It was a decade ago that then-Gov. Rick Perry stood on the banks of the Rio Grande in his Carhartt jacket, promising in a TV commercial that “If Washington won’t protect our border, Texas will.” At that time, Texas Republicans were treating President George W. Bush as an apostate who was weak on the issue […]
Trump Victory Could Pressure Gov. Abbott to Lay Out an Agenda
by Scott on November 17, 2016 in Border Security, Immigration, Joe Straus, Politics, Rick Perry
Trump intensifies proxy war between Cruz and Perry
by Scott on July 26, 2015 in Border Security, Immigration, Politics, Rick Perry, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Uncategorized
Following Donald Trump’s visit to the Texas-Mexico border and after his comments that Sen. John McCain was not a real war hero because he was captured in Vietnam, it is worth taking the time to think through what his campaign might mean for the presidential contenders from the Great State. What Trump said about Sen. McCain […]
The Texas Senate Stands
by Scott on June 7, 2015 in Border Security, Dan Patrick, Immigration, Politics, Tea Party, Texas
As the 84th Texas Legislature concludes, there will be plenty of talk about which lawmakers were the best and worst, which made a difference, which made no difference at all, and what new laws will make Texas a better or worse place. I’ll leave that kind of list-making to wiser folks for the moment. Instead […]
Cheating by Unethical Employers Reaches Crisis Levels While Texas Lawmakers Sit on Their Hands
by Scott on April 13, 2015 in Construction, Economy, Immigration, Politics, Workforce
Over the years, the Construction Citizen team has put a bright spotlight on the myriad problems caused by worker misclassification. Those difficulties continue to mount while Texas lawmakers do very little about it, much to the frustration of ethical companies that cannot compete with cheaters, many single mothers who are denied child support payments, conservative […]
Speaker Straus Hints at What’s to Come in Texas Legislative Session
by Scott on February 17, 2015 in Border Security, Dan Patrick, Economy, Education, Immigration, Joe Straus, Politics, Rick Perry, Tea Party, Texas, Video
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said this past week that he is “personally” against repealing in-state tuition for undocumented students, he wants to work with Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on border security, and that The Legislature should avoid “gimmicks” when deciding how to pay for critical infrastructure like roads. In a […]
Breaking Down the Election on WFAA
by Scott on November 9, 2014 in Border Security, Dallas, Dan Patrick, Immigration, Latinos, Politics, Rick Perry, Texas
The way some of the down-ballot races in Texas played out this past week put a fine point on just how powerful a wave the GOP was riding heading into Tuesday’s election. Not only did Republicans sweep every statewide race, which was expected, but their margin of victory was way higher than even the party’s […]
National Guard Deployment Along the Rio Grande is Now Underway
by Scott on August 26, 2014 in Border Security, Economy, Immigration, Latinos, Politics, Rick Perry, Tea Party, Texas
Note: This story originally appeared on The Quorum Report. Join us there daily for coverage of Texas politics and government. BASTROP – The “force multiplier” for the border surge touted by Gov. Perry and other members of the state’s Republican leadership is now becoming a reality as up to 1,000 Texas National Guard troops begin […]
National Guard Theatrics Jeopardize Billions in Potential Growth Along the Texas Border
by Scott on August 15, 2014 in Border Security, Economy, Immigration, Politics, Rick Perry, Texas
Note: This story originally appeared on The Quorum Report. Join us there daily for coverage of Texas politics and government. While Gov. Perry continues his national cable TV tour talking about the influx of migrant children along the border and his decision to deploy as many as 1,000 Texas National Guard Troops to the region, […]
Immigration Talk Simmers at Central Texas Congressional Town Hall
by Scott on August 8, 2014 in Economy, Immigration, Latinos, Tea Party
Note: This story originally appeared on The Quorum Report. Join us there daily for coverage of politics and government. BASTROP – Now that Congress is on recess following an ugly meltdown over immigration and border security last week, lawmakers in Texas and around the country are diving into the time-honored tradition of trying to explain […]
In high-level talks, Texas business leaders press the White House to act on immigration
by Scott on August 3, 2014 in Houston, Immigration, Obama, Politics, Tea Party, Texas
Note: This story originally appeared on The Quorum Report. Join us there daily for coverage of Texas politics and government. Amid the chaos on Capitol Hill and the crisis on the border, Texas construction executives pushing for immigration reform traveled to Washington and met late Friday with senior advisers to President Obama. Houston construction executives […]
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Scott Braddock is a journalist and political analyst based in Austin.
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