Pandemic Management with Monkey Wrench: Abbott's Policy of Thwarting COVID Containment

 While Other Governments Design and Implement Policies to Contain the Spread of the Delta Variant, Texas Governor Doubles Down and Bans Counties, Cities, and State Agency Officials from Doing So 

Punishing Containment Measures with Fines

THWARTER-IN-CHIEF 

It sounds preposterous, but here we go again. Texas Governor Greg Abbott once more invokes emergency powers under the Texas Disaster Act to thwart COVID-control measures by local governments that are designed to mitigate the declared disaster. Also decrees that local officials be subject to fines of  $1,000 if they do not obey his order by  imposing a face covering requirement. 

***

Local Officials to be fined $1,000 
for requiring masks 

The new order, denominated GA-38, is here: https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/EO-GA-38_continued_response_to_the_COVID-19_disaster_IMAGE_07-29-2021.pdf 

The order re-states previously-imposed provisions, but also eliminates the 15% hospitalization threshold that allowed local officials to set capacity limits for businesses. 

Response to GA-38 by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins (D) 

AG PAXTON (R): NO TO VAX MANDATES 

REFERENCES 

'Beyond reckless': Abbott faces backlash for executive order clarifying stance on masks. MYSANANTONIO 2021-07-30 by PRISCILLA AGUIRRE 

On Wednesday, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff penned a letter to Abbott seeking his permission to allow schools to require face masks. Shortly after Abbott announced his new order, Nirenberg released a statement calling his action "tragically ironic.

"It is tragically ironic that Gov. Abbott continues his emergency order but has taken away the tools for us to mitigate that very emergency," Nirenberg said in a statement. "The governor has shown a callous disregard for life and safety in defiance of clear medical guidance and is risking the safety of our children and the recovery of our economy."

New order strips local officials' ability to set capacity limits amid high hospitalizations, stresses 'personal responsibility'. The new order comes as hospitalizations reached over 15% on Thursday in the Galveston region. Other areas are close to reaching that level. KHOU 11 2021-07-30 by ELINE DE BRUIJN 

The new order comes as hospitalizations reached over 15% on Thursday in the Galveston region, according to the state health department. Other areas are increasing close to that threshold, such as the Belton/Killeen region at 14% and Bryan/College Station region at 12%, according to the state. 

On Wednesday, WFAA reached out to county judges who said, at the time, still had the option to limit business capacity if hospitalizations were at 15%.

Now, here can be no COVID-related limits for operating a business or any other establishment, the new order said. School districts or local officials also can't enact mask requirements.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s new order bans local governments from issuing mask, vaccine mandates. KSAT Local News. 2021-07-29 by FARES SABAWI 

As Texas COVID-19 cases surge again, some local officials urge everyone to wear masks and unvaccinated residents to stay home. Officials in Dallas, Harris and Travis counties want residents to take stronger precautions as the delta variant drives an increase in coronavirus infections across Texas. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-23 updated 2021-07-24 by COLLEEN DEGUZMAN 

How Ellzey Trumped Trump-favored Candidate Susan Wright in TX-06 Special Election

 Why did State Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, win the runoff race for Texas' 6th Congressional District against Donald Trump-backed Susan Wright?

How did he do it? 

A VERY SPECIAL SPECIAL ELECTION

(WITH A LOW TURNOUT) 

In a post-mortem of Ellzey's surprise win over Susan Wright, the Trump-endorsed candidate to succeed the late Congressman Ron Wright, the Tribune's Patrick Svitek provides anecdotal evidence supporting the proposition that Democrats contributed to the loss of Trump's favored candidate. 

Also see prior post here, which made inferences based on the election data:  What to make of the Special Election Result in 6th Congressional District (Ron Wright Succession)

Whether Democrats played a key role in the deciding the contest between the two Republican candidates remains an open question, but it is essentially an empirical one. Even in the absence of exit poll data, it would be possible to estimate the amount of voting by Democrats, based on their prior voting history in Democratic primaries. 

