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It appears that Texas Governor, Greg Abbott , wants to be more than the Governor, he wants to be King. Kings get to decide literally who lives and who dies and dictate to local communities such things as wearing a mask. Ultimately, only a King would try to destroy a basic tenet of our democratic republic enshrined in US and Texas constitutions. It’s called the Separation of Powers. It’s also known as “checks and balances.” We must all – no matter our party or political persuasion – ask ourselves what the Governor’s obsession with calling two special sessions on a non-emergency item – voter rules — is really about. Could it be any of these? 1. First, and foremost, to aggregate over-arching power in HIS Executive Branch, solely under HIS control as an overlord of the Legislative Branch, our elected representatives. 2. To avoid accountability for the following abuses of his office: Accepting a $1 million campaign donation from the CEO of a company that profited $2.4 billion from February’s Big Freeze. Allowing campaign donors off the hook without fixing the grid during the regular session. Failing to place fixing the Texas electric grid on the agenda for the first special session, and Failing again to place fixing the grid, investigating its approximately 700 related deaths, and the profiteering of $50 billion from Texas ratepayers on the agenda for his second special session. Linda Curtis , Board Member of the non-profit, non-partisan all-volunteer League of Independent Voters said, “Because Texans do not have the right to recall the Governor, our power comes from telling Texas voters the truth about King Greg well before the final vote in November 2022. That is why this petition is TO the citizens of Texas, not to King Greg, who doesn’t listen so well, does he? Pay it — this petition — forward please, no matter what your party. We Texas independents – now millions of voters — can swing elections and knock King Greg right off his throne!” We post the respected Harvey Kronberg’s The Quorum Report article explaining the Governor’s thinking since 2019 to cancel a co-equal branch of government — the Texas Legislature. And this, must-read opinion article, “ No, the Texas power grid is not fixed , ” by premiere consumer advocate, Paul Robbins, recently printed in the Austin American-Statesman. Sign the Petition and Pay it forward, y’all at Change.org/NoKingGreg #LindaCurtis #SeparationofPowers #GregAbbott #QuorumReport #FixtheGrid

We’re happy to report that Rep. John Cyrier backs commish courts in Lost Pines! John Cyrier (R-Lockhart) issued a letter supporting a united call for rejection of the “DFCs” (desired future conditions) by the Lost Pines Groundwater District. This is an important step to protect the aquifers in the 10 county area east of Austin and to achieve a balance between production and conservation our most precious resource. Cyrier currently serves as the Chair of the Sunset Commission. Read it here at SAWDF LIV:  Empowering independent voters of Texas Become a Member Today! #DFCs #LostPinesGroundwater #RepJohnCyrier

Joe Straus Comes Out Swinging for Local Control Did you catch this opinion editorial in the SA Express News by Joe Straus?  “ Local control essential to keep students safe. ” The Texas GOP failed to defend its own principles. Atoning is the first step. So thanks, Joe. The second step is leaving the Texas GOP with a declaration of political independence. That’s totally up to Joe. We would add two things to Former Texas House Speaker, Joe Straus’ statement on local control. First, it has become clear that the Governor (we independents like to call him King Greg) doesn’t have the power to stop local school boards from requiring masks. The Attorney General so much as admitted this in his filings. To our second point: the idea of local control turned into controlling the locals, when Joe Straus was House Speaker in the 2015 legislative session when local control was usurped by the Legislative branch dominated by Republicans. Mind you, Democrats also helped this along. The attacks on local control hit a high point in 2015 after residents of the city of Denton (mind you, primarily Republicans) passed setbacks for fracking facilities via a citizens petition. Oil and gas lobby interests vastly outspent the citizens to try to defeat the measure. But citizens passed the Denton setback rules handily. Nevertheless, the Legislature, heavily lobbied by oil and gas interests couldn’t wait for a court ruling to overturn the law. They quickly overturned the citizen’s amendment with  H.B. 40, a frontal attack on the rights of cities to protect their citizens’ property rights and quality of life. The King Lobby was on such a high off the HB 40 victory, they couldn’t stop themselves from going for the jugular. That’s when they moved aggressively to gut Texans’ 100-year constitutional protections for the right to petition in Texas municipalities for a public vote — HB 2595. HB 2595 was introduced by Rep. Jim Keffer (R-Eastland), a Straus lieutenant. Keffer snuck the bill over to the Environmental Committee (rather than the Elections Committee) then chaired by Houston Democrat, Carol Alvarado. The Texas Municipal League jumped on the bandwagon to stop those pesky petitioners. All combined, the fix was in. When it got to the Texas House, it passed with overwhelming support from members of both parties. LIV brought together tea partiers to green partiers to stop HB 2595 when it got to the Senate Committee. Again, it was in the wrong committee. We at LIV testified following Todd Staples, former Ag Commissioner turned President for the Texas Oil and Gas Association in this Senate Committee meeting, where HB 2595 died:  testimony video here . Joe is, so far as we know, still a Republican. We know he will make his own decision. We hope he will consider helping to lead the independent political movement, first, by getting out of the Texas GOP. We’re here if and when you’re ready, Joe! Jim Keffer was last seen as a lobbyist immediately following his departure from the Legislature in 2017. This is what’s known as the “revovling door” at the Lege. We hope all candidates in 2021 will be running to close that door for politicians for at least 5 years following serving in public office. LIV:  Empowering independent voters of Texas . Become a Member Today! #CarolAlvardo #lobbyingreform #reolvingdoor #localcontrol #JoeStraus #JimKeffer

