Daily Dispatch 10/18/23: All But 3 Texas GOP U.S. Reps Vote For Jordan, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Of the 20 Republican holdouts stopping Jim Jordan from becoming Speaker yesterday, only 3 were from Texas: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/how-did-texas-congressional-delegation-vote-for-speaker-of-the-house/ Jonathan Stickland, following a day-long hang with notorious Nazi Nick Fuentes, appears to be out as president of the hard-right Defend Texas Liberty PAC: https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2023/10/18/defend-texas-liberty-pac-names-new-president-after-leader-met-with-white-supremacist-nick-fuentes/ Texas Republican lawmakers want to give Governor Abbott another $1.5 billion of your tax money for border wall construction: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/texas-border-wall-spending-18422945.php ...While New Mexico politicos square off over razor wire Abbott has had erected on their border with Texas: https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-government/new-mexico-republicans-democrats-at-odds-over-texass-efforts-to-razor-wire-tx-nm-border/ Prop 9 - a long-overdue cost of living increase for Texas retired teachers - is already endorsed by the Lege, but now requires voter approval - we recommend a hearty YES vote: https://kfdm.com/renderer/kfdm/amp/news/local/crisis-in-the-classroom-texas-retired-teachers-suffering-financially-counting-on-voters-to-pump-their-pensions Austin U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett is sounding the alarm over multiple near-misses lately at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2023/10/16/us-rep-lloyd-doggett-faa-action-austin-bergstrom-international-airport-near-miss-collision/71207579007/?utm_source=americanstatesman-dailybriefing-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailybriefing-headline-stack&utm_term=hero&utm_content=naas-austin-nletter65 ERCOT officials meet to discuss this record-breaking summer, and forecast its performance this winter: https://abc13.com/ercot-texas-power-gird-winter-grid-conditions-freeze/13930195/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16975916029942&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fabc13.com%2Fercot-texas-power-gird-winter-grid-conditions-freeze%2F13930195%2F ...While the Texas petroleum business booms like never before: https://kqkinews.com/report-texas-oil-and-natural-gas-production-reaches-new-record-in-september/ ...And Texas Railroad Commission talk of reigning in gas flaring, so far, is just talk: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18102023/texas-railroad-commission-approval-flaring/ Thanks for listening! Have a look at our popular voter guide for the November election, and considering making a donation to help us continue our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.