The rule of law and the abortion pill, plus freneticism under the pink dome

It gets crazier from here.  ͏  ͏  ͏ [San Antonio Express-News - Header Logo]( [View in browser]( SPRING SALE: Only 25¢ For a limited time, save on unlimited digital access. [Subscribe Today.]( [Private enterprise and the rule of law]( Few people are angrier about a Trump-appointed judge’s ruling on an abortion pill than [pharmaceutical executives and investors](. More than 200 bio-pharmaceutical groups, led by Pfizer, slammed the decision in an open letter, decrying Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s order to stop selling the abortion drug nationwide. Big pharma is not fired up over reproductive rights. Instead, they are worried about the sanctity of the rule of law. Judges are supposed to respect precedent, not unilaterally try to change the world to [comport with their religious views](. Every company and investor relies on the rule of law, where regulations are consistently applied, and most disputes are predictably resolved. Why else would you place your wealth at risk by starting a business if you couldn’t rely on a rulebook? The United States and Western countries can thank [the rule of law for their economic success.]( [Most countries don’t have it](. Individuals and businesses in less reliable nations have transferred trillions of dollars to developed countries because they don’t need to bribe anyone to keep their money or worry about who wins the next election. Political and social scientists say the rule of law is a crucial predictor of a nation's descent into civil unrest. I’ve seen nations unravel after demagogic politicians eroded the judiciary’s independence. It's why so many people worry about Poland, Hungary and Israel, where popular and unprincipled politicians erode the judiciary’s power and replace judges with cronies. If Kacsmaryk’s order to reverse the FDA’s 20-year-old approval of mifepristone were a single case, I wouldn’t worry. But it comes after justices on the Supreme Court broke their promise to respect Roe v. Wade and overturned that precedent. Then last week, [Gov. Greg Abbott announced he will nullify a jury’s guilty verdict]( in a murder trial for political reasons. Texans haven’t seen anything like this since the dark days of lynching. Respect for the rule of law undergirds our justice system, economic growth, the spirit of innovation, and a sense of personal safety. We must resist every effort to erode it. NEXT WEEK: Join me and Mustafa Tameez for a Houston Public Library-sponsored conversation titled “Is Demography Destiny?” on Thursday, April 20, at 6 p.m. [More details and registration here](. [Chris Tomlinson Headshot] Chris Tomlinson Business Columnist What Else I'm Writing [Story photo for New tax breaks for corporations bad news for Texas]( Photo: Bob Daemmrich, Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto [New tax breaks for corporations bad news for Texas]( The Texas Legislature's proposed new tax breaks for corporations will not help average Texans. [Story photo for Will EVs crash the Texas grid? It’s not complicated]( Photo: Raquel Natalicchio, Staff Photographer [Will EVs crash the Texas grid? It’s not complicated]( Electric companies have big plans for the grid as consumers buy more EVs. What I'm Reading Must Read: [Why Gov. Abbott's push to pardon U.S. Army sergeant who killed Austin protester is so extraordinary]( Are dissidents fair game in Texas? (Houston Chronicle) Should Read: [Biden tightens emissions standards, forcing a hard shift to electric vehicles]( (Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express-News) Interesting Read: [They left social media for good. Are they happier?]( Sixty-four percent of U.S. adults say social media negatively impacts life in this country, but 72 percent maintain at least one account. (Washington Post) Technical Read: [Empowering Female Entrepreneurs through Female Mentors]( Girl power is real. (University of Chicago Becker-Friedman Institute) Fun Read: [Home cooking and cannibals: 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' house to become restaurant]( Ketchup looks like blood on film and tastes great on fries. (San Antonio Express-News) Question of the Week Should federal judges still receive lifetime appointments or have a fixed term? Reply directly to this email and tell me your thoughts. Mailbag Last Week’s Question: Should we care if politicians cheat on their spouses? “I believe so, just like we should care if they have been indicted for a crime.” –Rosalind Wilkins Haith, Houston “We should care when, while cheating on their spouses, politicians cheat on their taxes and also violate election laws. If not for the illicit hush money, Donald Trump might not have carried the Electoral College in 2016. His actions undermined our democratic system of electing leaders. John Edwards clearly paid hush money in order not to cause pain to his wife; we know that because he continued the payments even after the election that he lost.” –Steven G. Kellman, Shavano Park “In short, no. We can’t expect such a significant percentage of people to be infallible. They’re human. I can relate. But when the behavior is normalized and starts violating laws, it becomes notable. Only then should it become a matter of record. Current situation shows that to be the case. I agree with your piece above that the New York matter be pleaded out.” –Dan Podkulski, Houston “If a candidate is an uncurable philanderer, this indicates that they also have a very controlling personality; this is a bad sign. Similarly, if the candidate uses their position of power to coerce sex, this is a criminal form of cheating and should not be tolerated. On the other hand, if a candidate has an affair that is not based on power or control, that is the candidate's private business. The problem being, that if the cheating is swept under the rug, no one can tell whether the cheating involved power and control, or not.” –James Babb, Friendswood The Takeaway The pace at the Texas Legislature only picks up from here as [critical deadlines approach](, and anything can happen. Bills that attracted our attention early in the session will quietly die under the label “Left Pending in Committee.” Measures that lawmakers voted out will get lost in the [Calendars Committee]( in the House or end up squashed under [Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s desk in the Senate](. Bills, though, are never really dead until the Legislature adjourns [“sine die,” Latin for “no date set for resumption.](” Frustrated lawmakers will try to get their pet projects tacked onto must-pass bills. They can do it secretly in conference committees, where representatives and senators hammer out differences in their versions of critical bills. Or, they can offer their bills as floor amendments and ride the coattails of more popular soon-to-become laws. While there are parliamentary rules and questions of germaneness, never underestimate a determined politician. Nasty things happen in the middle of the night or when no one is looking. Lege watchers know it ain’t over until it’s over, and even then, there’s always the possibility of a special session. Share With Your Friends Do you know someone who would like Tomlinson's Take? For the Houston edition, [send them here to sign up](; for the San Antonio edition, [send them here](. 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