Short of that type of analysis at the micro-level, a statistical analysis of precinct results could also shed some light on the genesis of Ellzey's victory, such as comparing the two candidates' performance in the first and second rounds in light of historical election results, including Ron Wright's performance in 2018. Wright defeated Jake Ellzey in the Republican primary runoff on May 22, 2018. 

One hypothesis would be that Ellzey was favored by his own current constituents in state house district 10 (mostly Ellis County), which is a component of congressional district 6. 

CAUSE VS. BLAME 

Trump reportedly "blamed" Democrats for the special-election upset. Think about that for a moment. What's the underlying assumption there? That Democrats should not be voting at all, lest they get to participate in deciding who will represent them? This was a special election, not a Republican primary. So Democratic voters had as much a right to register their preference among the two candidates that made it into the run-off as Republican voters. 

Unofficial election results as reported by Texas SOS
 (100% of precincts)

PARTICIPATION RATE IN PERSPECTIVE   

If we put the turnout in the decisive run-off race in perspective, we see  that it was about half of the number of votes cast in the first round, which featured 23 candidates, and only a fraction of the number that got Ron Wright elected in the 2018 general election.

Runoff total votes: 39,116. Ellzey won with 20,837 (53.27%) 

First round total votes: 78,374. Susan Wright scored first with 78,374 (19.2%), Ellzey second with 10,851 (13.8%). 

2018 U.S. HOUSE TEXAS DISTRICT 6 ELECTION RESULTS 

Total votes in Nov. 6, 2018 general election: 256,042. Ronald Wright won over Democrat Jana Sanchez with 53.1% in a race that also featured a Libertarian, who received 1.5%. The total tally for Wright was 135.961. Ellzey had been eliminated in the GOP runoff.  

Total votes in runoff between Ronald Wright and Jake Ellzey in 2018: 24,433. Ellzey lost with 11,686 (47.8%).  

Total votes in first round of Republican primary in 2018: 45,960. Ellzey scored second with one vote shy of 10K (21.8%). Ronald Wright led a field of ten candidates with 20,750 (45.1%). 

DATA SOURCES: Jake Ellzey Ballotpedia Page, Texas Secretary of State 

REFERENCE

How Republican Jake Ellzey's bipartisan appeal, positive campaign helped him upset Trump's pick for Congress. Wright’s coveted endorsement from Trump — which appeared so powerful in propelling her to the top in the initial election — may have contributed to her undoing in the runoff where state Rep. Jake Ellzey benefited from a more bipartisan appeal, coupled with a more positive, energetic campaign. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-29 by PATRICK SVITEK 

. 

What to make of the Special Election in 6th Congressional District (Ron Wright Succession)

 SUSAN WRIGHT VS. JAKE ELLZEY 

Who's upset ? 

So the Trump-endorsed candidate didn't win. This may not be as big a deal as it appears at first glance, however. 

Consider this: It was a special election in which the first round --- on May 1, 2021 -- was a free-for-all with more than 20 candidates. 

Susan Wright, the Trump-endorsed widow of the deceased congressman, got the most votes, but that was only 19.2%. Ellzey came in second with 13.8%. So that left 67% spread out out among other candidates, none of whom advanced to the runoff. 

Those in the 67% pool could then decide not to vote in the runoff, or to cast their ballot to for the more acceptable of the two top scorers from the first round, both of them Republicans. 

Assuming that not all of the supporters of unsuccessful Democratic candidates from the first round decided to abstain, wouldn't it make sense for them to support the less-Trumpy candidate as the "lesser evil" among the two? 

HOW WOULD DEMS VOTE WHEN THE CHOICE IS BETWEEN TWO REPUBLICANS? 

Another way to look at it is this: The Trump-supported candidate wasn't up against a Democratic opponent in the run-off, but against another Republican. But this wasn't a Republican primary in which only Republicans participate. 

In the Wright vs. Ellzey matchup, the Democratic voters had no Democrat to vote for. So, assuming that some Democrats nevertheless participated in the runoff, they presumably opted for Jake Ellzey and helped him win. 

