The Tortoise and the Hare: TxLege Update Week 4

Will the Texas Senate's Sprint Out of the Gate Result in a Win for Conservatives?

Everyone knows the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. After the Hare makes fun of the tortoise for being so slow, the tortoise challenges him to a race. The hare speeds out of the gate leaving the tortoise far behind, but becomes overconfident and cocky and takes a nap to show the tortoise how futile his efforts are. The tortoise’s plodding persistence pays off, however, as he passes the sleeping hare and wins the contest.

I got to thinking about this this week as I witnessed how differently the Texas Senate and Texas House have started the Texas Legislature’s 89th Regular Session.

The Texas Senate came fast out of the gate, appointing committees and hearing bills—especially once Gov. Greg Abbott declared some emergency issues. The House has basically done nothing, not even appointing committees until yesterday, the 31st day of the 140-day legislative session.

Lest you think I’m strictly comparing the Senate and House to the Hare and the Tortoise and predicting the House wins in the end, that is not the case. But I do think we must be cautious in in how we discern the value of events taking place at the capitol.

Proverbs 21:5 can help us with this:

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

For instance, the first “hasty” thing the Texas House did on its very first day was to put a Democrat-controlled member in charge of the Texas House. The fruit of that hasty decision became apparent a few days later when the House gave Democrats more power than they have had since 2003 when they lost the majority in the Texas House.

Over in the Senate, they have made several hasty decisions. SB 4, for instance, the property tax relief bill, was passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee and the Senate with very little discussion. SB 2, the school choice bill, garnered a bit more debate was still rushed through in primarily the same form in which it was originally filed. While I realize we can deliberate issues to death, on both of these bills there was a sense of haste in passing them that suggested discussion over their merits was not welcome.

Where all this ends is unknown. I do not expect great things out of either the Senate or the House this session, though the Senate is for the most part better. The big problem with both is they want to spend every single dollar of our money they can get their hands on. But for liberty-minded Texans we know we will need endurence to see this race to its end:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1–2)

For most of us, the race will extend beyond June 2. And for all of us it involves more than school choice and property tax relief. “For (we) have need of endurance, so that when (we) have done the will of God (we) may receive what is promised.

The promises of God are many, but here are a few:

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. (Genesis 13:16)

I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:2-3)

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:3)

We can all be grateful that God’s steadfast love endures forever and all His promises come true, even when the promises of politicians do not.