The best way to kill the democratic republic is not simply about the long-debated and bitterly fought over legislation pushed by Texas Republicans (Senate Bill 1) to tighten Texas election laws. The very best way to kill a democratic republic is to allow the party in power to wield their redistricting ax to pick their voters through gerrymandering. Whichever party is in power gerrymanders while demonizing their opponents. What they’re doing is denying all voters the right to competitive (not fixed) elections. Don’t fall for it! Redistricting is the subject of the soon to be called third special session by Governor Greg Abbott. Let’s not allow manipulators working in and around our political system to confuse the heck out of people with claims that the U.S. is  “a republic,” and “not a democracy.” Oh really? Perhaps our parents who fought in WWII to defend democracy might have been told this. Folks, don’t forgot there once was a Soviet Republic. And, there still is the “ People’s Republic of China.” We have elections, now don’t we? That is quite simply our democratic republic. But then there are those who claim that our elections are a total sham. But, think again people. Do you hear anything from those same people about how elections are “rigged” before we get to the polls? They have yet to join us independents who have fought since 2001 for redistricting reform in Texas. These are partisans working for their party and, more so today than ever, one faction within their party. Reforming redistricting — politicians drawing their own lines — and ending gerrymandering by any and all parties, is the motherlode of protecting U.S. elections. Think, people! It is always the party in power that uses their redistricting pen like a sword against the opposing party. This has cost voters of all parties and persuasions an enormous financial expense involving litigation and special sessions. It’s also created tremendous ill will between us, with members of both parties hating the other members, even members of our own families! We, independents, are sick of the whole redistricting/gerrymandering shebang! It is NOT big news that the Democrats will go to court while pushing federal legislation to preempt S.B. 1.  This Tribune article  explains it well. Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Wallace Jefferson What is big news is the little turd that just got dropped in the current gerrymander’s punch bowl. We write of the federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday, September 1, by a well-known Republican former Texas Supreme Court Justice, Wallace Jefferson. Mr. Jefferson represents State Senators Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin), Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio), and Tejano Democrats. The federal lawsuit challenges the right of the Governor and Secretary of State to carry out redistricting of Texas House and Senate districts until after the next regular session – 2023. On its face, it appears the Texas Constitution is on their side. Mind you; it says nothing about Congressional Districts. Therefore, we assume that show will go on with Congressional redistricting in a third special session. Read the ten-page Original Complaint here. We hope the plaintiffs prevail. We trust a court far more than the Legislature — no matter which party is in power. In the future, we prefer the courts to draw the lines until we put in place an independent citizens redistricting commission (ICRC). Eight states have commissions for Congressional redistricting, and 14 states have commissions for state legislature redistricting —  see more here at Ballotpedia . Independent’s History on Redistricting Reform We – Texas independents – hit the ground running advocating for redistricting reform back in 2001. That’s when we began advocating for independent redistricting – by a non-partisan commission. Please note for you old-timers; we understand that the Democrats under Lt. Governor Bob Bullock made gerrymandering into fine art in Texas. It wasn’t fair then, and it’s not fair now to the Democrats. Since the Republican takeover of Texas state government in the early ’90s, the Republicans have swung the ax to an even sharper level. Who can forget Rick Perry and Tom DeLay’s special mid-census redistricting in 2003?  See here . The Solution – independent citizens redistricting commissions The solution is to remove the redistricting pen from the hands of all parties and politicians. The next step is to put that power into the hands of a non-partisan independent citizens redistricting commission (ICRC).   Texas independents were first out of the gate on this issue back in 2001, when we brought Steve Lynn, then chair of the Arizona citizens redistricting commission, to visit Texas legislators.  A whole new genre of truly independent citizens redistricting commissions evolved into randomly selected qualified commissioners screened by randomly selected qualified auditors. LIV leader, Linda Curtis, helped get the independent citizens redistricting commission passed as part of Austin’s geographic district system called “10-1”. Read pages 2 through 4  to see how it works. You can visit the Austin Commission’s site here . The Right to Petition is Key The ICRC has long been a top priority at LIV . But where they exist, they do so because it was put on the ballot for the voters to pass. Politicians don’t easily give up their guns – redistricting pens – now, do they? Texas is one of the few western states without the right to petition to place statewide measures on the ballot – known as initiative and referendum (I&R). We can petition at the municipal level only. The Austin commission is in its second round of redistricting right now. Please read all about it in the Austin Bulldog story  here . Redistricting Hearings Schedule We’ll be talking about this at our next LIV meeting on Zoom on September 7, 7 pm.  Hearings in the Texas House  are listed here . The first hearing is on September 8. You may testify in person or virtually. Hearings in the Texas Senate  are listed here . The first hearing is on September 7. You may testify ONLY by video conference. LIV:  Empowering independent voters of Texas Become a Member Today! #TomDelay #TejanoTemocrats #RolandGutierrez #independentcitizensredistrictingcommissions #Redistricting #SarahEckhardt #WallaceJfferson #RickPerry #BobBullock #gerrymandering

