Newsletter September 12th, 2023

Large Nail Hammered into Ken Paxton's Coffin

The Paxton trial is heating up, and testimony last Friday was one for the books. Paxton's director of law enforcement, David Maxwell, testified that he was pressured by Paxton to investigate Nate Paul's conspiracy theories, which Maxwell deemed ludicrous. Maxwell went so far as to warn Paxton, stating “I told him Nate Paul was a criminal" and "that he was running a Ponzi scheme..." When Maxwell refused to investigate Paul's claims, Paxton threatened to fire him. Eventually, Maxwell went to the FBI and was fired by Paxton.

Monday, Mark Penley, Paxton's Deputy AG, told the Senate that Paxton told him that he did not trust the law after he was investigated in 2015 for securities fraud, a case that still has not gone to trial 8 years later. Penley also stated that he had repeatedly asked Paul for evidence that he was being targeted by the FBI, and Paul became more and more irritated. Penley told Paxton he didn't think he should continue with the investigation, that he could get himself in a lot of trouble and it might look like bribery.

I wonder if Paxton was being blackmailed by Paul over his illicit affair? So much of this does not add up.   

For Paxton to be removed from office, 21 Senators must vote to convict. Dan Patrick said deliberations could begin as early as Thursday. 

Activists are Trying to bar Trump from Office with the 14th Amendment

A law review article written by conservatives is gaining attention because it states that Trump should be disqualified from office because of section three of the 14th Amendment.  Section three bars anyone who has “engaged in insurrection” or “given aid or comfort” to the United States’ enemies from holding office. Their argument is that Trump's "participation in the attempted overthrow of the 2020 presidential election," prevents him from holding office. Several activist organizations in various states have filed lawsuits to push the idea in court.  Voters in Colorado were some of the first activists to file, hoping to remove Trump from the ballot there.

The Texas Power Grid and Bottlenecks

Would anyone be surprised to learn our power grid is old and slowly failing? I don't think so. However, many of us may not realize the grid's capacity to move power around the state on power lines is limited, and during peak conditions bottlenecks form.  Last Thursday a well-known bottleneck in San Antonio almost caused the grid to grind to a halt. ERCOT officially blamed the sun for setting (as if that is a valid reason) and wind levels for dropping as the reasons that our grid came precipitously close to failing. But, Doug Lewin, a Texas energy consultant pointed out that there was a lot of wind in the Rio Grande Valley that night producing a lot of power (1,000 MW) but the power it was producing could not get where it was needed.

Nasal Spray Narcan available OTC to reverse Fentanyl OD's

With the epidemic of drug overdoses from Fentanyl, the FDA has made Narcan available over the counter and is recommending everyone get it and keep it in their medicine cabinets for emergencies. Last year more than 100,000 people overdosed from this deadly drug, and it is now being mixed in with other drugs like cocaine and counterfeit Xanax.

An Overview of One of our Target Houst Districts: HD37

House District 37 is located in Willacy County, in South Texas, and is part of the Rio Grande Valley. The population is 83% Hispanic which is double the state average. The district is also younger than the state average with an annual household income below the state average. In short, it is a working-class district, where people are raising families. It is also currently held by the GOP. In the last election, statewide Democratic candidate Collier won the district, while O'Rourke and Garza both came within 3%. The Democratic House candidate lost by 1400 votes, or 3.6%. Turnout in this district was 39% in 2022, well below the state average of 46%. Simply boosting Democratic turnout in this district can flip it.

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All Hat No Cattle’s Mission

We believe Democrats have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to make real gains in the Texas House and Senate as Texas continues to trend Democratic. But we must focus on turnout in House and Senate Districts within the state. We must engage and inspire voters to go to the polls more than just every four years. Voters must learn to vote for every Democrat on the ballot and we have to give them a real reason to do it. Please consider donating to help us achieve this goal.

About the Author: Joel Montfort is an eighth-generation Texan, a political scientist, and a democratic activist. He has been actively involved in Texas politics for more than 8 years. He founded Richardson Area Democrats in 2017, was elected to the Texas Democratic Party's Executive Committee, served as president of Plano Area Democrats, and is currently a precinct chair in Collin County. He also owns a Democratic political consulting business.