35th Congressional District, encouraging Democrats to vote for Johnny Garcia over the antisemitic madness of Maureen Galindo -- and encouraging Republicans to stop funding her campaign. Here are some key quote:

>In the same way that Republicans should want to vote down Bo French in his primary race for railroad commissioner in order to avoid being associated with his embarrassing “antisemitism and religious bigotry” — to quote Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — Texas Democrats should be working to ensure that Maureen Galindo loses her primary for the recently redrawn 35th Congressional District. 

>That’s because Galindo, when she isn’t working as a sex therapist, serves as a wellspring of the most contemptible hatred toward Jews. Each passing day seems to bring the equivalent of an antisemitic Mad Libs. Last week, for example, Galindo said on Instagram she wants to pass a law to “turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking.”

>[...]

>Republicans need to get the message, too. The only pro-Galindo spending in the race seems to come from Lead Left PAC, which Punchbowl News reports is tied to the GOP. All may be fair in love and war, and politics may be war by other means, but the desire to win is no excuse to promulgate hatred. 

I know the lion’s share of posters in here are liberal or lean to the left. This plea is to anyone, conservative, GOP, Democratic or liberal voters.

In 2016 while living in NY I watched as Trump plowed through GOP opposition. My friends and family who leaned left laughed as they were sure Trump could never win. After the grab them by the p**** jumped out they laughed louder. Now I never thought Trump would win but I watched as it happened. I wanted to scream at the talking heads, “You created this with the $100’s and 100’s of millions of free coverage, all for the sake of ratings.”

Now we are in a similar place with Paxton & Cornyn. If you are conservative and you like Paxton move on as this is not an appeal to you. If you are conservative or a republican and you can’t abide Paxton, please get out and vote for Cornyn. I am hoping that the deprive that runs through most Texans & Republicans are offended by Trump’s endorsement .

If you are a democrat or independent that is eligible to vote in the Republican runoff, I implore that you vote for Cornyn. If you do, and Cornyn wins you will never know if Paxton would do the same. I can guarantee you one thing that if you can vote and you standby and Paxton beats Cornyn and Talarico you’ll hate that result even more. Obviously, if you are democrat, and there is a primary runoff, that is important to you. You will not be voting for Cornyn.

The thought of six years of Paxton representing the state of Texas is as distressing to me as much as a progressive feels about Abbott.

Thanks

The Brief

• Texas DPS expanded its Driving with Disability Program by adding a new visual deaf or hard of hearing designation to state driver licenses and ID cards.
• The voluntary indicators help law enforcement officers quickly recognize when a driver has a health condition that creates communication challenges during a traffic stop.
• Texans can enroll in the program by submitting a signed physician statement form during an in-person appointment at a state DPS office.