Daily Dispatch 11/8/23: Good News and Bad News On Election Results, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Last night's election results yielded both great and not-so-great news regarding those 14 constitutional amendment propositions: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-texas.html Both of our endorsed candidates in Houston's local elections go to runoffs on December 9, including mayoral candidate Sheila Jackson Lee: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/07/houston-mayor-race-2024-results/ ...And City Controller candidate Chris Hollins: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/houston-controller-election-results-18472540.php ...Meanwhile, great news across the country for progressives and abortion rights advocates: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/abortion-rights-center-tuesdays-ohio-virginia-elections-2023-11-07/ Governor Greg Abbott, as threatened and expected, has declared an unprecedented fourth special Legislative session to begin immediately: https://abc13.com/texas-house-adjourns-2023-third-special-session-without-passing-school-vouchers-or-border-security/14022769/ Ken Paxton sues the whistleblowers who landed him in impeachment: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/11/07/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-whistleblowers-wins-temporary-halt-to-litigation/ ...While Yelp pushes back on Paxton's attempt at censoring their content: https://www.courthousenews.com/yelp-accuses-texas-attorney-general-of-censorship-in-crisis-pregnancy-center-dispute/ Grim gun death statistics swirl around a Texas-related 2nd Amendment case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/11/07/record-deaths-in-texas-as-supreme-court-decides-whether-some-domestic-violence-perpetrators-can-have-guns/ A Republican candidate for the Granbury City Council has been arrested for possessing child pornography (and still got over 600 votes): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/texas-republican-child-abuse-arrest_n_654a6d6fe4b0e63c9dc124fe A Longview man has pled guilty to two felony counts related to the January 6 insurrection: https://www.ktbs.com/news/east-texas/east-texas-man-who-claimed-government-plot-takes-plea-deal-in-jan-6-case/article_2a5e3d70-7e0b-11ee-956d-6b62cdaaeee4.html A transgender student in Sherman has been banned from the leading male role in his school's production of Oklahoma!: https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/4297925-trans-student-texas-kicked-out-of-lead-role-musical/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16994177821857&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Flgbtq%2F4297925-trans-student-texas-kicked-out-of-lead-role-musical%2F That Lubbock marijuana decriminalization petition is set to be considered by the Lubbock City Council next Tuesday: https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/effort-to-decriminalize-marijuana-in-lubbock-heads-to-nov-14-hearing/ Thanks for listening and for VOTING! Please consider helping us continue our important work at https://progresstexas.org/donate.