Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Local law enforcement, especially in border communities, are not prepared to enforce SB-4 when it lands in March: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sb4-texas-immigration-law-enforcement-migrant-crisis/

...While Governor Abbott takes to the skies in his ever-expanding theater of migrant cruelty: https://www.axios.com/2023/12/21/texas-governor-charters-migrant-flight-chicago-border-protest-biden

...And federal authorities target Colony Ridge, previously targeted by right wing conspiracists, for predatory practices against Hispanic home buyers: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/us/colony-ridge-texas-builder-prosecution.html

A new strain of misinformation regarding trisomy 18, the condition afflicting the pregnancy of Kate Cox, is debunked: https://www.factcheck.org/2023/12/scicheck-post-spreads-misleading-information-about-texas-abortion-case/

...While new polling on abortion rights sheds light on why Republicans are desperate to change the subject: https://news.yahoo.com/poll-texas-abortion-case-is-a-warning-sign-for-republicans-193548558.html

Ken Paxton sues the U.S. Department of Transportation over new vehicular emissions rules: https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/12/20/texas-lawsuit-fhwa-greenhouse-gas-rules/

...While an Austin judge says Paxton and his aides must testify in that whistleblower suit brought by his former staffers: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/12/20/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-must-testify-in-whistleblower-case/71975188007/

A major new study finds over-reliance on natural gas-powered backup generators was key to the Winter Storm Uri disaster of 2021: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-grid-over-relies-natural-gas-restore-power-after-blackouts-study-2023-12-19/

...While a new winter outlook from ERCOT is full of inaccurate climate statements that echo the talking points of climate change deniers: https://www.factcheck.org/2023/12/scicheck-post-spreads-misleading-information-about-texas-abortion-case/

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas extends his polling lead in the race to challenge Ted Cruz next year for the Democrats: https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/allred-widens-lead-over-gutierrez-in-texas-senate-poll-cruz-leads-both-democrats/

...While Ted Cruz dominates the U.S. Senate in the number of tweets he sent this year - but still trailing bullshit fountain Chip Roy in the House: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/ted-cruz-chip-roy-tweet-more-than-anyone-else-in-congress-33364950

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The ACLU, alongside El Paso officials, have sued the state over Governor Abbott's signing of SB-4: https://newrepublic.com/post/177674/texas-just-passed-one-countrys-racist-immigration-laws

...El Paso's district attorney is one of the lawsuit's targets - though Bill Hicks' office has said they won't pursue SB-4 cases: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/el-paso-texas-migrant-arrest-suit.html

...The immigration advocacy group American Gateways is participating in the lawsuit: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-immigration-law-sb-4

...ACLU chapters in New Mexico and other states have issued warnings to non-White residents regarding travel in Texas considering SB-4: https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/aclu-issues-warning-for-new-mexicans-traveling-to-texas/

...Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador criticizes Governor Abbott on political and religious grounds: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mexicos-president-texas-governor-clash-immigration-rcna130466

...The Biden White House refers the matter to the federal court system: https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/19/politics/white-house-response-texas-law/index.html

...While a federal court stops U.S. Border Patrol agents from cutting razor wire put in place by Texas while their case on that topic is under appeal: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/texas-border-wire-biden-administration.html

Reacting to Colorado's shunning of Donald Trump, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick threatens to remove President Joe Biden from the Texas ballot: https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-lt-guv-threatens-to-take-biden-off-states-ballot-after-colorado-ruling

Amarillo city officials continue debating whether to enact a so-called "abortion travel ban": https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/19/amarillo-abortion-trafficking-texas-bans#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17030248018867&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2023%2Fdec%2F19%2Famarillo-abortion-trafficking-texas-bans

ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas touts improvements to the power grid, but also hedges on possible threats to the grid's performance this winter: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/investigations/defenders/texas-power-grid-manager-touts-improvements-to-the-grid-but-warns-of-increasing-risks-of-outages-in-extreme-storm-events/269-4a1f8840-770d-4229-b062-3069d30ca54d

...While PUC officials will review enormously expensive new power grid rules: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-19/texas-to-revisit-power-reserve-policies-amid-spat-with-grid-watchdog

Texas leads the nation in annual population growth, according to new statistics: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/19/texas-2023-population-growth-census/

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

As expected, Governor Greg Abbott signed the blatantly unconstitutional SB-4 into law: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-immigration-law-sb4-signed-greg-abbott/

