Thumbs: It’s Abbot vs. Mattress Mac
Gov. Greg Abbott proposed a cool $1 billion of taxpayer money for a new University of Houston endowment in his budget, but is that where his loyalties end? One Twitter user wrote, “Gee, how much does he hate Houston?” when the governor posted his March Madness college basketball bracket. His sin? Abbott had the audacity to predict UH will reach the Final Four but lose to Alabama in the final game. Of course, it’s not as if that $1 billion is Abbott’s own money. Jim “the mattress guy” McIngvale — who once backed legalizing sports betting in Texas only to withdraw his support because the drive to Louisiana limits his impulsiveness “by a factor of 1,000” — has bet $2.5 million of his own money on UH winning it all. After UH’s shaky start against Northern Kentucky, he’s got to be praying with the rest of us that stars Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead are in good health for Saturday’s game against Auburn. Abbott’s prayers, of course, will be spent elsewhere.
Just when we thought Fairfield
Lake State Park was destined to be bulldozed into acres of McMansions, fairways and putting greens, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced a stay of execution. The park, whose 50-year lease expired last month, will be temporarily reopening for day use just in time for the start of spring while the state works toward a solution to preserve it permanently. That’s welcome news for the thousands of people who frequent the park every year for hiking, biking, horseback riding and bass fishing. While the din from construction crews clearing trees and brush might put a damper on a peaceful rendezvous with nature, there are glimmers of hope that the state might actually exercise its eminent domain authority to keep the park from being completely pulverized and turned into a playground for wealthy homeowners. In the meantime, if you are a park lover make the trek up north on I-45 to visit Fairfield Lake while you still can.
Anybody disturbed by the legislation that passes through the Texas House these days should check out what passes for decorum in committee hearings. GOP megadonor Dr. Steve Hotze, testifying before lawmakers in favor of bills targeting transgender Texans, was allowed, repeatedly, to refer to trans people and those who support them as pedophiles, a term generally reserved for those who commit criminal child sex abuse. Hotze said he used the term because he considers such things as gender-affirming care “a perversion.” Of course, some would describe the notion of Hotze having a medical license the same way. The man has been doing active harm to the cause of LGBTQ Texans for decades but we venture to guess that in that committee room this week, he was the only one under criminal indictment. He stands accused of aggravated assault and unlawful restraint in connection with a botched voter fraud probe. He’ll have a right to defend himself in a court of law. The trans people he’s slandering scarcely have that right in a court of public opinion. It wasn’t until state Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, asked, politely, for Hotze to stop using the term, explaining that trans people are just “living as their true selves” that Hotze uttered a word that actually got him booted from the hearing: “Bull----,” he said. State Affairs Committee Chairman Bryan Hughes, a Republican, promptly interjected: “Dr. Hotze, we don’t use that kind of language. You’re excused.” Excused, indeed.
Boaters vs. bulldozers; ejected from Legislature; ‘Idol’ loves Cypress grad.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy is a contrarian, which is always fun. He’ll surprise us every now and then with bursts of integrity like the time he voted to certify the 2020 election results even as most of his Republican colleagues lined up dutifully behind Dear Leader Trump as he waxed deliriously about how the election had been stolen from him by phantom voter fraud. This week, as prominent Republicans lined up to criticize Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis for comments about Ukraine that were either clueless or cynical (or both), likening the country’s struggle for survival as a “territorial dispute,” Roy, of course, hastened to endorse DeSantis for president, apparently becoming the first member of Congress to do so. We suppose we should praise Roy for his bravery in endorsing a buffoon over a treasonous buffoon but we refuse to partake in the tyranny of low expectations that passes for leadership these days in the Republican Party.
Perhaps there was a time when Houston native Hannah Nicolaisen was more interested in making people feel her wrath on the volleyball court. But in a recent “American Idol” audition she poured everything into her soulful rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” And the judges did, advancing her to the next round of auditions in Hollywood. Apparently, quitting the Cypress Woods High School choir to focus more on sports didn’t kill her prospects for a music career — only delayed them. She told the Chronicle she grew up singing and learned to play guitar around age 12. “You’re definitely born to sing,” judge and country music star Luke Bryan told her after her performance. Fans should be able to watch her next audition in mid-April.