Here is your Morning Brief for May 4, 2016.

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
loading...

Summer of Racial Tension?

According to the Wall Street Journal, just about everyone in America agrees that more "racial disturbances" would occur over the Summer. 96% of adults believe that we will see more riots like the ones we saw in Ferguson and in Baltimore.

When asked to explain recent events in Baltimore and other cities that have seen confrontations between police and members of the African-American community, blacks and whites viewed the situation differently.

Asked to choose between two possible explanations for recent events, 60% of blacks said they reflected “long-standing frustrations about police mistreatment of African Americans.” Some 27% of black respondents said the disturbances were caused by people who used protests over an African American man dying in police custody  “as an excused to engage in looting and violence.”

But among whites, the balance of opinion flipped: 58% said people were seizing an excuse to loot, while 32% said the events reflected long-standing frustrations with police.

While most people in the survey predicted further racial disturbances this summer, a smaller share expected them to hit close to home. The poll found that 53% of whites and 46% of African Americans said it was likely there would be a racial disturbance in the metropolitan area nearest to them.

There is no good reason to riot and loot. Nothing can make destroying property acceptable. Will there be more riots in America this Summer? I think so. Unfortunately, one of the reasons we will see more riots is because the rioting and the rioters are given a pass and given an excuse.

It also doesn't help that some in local, state, and the federal government are taking advantage of the situation themselves by pouring gas onto the fire.

One Month to Go

Less than a month left in the current 84th Texas Legislative Session and there are still many bills to pass. According to the Star-Telegram, only six bills have gone to Governor Abbott's desk.

After 31/2 months, only a half-dozen bills had been sent to Gov. Greg Abbott as of late last week, meaning that the 84th Legislature will do most of the heavy lifting during crunchtime before lawmakers go home June 1.

They appear close to final agreement on one showcase item — allowing Texans to openly carry handguns — but scores of other challenges remain as they deal with issues such as school choice, ethics, fracking regulation, and proposed bans on red-light cameras and texting while driving. The consensus seems to be that a special session can be avoided.

Abbott, who defeated former state Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth in November to become the 48th governor, has used his inaugural legislative session to push an ambitious agenda that includes early childhood education, border security, transportation and ethics reform.

Nearly a dozen Abbott-backed bills have cleared either the House or the Senate, according to the governor’s office, though none have received final passage.

“We are pleased with where our proposals are at this point, and we are working very closely with both the House and Senate to ensure that this legislation reaches the governor’s desk to be signed into law,” said Amelia Chasse, Abbott’s press secretary.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Tea Party-backed former state senator, is also making his debut as the Senate’s presiding officer in what has been a strained relationship with House Speaker Joe Straus, a moderate often at odds with Tea Party House members.

House and Senate members traded accusations that one chamber was ignoring the other’s bills until Patrick and Straus tried to reduce tensions by expediting action on measures from the other side of the Capitol.

“The tension between the two presiding officers is palpable,” said Harvey Kronberg, publisher of the online political newsletter The Quorum Report. “So far, it is ships passing in the night.”

Some experts say Abbott may need to play an increasingly visible role in the weeks ahead to help break deadlocks on crucial legislation. Much of the work will play out in joint conference committees responsible for resolving differences in bills passed by the two chambers.

Gun rights, tax relief, local control issues, vouchers, and much more still need to be addressed by lawmakers. It's crunch time in Austin.

Other Must Read Links:

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.

More From News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO