Dan Patrick Loses in Special Session, But Allies Will Reload for March Primaries

The Texas Legislature's special session was largely a bust.Gov. Greg Abbott tried to make it all mean something, placing 20 items on the agenda. But after 29 days and over $1 million in taxpayer costs, lawmakers have little to show from legislative overtime that critics say was more about manipulating the Republican voting base than working toward good public policy.The Legislature was able to approve sunset legislation to keep the Texas Medical Board going, something that could have occurred in the regular session. They approved about half of what Abbott wanted, including a bill that would require women to buy separate health insurance plans for abortion and a measure that tightened penalties for mail-in vote fraud targeted at the elderly. That should be appetizing for GOP base voters.But the biggest items on Abbott's wish list didn't make it, including a bill that limits property tax increases and the controversial bill that would restrict where transgender residents can use the bathroom.  Continue reading...