If  we look at the absolute number of votes cast, we see that the tally for both candidates went up, compared to their performance in the very crowded first round: 

Susan Wright  1st Round: 15,052;  2nd Round: 18,232

Jake Ellzey 1st Round: 10,851; 2nd Round: 20,762 

Total votes 1st Round: 78,374; 2nd Round: 38,994 (98.00% precincts reporting)

Since both candidates in the run-off received more votes than each had, respectively, received in the first round, we can deduce that both picked up support from the voters who had supported candidates that were eliminated. 

Overall, however, the turnout was much lower in the runoff. So many supporters of unsuccessful candidates didn't show up for the run-off, but Ellzey almost doubled his tally. 

Without individual-level survey data, of course, we don't know whether the Democratic vote component in the runoff was decisive for Ellzey's victory. But we shouldn't ignore this aspect of the special elections and center all interpretations automatically around the role of Trump. . 

DATA SOURCE: Ballotpedia page for Susan Wright 

Jake Ellzey ITexas House Profile 
House District 10 

REFERENCES: 

In a major upset against a candidate backed by Donald Trump, Jake Ellzey wins runoff for Fort Worth-area congressional seat. Ellzey, a state representative, beat fellow Republican Susan Wright, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. Ellzey will finish the term of Ron Wright, who died earlier this year after contracting COVID-19. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-21 by PATRICK SVITEK. 

Susan Wright, former President Donald Trump's chosen candidate, lost to another Republican in Tuesday's Texas House election. POLITICO 2021-07-28 by ALEX ISENSTADT ("Now, Trump and his advisers are trying to figure out what Wright’s defeat means for them — and how to contain any damage. Her loss Tuesday night sent shockwaves through the former president’s inner circle.") 

Jake Ellzey Wins Texas Special Election, Upsetting Trump-Endorsed Candidate. The GOP state representative will represent the congressional district south of Dallas. WALL STREET JOURNAL 2021-07-28 (updated) by KRISTINA PETERSON https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-special-election-tests-trumps-influence-in-gop-11627390823 

ELECTION RESULTS FROM TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE 

Status: 94 of 94 Polling Locations Reporting, 3 of 3 Counties Date: July 27, 2021 10:32:23

U. S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6 - UNEXPIRED TERM

Candidate Name Party Early / Total Votes Percent

JAKE ELLZEY REP 10,860 20,837 53.27%

SUSAN WRIGHT REP 9,713  18,279 46.73%

Race Total 39,116

--

In the 2018 general elections, the total votes in District 6 aggregated to 256,042. 

Ronald Wright (R) won with  135,961 (53.1%) against Democratic candidate Jana Lynne Sanchez (D)

PRE-RUNOFF COVERAGE 

Texas GOP gears up for contentious runoff in TX-6 congressional race as Democrats grapple with being shut out. The runoff pits Susan Wright against fellow Republican Jake Ellzey after Democrats failed to advance a candidate in the Saturday special election. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-05-05 by PATRICK SVITEK. 

Donald Trump endorses Susan Wright in crowded special election to fill her late husband's congressional seat. Susan Wright is among 11 Republicans — and 23 candidates total — vying to replace her late husband, Ron Wright, R-Arlington, in Congress. Election day for the special election is Saturday. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-04-26 by PATRICK SVITEK. 

State Rep. Jake Ellzey faces mounting opposition from his right in special election to replace Ron Wright in Congress. A national group is spending six figures to try to stop Ellzey ahead of the May 1 election, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz came out against him on Tuesday.  TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-04-20 by PATRICK SVITEK. 

23 candidates join the race to replace late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright. The field for the May 1 special election features 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, one independent and one Libertarian. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-03-03 by PATRICK SVITEK. 

