How Disney in China relates to free speech in Texas

A weekly newsletter on money, politics and life in Texas. [San Antonio Express-News - Header Logo]( [View in browser]( ONLY 99¢ FOR UNLIMITED DIGITAL ACCESS! Subscribe to Your Trusted Source for Local News. [Subscribe Today.]( [Afflicting the Comfortable]( [Don’t bother looking for the “One Angry Lisa” episode of “The Simpsons” on your Disney Plus account the next time you visit Hong Kong.]( The streaming service pulled the episode, first broadcast in October, because of a reference to China’s forced labor camps. Don’t look for the "Goo Goo Gai Pan" episode, either. Disney had to pull that show from the 2005 season because [the Simpsons visit Tiananmen Square and come across a plaque that reads: "On this site, in 1989, nothing happened."]( China’s Communist government is uncomfortable with jokes, conversations or any recognition of fundamental human rights. So they ban them. Texas’s authoritarians can relate. During the 2021 legislative session, [Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick passed a law that makes it illegal for public school teachers to discuss any matters around race that may cause a student to feel uncomfortable](. For example, a teacher might mention that for 150 years, Texas’ white majority systematically denied Black people the right to an education, a vote or a well-paying job. But if a white child in the classroom feels uncomfortable, perhaps because their grandfather oppressed people of color, the teacher could get fired. One teacher took the law to its absurd conclusion by [saying she would teach both sides of the Holocaust.]( This session, [Patrick wants to revoke tenure for public university professors]( so he can fire them for teaching facts that make him uncomfortable. [Critical race theory]( and LGBTQ rights are at the [top of his list](. This is a follow-up on his book-banning [campaign](. Patrick’s attack on freedom of thought comes as [he simultaneously promises to defend freedom of speech]( for those who agree with him. His strategy is what George Orwell would call [Newspeak, a language in his novel “1984” that’s "designed to diminish the range of thought."]( The scary thing is what comes after politicians pass their laws: enforcement. This week, China opened the largest trial yet of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, with [47 people accused of subversion.]( Making the powerful feel uncomfortable is becoming increasingly dangerous. OUT OF OFFICE: I'll be on vacation next week. The newsletter will return on Feb. 23. [Chris Tomlinson Headshot] Chris Tomlinson Business Columnist chris.tomlinson@express-news.net What Else I'm Writing [Story photo for Texas energy and French wine have same problem]( Photo: Jay Janner, Associated Press [Texas energy and French wine have same problem]( Texas energy companies and French winemakers had a bad 2021 due to extreme weather, 2023 may be a repeat. [Story photo for Exxon Mobil CEO’s doublespeak reveals climate quandary]( Photo: Christopher Pike, Bloomberg [Exxon Mobil CEO’s doublespeak reveals climate quandary]( Exxon Mobil's CEO promises to lead the energy transition while investing more in fossil fuels, a contradiction hard to resolve. What I'm Reading Must Read: [Coal and natural gas give way as renewable power generation grows in Texas]( Our state will soon exceed California in solar energy generation. (Houston Chronicle) Should Read: [Some pharmacies in Mexico passing off fentanyl, meth as legitimate pharmaceuticals]( My friend Keri Blakinger exposes a new danger south of the border. (Los Angeles Times) Interesting Read: [The Alamo’s New Battle Plan]( Do you want $500 million of taxpayer money spent restoring what has historically been a monument to white supremacy? (Texas Monthly) Technical Read: [The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse: Evidence From The Decline of Vultures in India]( Eradicating vultures in some areas raised human death rates by 4 percent. (University of Chicago Becker-Freidman Institute) Fun Read: Larry McMurtry auction includes signed books, desk, typewriter, a Colt .45, even bottle of Dr Pepper ([San Antonio Express-News]() ([Houston Chronicle]() Question of the Week Do you have a favorite “Simpsons” episode or quote? Reply directly to this email and tell me your thoughts. Mailbag Last Week’s Question: What bill would you introduce to the Texas Legislature? “Heavy regulation of charter schools to stop unethical practices. School choice is the only way to better schools. Public schools are like Amtrak and the U.S. Post office. No competition allows crappy operations. Also, major ethics reform. The appearance of impropriety should be enough to lose one’s job (see Craddick & Christian – ‘Roaches running around in broad daylight with no fear…’)” –Willis “Gary” Dunkum, Marlin “I would submit a bill to reform solitary confinement in Texas prisons. Some 500 inmates have been in solitary for ten years. This drives inmates crazy. We need a more humane system.” –Jimmy Dunne, Houston “If the governor and lieutenant governor wish to show sensible consideration for the Texas population, they should promote a bill that designates funds from our bountiful budget surplus to retire the debt incurred during Storm Uri by the utilities. This should NOT be couched as a bailout, but recognition it is not fair to the common citizens to be paying, through their monthly bills, for 20 plus years, the FAILINGS OF THE STATE’s OVERSIGHT.” –Jack Valerius Jr., Bryan The Takeaway A DWI may slow changes at ERCOT and the PUC. State Sen. Charles Schwertner, the Republican chair of the [Business and Commerce Committee](, has led the fight against the Public Utility Commission’s plan to overhaul the wholesale electricity market. At the committee’s December meeting, [Schwertner raked PUC Chair Peter Lake over a coal-fired power plant](. Austin Police say they found Schwertner swerving his Cadillac through traffic at 1 a.m. Tuesday, about eight hours before the committee’s further examination of proposals to transform the Electric Reliability Council of Texas electric grid. The senator was in jail for allegedly driving while intoxicated when vice chair Sen. Phil King, R-Weathorford, gaveled the hearing to order. [Schwertner has been in trouble before](, and sources tell me his relationship with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was already on the ropes. I’m betting he loses the chairmanship. The question for Texas consumers is whether the remaining senators will fight for them or allow [Lake to push through a plan to benefit old coal and natural gas plants](. About $5.7 billion a year of our money is at stake. 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](. Express Briefing All the news you need to start your day in San Antonio [SIGN UP](             [San Antonio Express-News]   ONLY 99¢ FOR UNLIMITED DIGITAL ACCESS! Your Trusted Source for Local News [Act Now]( No Commitment | Cancel Anytime [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [TikTok]( [Unsubscribe](list_name=SAEN_TomlinsonsTake&list_display_name=Tomlinson%27s%20Take&b=sa_saen) | [Manage Preferences]( | [Privacy Notice]( [San Antonio Express-News - Footer Logo] San Antonio Express-News PO Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297 © 2023 Hearst Communications