The Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll

for the week of 12 June 2015

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015

Looking ahead to next spring, what’s the number of contested Republican legislative primaries?

• "'Contested' means they'll have an • "School choice is top issue." opponent; not that the opponents will be serious challengers, right?" • "About the same as last cycle."

• "When faced with a certain challenge, • "Of course, there are degrees of several have already resigned." 'contested'. My response is based on the literal meaning." • "Can you say Phoenix foundation?"

• "And perhaps another Speaker challenger"

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015 And what’s the number of contested Democratic legislative primaries?

• "Sadly, they rarely challenge one • "Presidential year" another." Gold star time: who makes the best list for session?

• "Sylvester Turner, , TMF, • "Dennis Bonnen" Joe Straus" • "Geren" • "Byron Cook" • "Sen. Eltife, Sen. Whitmire, Sen. • "Dutton" Huffman, Rep. Dennis Bonnen, Rep. Darby, Rep. Sarah Davis, Rep. Keffer, • "Speaker, Eltife..." Rep. Phil King, Rep. Morrison, Rep. Simmons" • "Biggest positive impact for the state: Jane Nelson, Kevin Eltife, Joe Straus and • "Straus" Dennis Bonnen" • "Otto, Bonnen, Hunter, Huberty, • "Joe Straus, Jimmie Don Aycock, Nelson, Jimmie Don, West, Hinojosa" Senfronia Thompson, " • "Sylvester Turner" • "Stickland - His agenda is to advance Stickland and at this he is masterful." • "Sen. Larry Taylor, Sen. Kevin Eltife, Rep. John Otto, Rep. , Rep. • "Dennis Bonnen" Senfronia Thompson"

• "Aycock; D. Bonnen; Howard; Keffer; • "Patrick, Straus, Otto, S. Turner, Martinez Fischer; Straus; Villalba; Hinojosa, C. Turner, Geren, D. Bonnen, Zerwas; Fraser; Nelson; Watson; West; S. Thompson, Nichols" Whitmire; Zaffirini" • "Straus, Bonnen, Otto, Cook, Price, • "House: Dennis Bonnen, John Otto, Sly Ashby: House; Patrick, Nelson, Eltife: Turner; Senate: Jane Nelson, Charles Senate" Schwertner, (despite losing her leadership positions, she still • "John Otto - Double Star, , passed more bills than anyone else)" Dennis Bonnen"

• "Kevin Eltife, Joe Straus, and Jane • "Dennis Bonnen, , Nelson" Matt Rinaldi, Kevin Eltife, Charles Schwertner, Jane Nelson" • "Huffman Seliger Kolkhorst" • "Bonnen (he led the House)." • ", Aycock"

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015 • "Straus, Anchia, Otto, Aycock, Price in Nelson, Hinojosa, Eltife, Rodriguez, L. the House. Nelson (although I don't Taylor" know why!), Watson, Seliger, Fraser (swan song), Hancock (because I need a • "Jonathan Stickland, Van Taylor, Matt 5th member of the Senate)." Rinaldi, , and Scott Turner" • "Jonathan Stickland" • "Jane Nelson" • "Eltife, Straus, Pickett, Moody, Watson" • "No list from me because, unlike past sessions, there are very, very few who • "Patrick, Abbott" would get an A. So, having a top ten with Bs at best isn't worth constructing. • "Straus, D. Bonnen, Anchia" Maybe Otto and Nelson."