The race to replace Paxton: It's all about the money, and who is "voting" with the big checks (at least for now)

Original Story (recycled for weekend edition)

Dozens of Paxton donors "defect" and back challengers 

In this weekend's front-page story, the Houston Chronicle spills much ink about the declining fund-raising prowess of embattled incumbent AG Ken Paxton. No substantive discussion of what the office of AG is all about, or what proposals (if any) the two GOP challenger might have for doing the job differently, and better. 

Democratic contender for AG and long-time Paxton detractor, Joe Jaworski, has set forth concrete priorities and policy positions on his campaign websites for months now. Alas, the Chronicle didn't even find it worth mentioning his name, and fails to acknowledge that there is now a contested primary on the other side of the political devide as well, following the recent announcement of a bid to beat and succeed Paxton by Lee Merritt.   

Money over substance, mirrored in the mainstream media's coverage of the campaign. 

REFERENCES:

Dozens of Paxton donors give to challengers. Defections to Bush, Guzman point to a tight GOP race for AG and weakened incumbent. HOUSTON CHRONICLE 2021-07-24 by TAYLOR GOLDENSTEIN. 

Original version of story: Texas AG Ken Paxton's donors are defecting to his challengers and taking big money with them (houstonchronicle.com)

George P. Bush outraises Attorney General Ken Paxton in primary challenge debut, though Paxton has bigger war chest. Bush started his Paxton challenge with a fundraising lead of $2.3 million to $1.8 million, but Paxton easily maintains the most cash on hand in a primary that also includes Eva Guzman, the former state Supreme Court justice. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-16. by PATRICK SVITEK. 

PUC & ERCOT reassure Texans, want to know how they can best help the energy industry

Talk about responsive government. The Public Utility Commission and ERCOT want to know what the power generating industry requires to stop holding the public, i.e. electricity customers, hostage. Not their words verbatim, but a fairly reasonable paraphrase. The regulators have no answer yet, but they are probing what the industry's needs are, so they will be good enough to invest in weatherization and other measures to prevent a repeat of what happened in February. 

Joint PUC-ERCOT Press Conference July 22, 2021

Peter Lake, the new chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and Bard Jones, the interim CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) today used the occasion of a press conference to pat themselves on their backs for newly-found transparency, reassuring the public that the power would stay on during the summer heat. They still could not explain the reasons for the recent outages of Texas generators, as they were still awaiting additional responses from operators in that regard. So much for being on top of things and inspiring confidence. 

There was little new information of substance following the recent release of a long laundry list of improvements  ERCOT claims to be working on to assure grid reliability going forward. Some of the  items on that list have nothing to do with the grid operator's mission to keep light on and A/C running: the employee retention plan, for example. 

The most notable void in the presentation was the lack of substance as to what will be done to restructure the market to remove perverse incentives and address the issue of profiteering under crisis conditions, such as happened in last February's arctic cold episode. The gentlemen simply did not know how it would all play out in the course of ongoing and forthcoming consultations with the relevant stakeholders. 

The public is nevertheless supposed to take comfort from their readiness to discuss the myriad ways in which the market structure could be fiddled with so as to prioritize and incentivise reliability. Alas, just a few months ago, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas spectacularly failed to live up to its name. Making the selling job for the key concepts - reliability and public confidence -- all the much harder. 

At least the newly installed PUC and ERCOT head honchos acknowledged that "the crisis business model" is a problem. That, of course, is widely appreciated already. The critical question that remains unanswered is this: What will be done about it? 

They also credited the Legislature for their path-breaking and unprecedented reform, and the Governor for his strong guidance. 

When asked about plans to improve energy-efficiency of housing as a way to address the demand side of the Texas electricity system, however, they had to allow that it wasn't within the ambit of what the Legislature had prescribed. Ditto for the natural gas situation, which continues to be overseen by the Railroad Commission. Except for the designation of natural gas facilities as critical infrastructure, which is handled by the distribution segment of the grid. The interim ERCOT chief did acknowledge that gas companies had been paid to shut down and go offline during the winter storm because they participated in the demand-response program, and indicated that steps had been taken to assure that  such critical facilities wouldn't participate in such a program in the future.

