Daily Dispatch 12/18/23: ACLU Plans Immediate SB-4 Challenge, and More

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/ Thanks for listening! Please consider supporting Progress Texas with a holiday donation at https://progresstexas.org/donate.