Texas Governor Greg Abbott stubbornly went on a veto spree right at the end of Texas’s biennial legislative session. Texans are left baffled by the lack of reasoning behind these vetoes, as some of the bills were incredibly popular with both Republicans and Democrats alike. One bill sponsored by one of the most conservative Texas legislators, Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), would have authorized studying the conversion of coal-fired energy plants into cleaner nuclear plants. SB 1404 passed the senate unanimously 31-0 and passed the house nearly unanimously, yet was summarily vetoed by Abbott.
Meanwhile, Abbott has refused to endorse Donald Trump for president despite using Trump’s endorsement of him to overcome a primary challenge to his reelection last year by two conservatives, former U.S. Rep. Allen West and state Sen. Don Huffines. Trump’s endorsement and a hoard of cash from wealthy donors enabled Abbott to survive his primary.
More than two-thirds of the oil and gas donations went to Abbott rather than all the other Texas Republican statewide candidates combined. There are no campaign contribution limits in Texas, so Abbott panders to multi-million-dollar donors from whom he has raised far more money than any other Texan in history. Despite being reelected by Trump’s endorsement last year, Abbott’s refusal to endorse him now has the effect of limiting donations by these Texas mega-donors to Trump’s campaign and Trump-supporting PACs. A few anti-Trump billionaires and their egotistical mindset are making it easier for Joe Biden to win reelection next year.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Texas Senate, prominently endorsed Trump earlier this year. That endorsement may not have sat well with the Never-Trump Republicans, including Abbott, and some view his veto rampage as a retaliation against Patrick. Regardless of the motivation behind these vetoes, the fact remains that Greg Abbott is squarely in the pocket of corporate interests. He does not fight for the people of Texas, and what all Americans crave now more than ever is a fighter who will champion their interests against all odds. If Greg Abbott is unwilling to be that champion and grassroots activists recognize, they will find a new leader who won’t cave to the pressure.