• "Joe Pickett, Senfronia Thompson, • "Senator Jane Nelson, Rep. Jimmie , Drew Darby, Jane Nelson, Don Aycock, Rep. Dennis Bonnen, Sen. Robert Nichols, Harold Dutton, Larry Kolkhorst, Rep. Zerwas, Sen. Larry Gonzales, " Taylor, Speaker Straus, Rep. Canales, Rep. Otto, Rep. Darby" • "Nelson, Eltife, Nichols, Campbell, Bettencourt, D. Bonnen, S. Turner, Price, • "Joe Straus , , Greg Aycock" Abbott , Kevin Eltife, Byron Cook, Kirk Watson" • "Paul Bettencourt, at least freshman of the year. An intelligent conservative." • "Eltife, Whitmire, Garcia, Watson, Seliger Otto, Aycock, Price, Ashby, • "The ones who are retiring because Geren" they don't want to be a part of the wheels coming off of good • "Charlie Geren" government." • "Cook, Darby, Keffer, Lucio III, Larson, • "Eltife" Otto, Pickett, Straus, Nelson, Nichols, Perry, Schwertner, Watson, Whitmire" • "DeWayne Burns, Four Price" • "Pickett, Bonnen, Straus, Sylvester • "Sylvester Turner, Charlie Geren, John Turner, Otto" Zerwas, Kevin Eltife, Chuy Hinojosa, Four Price, Susan King, Jane Nelson, • "Nelson. Eltife. Otto. Ashby" Drew Darby, Speaker Straus" • "Straus, Hunter, Raney, Simpson, • "Dennis Bonnen, John Otto, Dan Whitmire" Patrick" • "Jane Nelson" • "Otto, Darby, Bonnen, Geren, Thompson, Hunter, Price, Ashby, Keffer

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015 • "Dan Patrick; Best Freshman Senate - • "Bonnen, Patrick, Nelson, Eltife, Otto, Paul Bettencourt; Best Freshman House Gonzales, Straus, Hunter" - Mike Schofield" • "Dan Patrick, Van Taylor, Charles • "Chairman Aycock" Perry"

• "Thompson, S." • "Pass. It's always been a silly exercise when TM does it and it's silly here." • "Nelson, Otto" • "Joe Straus, John Otto, John Zerwas, • "Nelson, Otto, Zerwas, Hinojosa, Eltife, Sylvester Turner" Patrick, Straus, Simmons, Zerwas, Darby" • "No one"

• "Jimmie Don Aycock" • "Four Price"

• "Eltife, Otto, Pickett, White, Seliger, • "Whitmire" Nichols, Darby, Smithee, Zerwas, Turner, E. Johnson, and Larson"

• "Eltife, Otto, Sarah Davis, J.D. Sheffield"

And who makes the worst list?

• "Donna Campbell, Jonathan Stickland, • "Bell; E. Johnson; Klick; Leach; Riddle; Matt Schafer" Rinaldi; Stickland; E.S. Turner; Zedler; Estes; Huffines; Huffman; V. Taylor" • "Hall, Huffines, Molly White, Burton" • "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say • "Huffines" Jonathan Stickland."

• "Stickland, and some other guys but I • "Konni Burton, Donna Campbell, Bob didn't learn their names." Hall, , Jonathan Stickland (pretty much anyone from the 'out of • "Biggest negative impact on the state: touch with reality' caucus)." Dan Patrick (earnest, straight-face proposal to change the accounting rules • "Estes, Larson, Deshotel" to Enron style bookkeeping)" • "Schwertner" • "Don Huffines, Jonathan Stickland, Matt Rinaldi, Molly White" • "Stickland"

• "Huffines" • "Kolkhorst"

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015 • "Sen. Hall, Sen. Huffines, Rep. Bell, chair of the committee is to work with Rep. , Rep. Phillips, Rep. and at a minimum listen to all involved Raymond, Rep. Sanford, Rep. Schofield, in the healthcare process. Wait, I would Rep. Spitzer, Rep. Tinderholt" give him LOSER OF THE SESSION AWARD! Sack him as chair!" • "Huffines. Lucio (Sen.)" • "Campbell" • "Huffines, Schwertner, Y. Davis, TMF, Stickland, Hall, Schaefer, Watson" • "Jonathan Stickland, Trey Martinez Fisher, Poncho Nevárez, Dennis • "Seriously, Stickland!" Bonnen, , Dawnna Dukes, Garnet Coleman" • "Sen. Don Huffines, Rep Bill Zedler" • "Huffines Stickland, M. White" • "Campbell, Schwertner, Burrows, Canales, Hughes, Rinaldi, Schaefer, • "Dennis Bonnen, for thinking a Happy Simpson, Stickland, Tinderholt" Meal-size tax reduction was a good idea. What happened to sales tax • "Stickland, S. Turner, Molly White, reform broadened and really lowered. Campbell, Huffines, Hall, Lucio" Also, anyone who runs as a conservative in the primary and grows • "Stickland, Huffines (Congress called), squishy in Austin after winning." Kolkhorst" • "Too many to make the list" • "Stickland, Zedler" • "Larry Phillips" • "Stickland, Rinaldi, Hall and Huffines." • "Molly White" • "Stickland, Rinaldi, Schaefer, Molly White, Tinderholt - in the House; • "Charles Schwertner, Donna Huffines, Hall, Huffman, Campbell, Campbell, Don Huffines, Bob Hall, Lois Lucio" Kolkhorst, Charles Perry, John Otto, Jonathan Stickland, Matt Rinaldi, Lt. • "Stickland" Gov. Patrick"