Invasion of the body of law snatchers: the Texas TaliDan. Update: If you visit the link to the Right to Life Whistleblower site linked below, you might see it is now a security risk. Also, Go Daddy, the site’s original host, gave them 24 hours to move their site due to what Go Daddy states is a violation of their privacy policies — more here. Then there are the “hacktivists” who bombarded the site with “fake tips” — see here . Bastrop, TX, Sept. 3, 2021: We at LIV are not now, nor ever, entering the abortion debate. But, has a segment of the pro-life movement gone rogue? Are they attempting to establish a “Texas TaliDan” by gaming our judicial system, creating a field day for trials lawyers and setting us up to invade our neighbor’s privacy? Linda for a Little Less Corruption gets on her high horse with a confession to make. Linda Curtis here with my confession. I have refrained for many decades to talk publicly about abortion. This was out of respect for all viewpoints on the subject and my interest in building cross-partisan coalitions. I still do. However, what I see now with this new law in place is tomfoolery and outright gaming of the judicial system (the rule of law) that harms us all — regardless of our views on abortion. Take a few minutes to learn all you can about this. And beware of Trojan horses bearing gifts. The wee hours of the morning decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) NOT to — for now — block the new Texas abortion law is a major national news item. Interestingly, SCOTUS was the narrowest of decisions — 5 to 4 — with Chief Justice Roberts writing the dissenting opinion. We share this from  this Texas Tribune article  quoting Justice Sonia Sotomayor: “The Court finally tells the Nation that it declined to act because, in short, the State’s gambit worked,” Sotomayor said, blasting the court for citing “complex and novel antecedent procedural questions” as reasons not to block the law. “This is untenable. It cannot be the case that a State can evade federal judicial scrutiny by outsourcing the enforcement of unconstitutional laws to its citizenry. The Texas Right to Life “whistleblower” website was enlisting you to “help enforce” the new abortion law with “anonymous tips?” (It was repurposed due to technical and security problems that they brought on themselves.) It seems to us that Texas Right to Life want us to spy on our neighbors, pass the information on to them so THEY can “enforce the law” by engaging in intimidation and litigation to stop abortions with their trial attorneys. But, don’t worry. You didn’t have to give your name! We recommend this Quorum Report article (our favorite resource)  which explains how the new law is a treasure-trove for extreme lawsuit abuse. (One infraction could be the subject of unlimited lawsuits from individuals and unlimited fines!) A segment of the pro-life movement concocted this plan to get around waiting for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. Who is, ultimately, to be held accountable for this affront to the constitutional right to privacy and giveaway to trial lawyers? Might it be this guy, TaliDan? One could argue that the most recent lurch by the state of Texas into our private lives started with the bathroom bill. You thought it was about transgender people, not you, right? Wrong. Dan Patrick’s bathroom bill  quietly died in 2017  after an entire special session on an issue that should have remained private. Patrick, of course, famously declared a victory, hoping no one would notice what an expensive and invasive dud it was. We noticed. This new abortion law isn’t about abortion. It is about the state handing over enforcement power to individuals — vigilantes, gossips, and worse — who seek to put their noses in others’ business. Where do we draw the line? We ask this because it looks like to us that this law stepped over it. Let’s talk about it! Take this short survey on possible LIV forums. First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak out for me. LIV:  Empowering independent voters of Texas Become a Member Today! #Texasabortionlaw #prochoice #DanPatrick #prolife #SCOTUS