What's Being Done Differently in the Short Run? 

The most significant changes to the  Texas grid in the short run concern the operational aspects of contracting for ancillary services and directing generators to come online when grid conditions are expected to tighten. The projections of needs (demand) are now supposed to be more accurate because the computer models take into account weather conditions in real time, rather than relying merely on seasonal and historical patterns to produce projections. And the amount of resources available on stand-by to enhance the margins of safety have been beefed up. 

Public Communications 

Do you know what ancillary services are and what dispatchable means? If you don't, or are not sure, you won't be alone. The operation of a power grid is a complex undertaking, and highly technical.  

At their press conference, the regulators acknowledged the need for better and clearer communications with the public, and cited their unprecedented joint press conference as evidence of their improved approach to public relations. And yet, they failed to live up to their own gospel. Why couldn't they explain what dispatchable means, the difference between fossil and renewable sources of energy, and the significance of energy storage? It might have helped. And what about a primer on the strenghts and weaknesses of different energy sources, the issue of diversifying and optimizing the mix, and what's in development in terms of technology and actual projects? 

At least they defended the use conservation alerts, which they said are nothing to be concerned about and are employed by grid operators in other states and countries. That is, no doubt, the case. But it also undermines the readily apparant purpose of the press conference: to reassure the public that the grid is now in good hands after the catastrophic failure in February that left millions of Texans in the cold and in the dark in their own homes, and more than a hundred dead. 

VIDEO RECORDING OF PUC-ERCOT PRESS CONFERENCE 

YouTube: ERCOT, PUC leaders discuss changes to improve Texas’ grid reliability | KVUE [Austin's ABC affiliate] 

REFERENCES 

Texans not expected to lose power through the rest of the summer, regulators say. The state’s electricity regulators said they’re taking steps to assure a skeptical public that the power won’t go out again if Texas experiences extreme weather this summer. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-22 by MITCHELL FERMAN  

Just Saying 'No' to New Mask Mandates

No New Mask Mandates 

Most Governments Engage in Policymaking to Address Problems, Texas Governor Prohibits It

Governor Abbott is again limiting his future options, rather than keeping them open. 

Keeping them open would givce him room for maneuver and the ability to adjust to evolving circumstances; the freedom to devise a commensurate if  not  optimal course of action -- as needed -- to mitigate the remaining pandemic risks short of herd immunity. 

But there is a certain logic to it. 

When the handling of the pandemic, and of other serious problems, is based on ideology and desire to please the partisan base, changing facts on the ground -- i.e, ascertainable reality -- must  not be allowed to get in the way.  

Using this approach, expertise and new scientific insights are rendered redundant. 

Sad to see. 

Policy Preclusion 

The policy -- here the categorical rejection of new a mask mandate going forward  -- is predetermined based on partisan political expediency alone. 

And it is not even a substantive policy addressed to the problem, but a deliberate negation of one available policy response not only for the time being, but also prospectively. And it precludes lower governmental units from using their own best judgment on how to confront the real-life conditions they face in their specific localities. 

Last wish going unfulfilled. Too late for the vax on death bed. 

REFERENCES:

Gov. Greg Abbott says he won't impose new mask mandate despite increasing COVID-19 cases. Abbott reiterated Tuesday that Texas schoolchildren will not face mask requirements as they return to school later this summer. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-21 by PATRICK SVITEK. (During a news conference Wednesday in Houston, Abbott went further and expressed blanket resistance to any new restrictions to fight the virus. He said Texas is 'past the time of government mandates' and in 'time for personal responsibility.'). 

As COVID cases climb, parents make tough choices ahead of the upcoming school year. Families with unvaccinated children are concerned as COVID-19 cases are climbing at the worst possible time — weeks before a new school year. KHOU-11 by MARCELINO BENITO 2021-07-20 updated 2021-07-21 

333 of 670K fully vaccinated people caught COVID-19 in Travis County. KXAN NEWS 2021-07-13 updated 2021-07-14 by GRACE READER ("Travis County and City of Austin health leaders said Tuesday we’re now seeing another rise in COVID-19 cases, and hospitalizations have nearly doubled following the Fourth of July holiday.")  

