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Exclusive takes on money, politics and life in Texas, delivered every Thursday We're excited to introduce Express-News readers to Tomlinson's Take, a newsletter from columnist Chris Tomlinson about money, politics and life in Texas. This is a one-time sample of the newsletter. [Sign up here]( for the weekly newsletter. [Welcome to Tomlinson's Take]( The Texas Legislature is like a roller coaster. It starts slow and accelerates toward the end until everyone is exhausted and ready to climb off. A few riders often find something has fallen from their pockets. During the first few weeks of a session, lawmakers constitutionally cannot do much. They can file bills and beg their colleagues to coauthor or sponsor them. But unless the governor has named [a bill as an emergency item, it has to pass through a lengthy process]( before a committee can hold a hearing to consider it. Most of [the 7,000 bills submitted will never get a hearing](. Only a few will make it out of committee, and even fewer will make it to a floor vote in either the House or the Senate. Committee chairs have enormous leeway in deciding what is heard. Then the House Calendars Committee and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick decide whether they get a vote. [Only 1,000 will become law](, and most of those are technical, inconsequential or noncontroversial. Because chairpeople hold so much power, hyperpartisan Republicans hate that House Speaker Dade Phelan appoints Democrats to lead some committees. Phelan will send some of the extremists’ favorite bills to a Democratic chair so they die without a trace. In the Senate, Patrick only appointed one Democrat to chair a committee, and that’s Houston’s Sen. John Whitmire. As the Senate’s most tenured member, he doesn’t burn bridges. Democrats know their bills have about the same chance as a snowball on Alamo Plaza in August. Yet they file them anyway. So many good ideas will die because a committee chair doesn’t want to vote on them. A few examples of bills that should become law, but probably won’t: [HB846 by Rep. Ron Reynolds of Missouri City]( establishing a Climate Change Impact Assessment Council. [HB1126 by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio]( setting the state's minimum wage at $15 an hour. [HB1681 by Rep. Ane Hernandez of Houston]( would fund energy efficiency and conservation programs in schools. [HB1780 by Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin]( would establish training programs to help disadvantaged Texans get clean energy jobs. [SB503 by Sen. Boris Miles of Houston]( would require concrete plants to get permits before setting up in unincorporated parts of densely-populated counties. Want to learn more about the mysterious machinations under the Pink Dome? Check out "[Texas Lege [Simplified]](," a four-day course that walks you through how the Legislature works and how you can be involved. In four emails, our Austin bureau reporters will explain how bills become law, the rules for lobbyists and how to speak at a committee hearing. Yes, YOU can speak at a committee hearing, or submit written comments. Learn how you can do your part, in case one of these thoughtful bills gets a public hearing. [Chris Tomlinson Headshot] Chris Tomlinson Business Columnist chris.tomlinson@express-news.net What Else I'm Writing [Story photo for GOP would slash Medicare and Medicaid]( Photo: KENNY HOLSTON, NYT [GOP would slash Medicare and Medicaid]( U.S. taxpayers spend more on health care than citizens of any other wealthy country but with worst outcomes, according to the non-partisan Commonwealth Fund. Our profit-seeking medical establish rations care through high prices. Efforts to slash government spending are poised to put quality care further out of reach. [Story photo for Fracking makes this clean energy affordable]( Photo: Egill Bjarnason, Associated Press [Fracking makes this clean energy affordable]( A new study shows oil and gas innovations for fracking can bring down the cost of clean, renewable geothermal energy. What I'm Reading Must Read: [EPA investigates complaints that Texas Commission on Environmental Quality fails to do its job]( Can a toy poodle become an effective watchdog? (Houston Chronicle) Should Read: [‘School choice’ developed as a way to protect segregation and abolish public schools]( If public money goes to private schools, it’s white flight all over again. (Washington Post) Interesting Read: [Spin Class: Why Tumbleweeds Are On a Roll in West Texas]( The iconic symbol of the West is actually a Russian invader. (Texas Highways) Technical Read: [A global rainforest deal is more complicated than you think]( Can Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo use rainforests to create a carbon credit cartel? (Hinrich Foundation) Fun Read: ['I had to kill him': 107 years ago Pearl Brewery owner was shot dead by one of his mistresses]( Otto Koehler was married and dating two women — all of whom were named Emma. So many twists to this story! (San Antonio Express-News) Question of the Week What bill would you introduce to the Texas Legislature? Reply directly to this email and tell me your thoughts. Mailbag Last Week’s Question: If the classified documents never leaked, how should the people who mishandled them be punished? “Depending on the classification of these documents that were not leaked, I would say that a written reprimand would suffice and move on from there.” –Clark Walker, Victoria “As a retired officer who spent 5 years in MI, I agree with your article on classified documents. Over classification is certainly a problem. I also think it’s important for people to understand that high level officials often require this access while traveling or other times and locations where they might not have access to SCIFs. From what I’ve seen so far it seems that the Biden and Pence situations were probably caused by mistakes.” –Michael Feighny, LTC USA (Ret), Kailua, Hawaii “I was a USMC communications officer. I reviewed outgoing messages and their classification. Every time I respectfully, grovelingly reminded some colonel that his message did not merit the classification, he automatically chewed my butt to the bone and then wanted more. It’s a disease that transcends pandemic. And I fear the thugs will tar Biden with the issue.” –Ted Whatley, Austin The Takeaway A federal court has announced last call on Texas Two-Stepping in bankruptcy court. This week, the [Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied drugmaker Johnson & Johnson’s bid to escape paying damages in 400,000 lawsuits]( using a bankruptcy procedure unique to Texas. [Known as the Texas Two Step](, our state allows a big company that is liable for billions of dollars in damages to spin off a smaller company and saddle it with the lawsuit’s liabilities. The old company is protected from paying the claims, the new company declares bankruptcy, and the winners of the lawsuit go home with nothing. Johnson & Johnson hoped to use this strategy to [escape paying tens of billions in claims from personal injury lawsuits connected to talcum powder](. But in doing so, they brought attention to this anti-consumer Texas law that heretofore had escaped scrutiny. Judge Thomas Ambro, the appellate court’s bankruptcy expert, [rightfully called shenanigans on J&J.]( Let’s hope his decision ends this despicable practice forever.             [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_New_Features_Updates&list_display_name=New%20Features%20%26%20Updates%20from%20the%20San%20Antonio%20Express-News&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