A real survey! Have you ever been subjected to one of those surveys that really has no intention of actually asking your opinion? Thanks to LIV leaders and supporters for their input and willingness to answer question after question, we have a REAL survey for you. You can even add your own answers. 🙂 Take the, “Do you want more choices at the ballot box?” LIV Survey now! The survey will be the subject of discussion at our monthly “First Monday LIV Meeting” except, due to the holiday, we’ll meet on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 7 pm . If you plan to attend, contact us for instructions on how to join us online. Do you vote for the person, not the party? Join LIV for as little as $10/year.. Thank you, if you signed the “No King Greg” petition. We have closed the petition at Change dot org, due to tech issues (theirs). Don’t worry, King Greg ain’t seen nothing yet! Be sure to take the LIV survey and you’ll see what we mean. Again, please do our new survey and SHARE away! Please visit our Events Calendar The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District Hearing was a doozy. Check out this report requested of us by Bastrop County Democrats: No One is Talking About It . #independentvotersurvey #politicalsurvey

No one is talking about it, except affected landowners, the Bastrop and Lee County Commissioners Courts, LIV and now Bastrop Dems! See all written testimony here . The following article is reprinted from LIV’s Linda Curtis submission to the Bastrop Democrats newsletter. We encourage Bastrop Republicans to do the same. I have heard this statement – no one is talking about it (water) — from local political activists about our water issues. They’re right. The political class treats the mass transfer of water – our communities’ wealth out from underneath us – like the crazy aunt in the basement. Everyone knows she’s there, but no one wants to talk about it. I want to thank Steve Chamberlain, your very capable Bastrop County Chair, for speaking about it at the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District hearing last week. I urge you to read Steve’s 3-minute hard-hitting testimony under this link. I also want to thank Allyson Jones, Elgin precinct chair, for her excellent testimony. Here’s what I learned from Steve and Allyson’s testimony. We can talk about climate change out “west” or we can realize we ARE in the West. Allowing our aquifers to be mined and our water exported out from underneath us, is contributing to climate change in a big way. What do you think the consequences are of damaging aquifers that take tens of thousands of years for Mother Nature to store water for us? I don’t want to minimize the pushback you should expect from actually talking about our own local climate change/water grabs debacle in the Lost Pines. It can get you the cold shoulder from members of your own party, not to mention members of the opposing party. And that’s because the political donors are hooked on growth, and the faster it comes, the better. Now our communities are in for a world of hurt as the costs of growth were not tempered by good policy-making. Visit LIV’s Costs of Growth section for more. The good news is that people are starting to realize the crazy aunt must be liberated from the basement. All our citizens need to know about her! We have the luck of two local non-profit organizations to help us. They are our WaterDefenders.org . They are: Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund and Environmental Stewardship. Please sign up to get their email alerts. I appreciate you, Bastrop Dems! Linda Curtis, Board Member, League of Independent Voters – a non-partisan, non-profit organization – not a political party. #LostPinesGroundwaterConservationDistrict

WaterDefenders.org  — Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund and Environmental Stewardship — urge your attendance (in person or online) at the last hearing on Desired Future Conditions in Groundwater Management Area 12. The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District Board wants to hear from you, especially if you live in Bastrop or Lee County. We have prepared for you the Event Page below with all the details, including our own original document — Desired Future Conditions for Dummies. Mind you, we don’t think you’re a dummy. But some of the people who make the laws have things quite confused. See for yourself and join with your neighbors, friends and officials to figure this out — together. Event Page for Hearing Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District– Wednesday, Aug. 18, 6 pm, Bastrop Convention Center or Virtual/Call-in. Got questions? Call LIV at 512.213.4511 or contact us here . #Bastrop #desiredfutureconditions #desiredfutureconditionsfordummies

Finally, the gods of Texas media are back on this never-ending story of the state of Texas’ failure to properly manage groundwater. Of course, the Vista Ridge project forged by private profiteers with San Antonio’s public water utility (SAWS) has pushed the envelope, with landowner wells going dry in the first 6 months of pumping. Please read and share this important article and get ready for some action. Make sure you’re on our email list! Click on the picture to read this excellent article written by Erin Douglas, Texas Tribune. #SanAntonioWaterSystem #SAWS #VistaRidge

