Chad’s Morning Brief: Abbott Outlines His Priorities for Texas, Scott Walker Emerging As The Main Challenger to Bush, and Other Top Stories
Here is your Morning Brief for February 18, 2015.
Abbott's State of the State Address
Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivered his first State of the State address yesterday. According to the Texas Tribune, Abbott hit on many different themes during his speech. Abbott promised a continued push for open carry and on immigration Abbott pledged 500 new troopers on the border.
Abbott also laid out what he viewed as emergency items for this session.
Abbott also unveiled the five “emergency” items he wants to put on the legislative fast track. The designation signifies what Abbott considers to be his top priorities and it also means they can be considered immediately, rather than later in the session like everything else. It was no surprise that border security and transportation would be on the list, but Abbott also included pre-K programs and higher education research funding on the list.
Ethics reform was perhaps the most noteworthy emergency item on the list. Abbott had made it clear during his campaign for governor that he would push for stronger laws to eliminate conflicts of interest and restore trust in the oft-maligned Legislature. But moving it to the front and center makes Abbott the first governor since Ann Richards, in the early 1990s, to put such an intense focus on the issue.
“Let’s dedicate this session to ethics reform,” Abbott said. “I want to work with you so that we can together strengthen the faith and the trust Texans deserve from us. It’s a reminder of who we really work for — and that is the citizens of Texas.”
The polite but muted applause spoke volumes about the uphill climb Abbott faces in reforming the ways of the unrestrained Legislature.
Among the ethics reforms Abbott specifically mentioned: Requiring elected officials to disclose contracts with public entities, “prohibiting lawmakers from voting on legislation from which they could profit” and enhanced disclosure of campaign donations and expenditures. Abbott said Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano, and Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, would lead the effort to pass his reform package.
You can read Governor Abbott's full speech here. Overall I thought it was a good speech that set the tone for the 84th Legislative Session.
Walker vs. Bush?
The Telegraph has decided that Scott Walker is the main challenger to Jeb Bush in the Republican race for 2016. According to the Telegraph, conservatives may embrace Walker as their alternative to Bush who is favored by the Republican Establishment.
While the 62-year-old Mr Bush, the younger brother of George W Bush, is a favourite among the Republican elite, the younger Mr Walker may turn into a rallying figure for the more conservative party base.
"It's obvious that Jeb Bush is the early Republican frontrunner. It's equally obvious that he is a weak frontrunner," said Larry Sabato, director of University of Virginia Centre for Politics.
"Walker is acceptable to nearly all of the Republican factions. He's no rhetorician but is improving on that score. And someone is going to ascend to the anti-Bush mantle."
Walker is absolutely on the rise right now but it is way too early to say that he will be the one that will be the primary challenger to Jeb Bush. Of course, I still think it's too early to say that Jeb Bush is the favorite right now. To me it feels like there is much more hesitation about Jeb Bush than there was about Mitt Romney.
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These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.
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