...The law mandates that judges send migrants in violation back to Mexico:

...El Paso's County Commissioners are in on an ACLU lawsuit against SB-4: https://kvia.com/news/2023/12/18/el-paso-county-commissioners-unanimously-vote-to-sue-state-of-texas-after-signing-of-sb4/

...While El Paso's sheriff's department worries it will further alienate the Hispanic community from law enforcement: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/us/abbott-texas-border-law-arrests.html

...Experts point out that immigration is akin to foreign policy - and that's why the federal government has primacy over immigration: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/12/18/texas-immigration-law-sb-4/71816160007/

...U.S. Rep Joaquin Castro and several other House Democrats have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to block SB-4: https://abc7.com/greg-abbott-texas-governor-sb4/14199461/

...Officials in Mexico have condemned SB-4, while Governor Abbott has no clear answer on how he'll address their objections: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/12/18/texas-will-begin-arresting-migrants-under-law-gov-greg-abbott-is-expected-to-sign-monday/

...Heartbreaking video of border officers ignoring a mother and her baby in the water in the Rio Grande reminds us of the human element of all of this: https://www.tpr.org/border-immigration/2023-12-18/video-shows-texas-national-guard-members-appearing-to-ignore-a-mother-and-babys-pleas-for-help-in-the-rio-grande

Governor Abbott has appointed Amarillo's Aaron Kinsey, avowed revisionist history and library censorship enthusiast, the new chair of the Texas State Board of Education: https://www.amarillopioneer.com/blog/2023/12/18/aaron-kinsey-appointed-sboe-chair

...Kinsey's campaign contributors are a cross-section of right-wing dark money crusaders: https://x.com/cjtackett/status/1736905176403914765?t=Ygi_kIzAD2TaQkhELhtXjQ&s=03

A new profile of Amanda Zurawski lays bare even further the insanity of the state's argument against the plaintiffs in the case having "standing": https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/12/amanda-zurawski-on-challenging-texas-abortion-law.html

And, congratulations to Minnie Payne, at 90 officially the eldest person ever to earn a graduate degree from the University of North Texas: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/12/18/oldest-University-North-Texas-masters-degree/6651702924774/

Thanks for listening and Happy Holidays! Please consider a small gift of support for Progress Texas at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The ACLU has prepared a legal challenge to the new Texas immigration bill SB-4, which it will file immediately after Governor Abbott signs it into law: https://wsbt.com/news/nation-world/aclu-prepping-lawsuit-awaiting-abbott-approval-of-controversial-immigration-law-southern-border-migrant-crisis-border-security-initiatives-american-civil-liberties-union-rio-grande-floating-barrier

...Meanwhile Abbott's migrant busing effort has caused major problems in all of its destination "sanctuary" cities: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/texas-gov-greg-abbott-divided-democrats-immigration-migrant-busing-rcna128815

Republicans struggle with messaging difficulties surrounding abortion as a big election year looms: https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/17/politics/texas-abortion-case-republicans-2024/index.html

...While in Texas, our abortion ban appears to be working just as their authors intended: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/opinion/kate-cox-abortion-texas-exceptions.html

A Houston court determines that Texas' power companies cannot be held liable for injury or death due to power outages during Winter Storm Uri: https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2023-12-15/texas-power-plants-have-no-responsibility-to-provide-electricity-in-emergencies-judges-rule

Travis County's Republican Party wants primary votes to be counted by hand - which may jeopardize countywide voting locations: https://www.kut.org/politics/2023-12-15/voting-centers-in-travis-county-could-be-eliminated-for-the-upcoming-2024-march-primary

A new graph from the Texas Tribune shows the most and least liberal members of the Texas Senate: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/18/mark-jones-texas-senate-special-2023-liberal-conservative-scores/

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Senator Ted Cruz, sensing the volatility of the issue, continues dodging questions about developments in Texas surrounding our abortion bans: https://newrepublic.com/post/177569/ted-cruz-does-not-want-talk-texas-abortion-case

...In fact, the entire Republican Party appears queasy about it: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/republicans-struggle-defend-texas-abortion-law-cox-1234928770/

...The Texas business sector, normally steering clear of hot social issues, weighs in in a Zurawski amicus brief: https://thehill.com/business/4360255-texas-abortion-challenge-businesses-economy-bumble-amicus-brief/

..."Anti-abortion" and "pro-life" are seemingly no longer the same position: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/4359376-texass-war-on-pregnant-women/