Campaign Contribution Coffers and War Chests

Several news outlets report that incumbent and re-election minded Governor Abbott has a huge campaign "war chest".

Campaign finance reports for Texas officeholders are in, Gov. Greg Abbott has a huge war chest for his primary battle against former state Sen. Don Huffines and former Texas GOP party chairman Allen West. In the attorney general's race, Land Commissioner George P. Bush outraised incumbent Ken Paxton. (DMN)

Admittedly, that's long been standard lingo in campaign & election reporting, and comparative strength assessments.  But it's yet another example of the thoughtless use of the vocabulary of war in domestic politics.

The Trib. on Bush vs. Paxton Fundraising Prowess 

We should start to demilitarize the political rhetoric and choose more benign metaphors.

Constructive Dialogue vs. Battle Cries and War Talk 

Our domestic political opponents are  not our mortal enemies. At least, they shouldn't be. Words spoken in domestic discourse and democratic competition for power and the associated ability to shape public policy should not be weapons. Campaign donations neither.

Games of sports --- including team sports and horse races -- provide a more suitable analogy, especially in a two-party system and with election rules that allows only one winner.

Games do too, not to mention that not all of them are zero-sum. 

If analogies are needed at all, that is.

REFERENCES 

July Finance Reports Show First Glimpse of Statewide GOP Primary Challenges. REFORM AUSTIN by STAFF 2021-07-16 (highlighting new semi-annual campaign finance reports for first half of 2021 released this week by elected officials and candidates for statewide office. Elected officials were barred from fundraising except for the last 10 days of June.) 

George P. Bush outraises Attorney General Ken Paxton in primary challenge debut, though Paxton has bigger war chest. Bush started his Paxton challenge with a fundraising lead of $2.3 million to $1.8 million, but Paxton easily maintains the most cash on hand in a primary that also includes Eva Guzman, the former state Supreme Court justice. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-16 by PATRICK SVITEK. 

Politicians on Wheels

 

Garnet Coleman stayed behind

TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY TOO

Since Coleman is in a wheelchair and recovering from the amputation of the lower right leg, shouldn't he be excused from attendance, and enjoy immunity from arrest for state house special-session absenteeism? On the other hand, Governor Abbott has been rolling to and from work and speaking engagements around the state for decades (since 1984), so perhaps this gubernantorial precedent for the proposition that a wheelchair is no barrier to mobility would provide a rationale for rounding up disabled lawmakers of the opposition party. 

“As soon as they come back in the state of Texas, they will be arrested, they will be cabined inside the Texas Capitol until they get their job done,” Abbott said of absent Democratic House members who left the state for Washington.  

PS: The Tribune is still talking about the Democrats "fleeing" the state. Flight alright, from to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) to Dulles International Airport (AID), but fleeing?

REFERENCES 

Jolie McCullough, Surgery kept one longtime Democratic lawmaker from fleeing Texas. He fears missing a moment in history more than arrest. Houston state Rep. Garnet Coleman has been at the forefront of voting and social justice battles for decades and helped lead the 2003 flight of Democratic legislators to Oklahoma. Not being with his colleagues who went to Washington, D.C., has been agonizing, he says. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-19 by BY JOLIE MCCULLOUGH.  

Texas Dems Leave Austin in Effort to Stall GOP-Led Elections Bill. As soon as they come back in the state of Texas, they will be arrested, they will be cabined inside the Texas Capitol until they get their job done,” Republican Gov. Greg Abbott says. NBC DFW 2021-07-12 (updated 2021-07-13) (story contains responses by Texas Republicans). 

Will Tex-Dems Lose their Wanderlust in the Wilderness?

 GAUGING THE ATTENTION SPAN OF THE AUDIENCE  

TEXAS LEGISLATURE 2021 Analysis by Ross:
Texas Democrats may find themselves in the wilderness of wandering public attention

In today's commentary the Trib's Ross Ramsey explores the immediate future of the Texas House Democrats in exile, who have since been upgraded from quorum-breakers to quorum-busters. The rhetoric must be adjusted to fit the evolving severity of the crime as pitched to and perceived by the emotion-primed audience. Or so it might seem. 

The Runaway Legecritters  

The Tribune was at the ready to break the story when it was fresh, and set the tone for the coverage, which other headline writers then quickly emulated. The Democrats ran away, the public was told. Like cowards. Ken Paxton couldn't have framed it any better to cater to the legions of Dem-haters across the state. And that's just what he did.  

FLIGHT, NO FIGHT 
Paxton on Democrats "fleeing" the State 

To describe this occurrence in more sober and factual fashion, a large group of Democratic House members departed to assure a lack of quorum at gavelling-in time. But they didn't just make a quick escape to the runway to put themselves beyond the reach of state troopers; the destination was also thoughtfully chosen and with sound purpose: to push for a federal solution to the Republicans' impending restriction on voting arrangements at the state level. And to draw attention to their cause in the one place where attention is bound to be paid: the nation's capital. 

Forget the Holiday Inn in Ardmore, OK, along with John Wayne's last stand at The Alamo. . 

It is the Congress-oriented focus that makes this iteration of a previoulsy deployed parliamentary tactic more purposive in character, even if it should ultimately prove unsuccessful in averting the outcome that has been stalled for now. At least this group of Democrats proceeded with common purpose and tried. -- If you don't succeed at once, it does not follow that all effort has been in vain. 

In any event, what is the alternative? Just leaning back and letting the Republican majority have its way? Enjoy being taken, with fond recollections of Clayton William's ill-fated gubernatorial bid and associated bad weather analogies? 

And While Belaboring Analogies 

Mr. Ramsey reminds the attentive readership that a previous cross-border quorum-denial excursion ultimately failed. That was in 2003. Indeed, the Trib. did a separate story on this precedent in the annals of the voting wars in Texas. 

So far, so good, for historical perspective on this kind of legislative maneuvre. But the outcome isn't predetermined now, except that this group of ideological fellow travellers will return in the end too. That's a safe prediction alright. Why shouldn't they? 

But when? -- Likely no earlier than they said they would. After the first special session has ended. And after they have at least been successful in getting their concerns on the nation's agenda. Not to mention the public at home that doesn't pay all that much heed to politics unless something dramatic animates the news coverage on TV and social media channels.  

The Moral of the Story 

Perhaps the multitudes that don't currently care much about their right to vote will become more aware of what is at stake in the ongoing voting wars, and that nothing in politics should be taken for granted. 

If elected representatives are willing to run the risk of getting themselves arrested for their cause -- as promised by Governor Abbott -- perhaps there is more to their clamor than previously thought. 

Perhaps there is something of substance behind all the theatrics.  

REFERENCES: 

Ross Ramsey, Analysis: Texas Democrats may find themselves in the wilderness of wandering public attention. The legislative Democrats who decamped from Texas to Washington, D.C., to block a voting bill need public attention to pull the argument their way — and that's going to be harder to get after last week’s first news of their quorum-busting. TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-19. 

Karen Brooks Harper, Texas Democrats’ decampment over voting legislation has echoes of 2003 redistricting fight. Now, as in 2003, Democrats say their main motivator is protecting the voices of Texas voters. Can they stop legislation that would restrict voting in Texas? TEXAS TRIBUNE 2021-07-15. 

The long, 'surreal' days of the runaway Texas legislators. Many have left young children behind; most have other professional obligations back in Texas. All seem to be operating on minimal sleep. NBC NEWS 2021-07-16 by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. 

Texas State Capitol

 

Texas State Capitol Building in Austin, TX with Flags

Capitol rotunda dome inside looking up

TEXAS STATE CAPITOL BUILDING