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A Politics of Place

By Jay Leeson Editor’s note: My friend Jay Leeson passed away this week surrounded by friends and family in Lubbock, a city he loved so well. In the time I knew him, Jay became a strong voice for West Texas on the radio, TV, and in print. He was only 44. But a person doesn’t […]

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Teaming Up With the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fight blood cancer

As you may know, the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is deeply personal to us at Quorum Report. Harvey Kronberg’s wife, Michele Kronberg, passed away suddenly in 2017 after a leukemia diagnosis. To say it was devastating would be an understatement. That’s why when I was asked to help raise money to fight […]

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Doubling down on sales tax swap, Abbott puts Texas Republicans in a box

Months ago when the Big Three first unveiled this session’s signature property tax “relief” bill, and remember it was introduced as the “Property Tax Reform and Relief Act of 2019,” they were flanked at a news conference by Senate Property Tax Committee Chairman Paul Bettencourt and Ways and Means Chair Dustin Burrows. Without those chairmen […]

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Updated: More than 1,000 Soccer Balls Contributed for Detained Immigrant Children

An effort to deliver a little bit of Christmas joy to detained immigrant children in El Paso County spearheaded by the office of Sen. Jose Rodriguez became bipartisan this week and as of Saturday morning has now raised more than 1,000 items so far. There are 2,400 kids and the deadline to get this done […]

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On bathrooms, Patrick speaks for Abbott because Abbott lets him

There was much chuckling and chatter at the Texas Capitol following the release of Texas Monthly’s cover story featuring Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick holding the gavel standing over the words “In Charge.” One recurring reaction went something like this: “Maybe the magazine should have done a vote count on Patrick’s priority bills before making that […]

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Trump intensifies proxy war between Cruz and Perry

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 […]

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AUDIO Flashback: Dan Patrick vs Ted Cruz

As mentioned on the West Texas Drive this afternoon, here is the audio of then-Sen. Dan Patrick and Sen. Ted Cruz on Patrick’s radio show in Houston. This was during the GOP primary in 2012. The two really get into it about the way the Texas Senate operated under former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Tweet […]

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Monday Morning Reading: The Texas Solution

When I got word that the official position of the Texas Republican Party had shifted on immigration, I nearly fell off my chair.  Tweet Share

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Thursday Morning Reading: Blowing the Whistle on “Bandits” in Construction Industry

I’m still thinking about my trip to Dallas, where I met construction industry whistleblower Andy Anderson on Monday. He told me he’s received death threats in the wake of WFAA’s reports on the ability of his competitors to cheat the system and undercut him for work. Tweet Share

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Pakistan’s Army of Lobbyists AUDIO

It might surprise you to know that other nations have teams of lobbyists trying to persuade your representative in Congress to look out for their interests. Part of the fallout from Osama bin Laden’s assassination in Pakistan is that nation is trying to make sure it doesn’t lose aid from the United States.  Tweet Share

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