...Conservative political strategist Matthew Dowd relates a difficult pregnancy and its impact on his abortion views: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/kate-cox-ken-paxton-texas-abortion-rcna129617

In spite of a fall full of worry, Governor Abbott and ERCOT officials are suddenly very confident that the lights and heat will stay on this winter: https://abc13.com/ercot-texas-weather-power-grid-in-2021-winter-freeze/14184473/

...While climate disasters in Texas have led to an insurance crisis: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/carriers-reduce-coverage-texas-home-insurance-18491266.php

And Iowa provides a clear example of why Governor Abbott's private school voucher scam won't play out well for middle and lower income Texans: https://www.kcrg.com/video/2023/12/05/private-schools-raising-tuition-costs-after-school-voucher-bill-passes/

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Which Texans inspired us with their tireless work to press progress forward in Texas this year - and which Texans did all they could to keep us in the olden times? The whole Progress Texas staff is in on this one, and we've got lots of love (and shade) to dish out as we wrap up another nutty year in Texas politics with the ten best - and ten worst - Texans of 2023.

See the blog and follow along: https://progresstexas.org/blog/top-10-best-and-worst-texans-2023

Join the worldwide Humans Against Ted Cruz movement at https://humansagainsttedcruz.com/.

And learn more about the ongoing struggle for reproductive justice in Texas at https://progresstexas.org/roevolution.

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The U.S. Supreme Court, dominated by conservative Trump appointees, is set to review a Texas judge's revoking of the FDA approval of the common abortion drug mifepristone: https://www.keranews.org/government/2023-12-13/u-s-supreme-court-to-consider-limits-on-abortion-medication-mifepristone

...The prospects of the SCOTUS review are "grave": https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-12-13/supreme-court-to-hear-case-determining-access-to-abortion-drug/

...Democrats rally around abortion rights as 2024's election looms: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/us/politics/abortion-texas-elections.html

...While Ted Cruz would rather talk about anything else: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/ted-cruz-kate-cox-texas-abortion

...Kate Cox is featured by the New York Times on The Daily podcast: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/14/podcasts/the-daily/texas-abortion-ban.html

...And the entire Texas Supreme Court is featured in a rogue's gallery - pay attention to John Phillip Devine and Jimmy Blacklock, both up for re-election next year: https://www.click2houston.com/news/politics/2023/12/14/who-are-the-texas-supreme-court-justices-who-ruled-against-kate-cox-in-abortion-case/

Southeast Texas U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls spills the obvious beans that the Biden impeachment inquiry is not about wrongdoing by Biden, but about re-electing Donald Trump: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/troy-nehls-biden-impeachment-inquiry-donald-trump-2024-1234927472/

...While U.S. Rep Joaquin Castro joins other Latino lawmakers to urge caution while the Biden administration discusses border reforms with Congress: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/13/texas-border-mexico-senate-white-house-foreign-aid/

A Dallas-area mailer criticizing U.S. Rep. Colin Allred's position on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict was produced by a conservative activist group and designed to divide progressives:

A new movie depicts a dystopian future in which Texas and California have seceded from the U.S. and joined forces - that's nuts, right? Trailer too: https://www.ktvu.com/news/new-movie-has-social-media-scratching-heads-over-texas-and-california-alliance

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The entire country is stunned over recent developments regarding abortion care for women with problematic pregnancies in Texas: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-does-texas-supreme-court-ruling-emergency-abortions-mean-patients-2023-12-12/

...The Texas Supreme Court regards Cox's legal plea as evidence she doesn't qualify for exception to the ban:

...The reassuring language from the Court is a "trap" for Texas healthcare providers:

...Legal experts interpret Ken Paxton's "extraordinary" threats against Texas doctors as his continued "enforcement through fear": https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/12/texas-abortion-ken-paxton-kate-cox

...One especially anti-choice Texas Supreme Court Justice, John Phillip Devine, is up for re-election in 2024: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/12/kate-cox-nonviable-pregnancy-judicial-control-abortion-texas.html

...Both Ted Cruz and John Cornyn dodge the issue altogether: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/ted-cruz-john-cornyn-avoid-questions-kate-cox-abortion-case-rcna129407#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17024320640662&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fcongress%2Fted-cruz-john-cornyn-avoid-questions-kate-cox-abortion-case-rcna129407