We would love to see you tonight at 7 pm (Monday, Aug. 2) online or via phone call-in at our first, First Monday LIV Forum. Contact us at contact@LIVTexas.org or call 512.213.4511 for instructions on how to join us. We apologize for the late message due to tech issues related to a storm in central Texas. That’s why we are sending this message through our old email system.  Tonight we will talk about a survey —  in DRAFT, see below  — we have been testing on paper at Farmer’s Markets. There are likely millions of Texas independents who are very reachable and willing to take corrective action to the problems in governance here in Texas. But, what are those actions?  That’s what the survey is attempting to understand. Before you join the call, please click on these two surveys and take them. Bring your ideas and questions to the call. LIV Survey, Part I LIV Survey, Part II Tonight, we will also talk about the water battle over  desired future conditions .  Michele Gangnes will be joining us from the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund. Don’t miss this Texas Tribune article HOT OFF THE PRESS —  San Antonio built a pipeline to rural Central Texas to increase its water supply. Now local landowners say their wells are running dry If you missed last week’s LIV Newsletter, it’s a humdinger: Imperial Governance and Constitutional Wreckage PS Click on the conference — Southern Family Farms — picture to visit the Event Page. Join LIV there in San Marcos, Aug. 8 thru 10 to volunteer or just y’all come! PPS Mark your calendar for the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District Public Hearing on August 18 at the Bastrop Convention Center. #independentvotersurvey

Who will take on Texas imperial governance ? Sen. Kel Seliger, R- Amarillo The Inimitable State Senator Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) One of the few independent Republicans is Amarillo’s State Senator Kel Seliger. Seliger is well-known as a conservative and a maverick. In his West Texas style, Sen. Seliger introduced a bill to take away Abbott’s line-item veto . Seliger tweeted, “Vetoing this funding doesn’t punish legislators who left. It punishes regular hard-working folks who have nothing to do with voting for or against bills.  We now have less than 4 weeks before the veto eliminates pay for Capitol post office staff, researchers, caseworkers in district offices, those responsible for answering open record requests, etc…They have not left their posts but are worried about health insurance, rent, and paying for their children’s school supplies.” Egberto Willies, the most inclusive progressive political activist! Egberto is a fantastic author, blogger, commentator, businessman, software engineer, and pure political activist with a big brain and a heart of gold. Based out of Houston, he reaches tens of thousands of people every day across the country. A recent caller into Egberto’s Politics Done Right Show was a man who furiously called him the “n” word. Egberto and the caller left the call as friends.  LIV wishes to thank Egberto for carrying LIV news on his popular national blog at EgbertoWillies.com . Tune in to his show at 3 pm, M-F, and to do the cross-partisan Egberto jig at PoliticsDoneRight.com . Here’s LIV’s Linda Curtis with Egberto on, “Politics Done Right. ” #EgbertoWillies #imperialgovernance #SenKelSeliger

Are imperial governance and the related constitutional wreckage taking us down the dangerous path to a constitutional crisis in Texas? A unified independent electoral movement — beyond the two parties — is necessary to change the direction. These guys look tired, but not as tired as WE —  the people — are of them. Illustration: David Gothard, Wall Street Journal, Aug. 1, 2018 “ When first elected, the Capitol community had high hopes for Greg Abbott and the intellectual horsepower he brought to the game. Instead, they found a man willing to destroy the village – and not even in order to save it.” Harvey Kronberg, Quorum Report, July 29, 2021 What’s getting overlooked in the demolition derby between the two parties is fundamental. The wreckage of the institution of the people – the Texas Legislature. One party is stuck in D.C.; the other party is stuck in the mud and attacking the people who serve them — legislative staff. We mean not to minimize the differences, but think about this. The Governor’s veto of Article X of the state budget, unless there is a resolution soon, will withhold pay. We’re talking about several thousand Texans who simply work at the Capitol. Their job is to serve us, the citizens. What will the Texas Supreme Court do? Texans have known for a long time that justice is for sale in Texas. The imperial court reversed course after the titan Houston-based oil company Apache Corp. contributed $250,000 in political support to justices seeking re-election . (Correction to the article. It was Apache executives who donated. Corporate contributions in Texas are illegal.) We have two of the three branches of government tearing governance to shreds. The republic hangs in the balance of the third branch — the Texas Legislature. “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Ben Franklin #Apachecorporation #constitutionalcrisis #HarveyKronberg #QuorumReport