The U.S. Supreme Court clears the use of a Galveston voting map a lower court had found drawn on racist lines - a threat to the national Voting Rights Act: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/12/galveston-texas-voting-map-supreme-court/

ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas warns of impending power problems related to a lack of "investment in infrastructure": https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/ercot-blackout-pablo-vegas-18547148.php

Media Matters has sued Ken Paxton over his investigation into their coverage of X/Twitter: https://www.thedailybeast.com/media-matters-sues-texas-ag-ken-paxton-over-retaliatory-investigation

Craig Watkins, Dallas' first Black district attorney, has died at 56: https://www.keranews.org/news/2023-12-12/craig-watkins-dallas-countys-first-black-district-attorney-has-died

The Texas Democratic Party will host a virtual conversation today (Wed 12/13) at 12:30 PM with Emily's List and Planned Parenthood Texas Votes on recent abortion developments and their implication for next year's election: https://www.instagram.com/texasdemocrats/?hl=en

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The Texas Supreme Court ruled against Dallas-area mother Kate Cox, denying her emergency emergency care, forcing Cox to leave Texas to receive it: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2023/12/11/kate-cox-flees-state-to-get-abortion-after-supreme-court-decision/

...Proving that the "exceptions" Texas law provides are really not intended to help Texas mothers: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/opinion/texas-abortion-ban.html

...And serves as the ironic "pro-life" protection of a doomed pregnancy at the cost of future children for Cox: https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/09/opinions/texas-abortion-laws-kate-cox-ziegler/index.html

The filing deadline for the 2024 election yesterday finds U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee squaring off with former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards for the U.S. House: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/11/sheila-jackson-lee-reelection-house/

...And State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado challenging State Senator Nathan Johnson: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/12/11/texas-rep-victoria-neave-criado-to-challenge-state-sen-nathan-johnson-in-march-primary/

...And a crowded field to face Ted Cruz, still dominated by U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and State Senator Roland Gutierrez: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/12/11/in-march-5-texas-primaries-down-ballot-contests-have-more-lone-star-spice/

Meanwhile, both Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton attack members of their own party out of retribution: https://www.kltv.com/2023/12/12/gov-abbott-endorses-opponents-east-texas-lawmakers-who-voted-against-school-vouchers/

MOVE Texas unveils a $4 million effort to mobilize young voters of color in Texas: https://themessenger.com/politics/move-texas-to-invest-4-million-to-mobilize-young-texas-voters-for-2024-exclusive

A new study finds the deterioration of Texas weather accelerating: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2023/12/11/its-not-your-imagination-texas-weather-is-getting-hotter-and-more-extreme-study-finds/

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court stayed a lower court order that would have allowed Dallas mother Kate Cox to terminate a doomed pregnancy that threatens her health: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court-hold-kate-cox/

...Drawing national attention to the contrast of approaches to reproductive freedom between Democrats and Republicans: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4351771-five-things-to-know-texas-abortion-fight/

...Setting the stage for one of the primary issues that will decide next year's election: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democrats-biden-campaign-condemn-blocking-emergency-abortion-texas-woman-2023-12-09/

...And providing a preview of what will happen if Trump and the Republicans prevail: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/12/10/texas-abortion-case-judge-permission-healthcare-decisions/71851981007/

Longtime Democratic Texas State Senator John Whitmire wins the race for Houston Mayor, raising important decisions for U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee: https://rollcall.com/2023/12/10/after-loss-in-mayors-race-jackson-lee-faces-decision/

...While Chris Hollins wins his run for Houston City Controller: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/houston-controller-runoff-results-18534780.php

...And Ken Paxton impeachment attorney Tony Buzbee's run for Houston City Council ends in defeat: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/09/tony-buzbee-houston-city-council-attorney-mary-nan-huffman/

While Ted Cruz and John Cornyn hold U.S. aid to Ukraine hostage, a top Russian lawmaker suggests that by his country's recent example, Texas should be returned to Mexico: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-guyana-venezuelan-mironov-alaska-texas-1851004

A black eye for Texas as Elon Musk reinstates Alex Jones to Twitter: https://apnews.com/article/alex-jones-x-account-elon-musk-90cfc990631dec5e8f337167fbe16372

Filmmaker Rob Reiner will release a new documentary on Christian Nationalism in February: https://www.al.com/life/2023/12/rob-reiner-drops-trailer-for-documentary-on-christian-nationalism.html

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