• "Debbie Riddle" • "Stickland, Huffines, White, Burton, TMF, Canales" • "Patrick, Huffines, Stickland, Bonnen, Van Taylor, Schaefer" • "Schwertner, Stickland, M. White, Uresti" • "Stickland: come on, dude, really, figure things out already; Schwertner • "Joe Straus, Byron Cook, Charlie (and staff): weenie of the session award Geren, Dennis Bonnen, Joan Huffman, for ignoring hospitals and in many and Sarah Davis" cases refusing to even meet with them. Hey message to Chuckie, your job as the • "Stickland"

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015 • "So much mediocrity, so much • "Stickland, Schaefer, Tinderholt, mediocrity. Where does one start? The Burton, Huffines, Kolkhorst, Hall, silliest? The stupidest? The most Hughes, Rinaldi, Spitzer" craven? The 'respectable' ones who hurt the state the most? I'll take a pass." • ""

• "Senator Seliger, Senator Fraser, Rep • "The usual suspects, Fraser, Huffines, Smithee, Rep Stickland, Rep. Molly Kolkhorst (the Queen), Schwertner (the White, Rep. Frullo, Rep. Tinderholt, Sen. King), Burton, and Bettencourt, D. Konni Burton, Sen. Huffines, Rep. Scott Bonnen, Crownover (who admitted she Turner" didn’t know anything about Health and worked very hard to prove it), Fletcher, • "Lucio, Campbell, Huffines, Stickland, Krause, Leach, Molly White, Bettencourt, Hall, Stickland, Rinaldi, Springer, Gutierrez, Herrero." Tinderholt, Dutton, Turner" • "Burton, Huffines, Spitzer, Tinderholt, • "Mike Schofield" Krause"

• "Huffines , Taylor, Huffman, Campbell" • "Stickland, Huffines, Molly White, Burton" • "Stickland, Rinaldi, Schaefer, Sanford, Hall, Burton, Huffines, Huffman" • "Molly White, Jonathan Stickland, Byron Cook, Democrat Awards for • "Lois, the clear winner for being Wasting Time: TMF, Kirk Watson" against UT and A&M." • "See #3, supra." • "Larry Taylor, Huffines, Hall" • "Mike Schofield, Jonathan Stickland, • "Don Huffines" Mary Gonzalez"

• "Dennis Bonnen, Worst Freshman • "Mike Hailey" Senate - Burton/Huffines/Hall" • "Charles Schwertner, Don Huffines, • "Stickland" Rinaldi"

• "Stickland, J." • "Stickland"

• "Huffines, Taylor"

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015 Our thanks to this week's participants: Gene Acuna, Cathie Adams, Brandon Aghamalian, George Allen, Jay Arnold, Charles Bailey, Andrew Biar, Allen Blakemore, Tom Blanton, Chris Britton, Raif Calvert, Snapper Carr, Elna Christopher, Harold Cook, Kevin Cooper, Randy Cubriel, Curtis Culwell, Denise Davis, June Deadrick, Nora Del Bosque, Glenn Deshields, Tom Duffy, Jack Erskine, John Esparza, Jon Fisher, Tom Forbes, Bruce Gibson, Stephanie Gibson, Eric Glenn, Kinnan Golemon, John Greytok, Wayne Hamilton, Bill Hammond, Ken Hodges, Kathy Hutto, Deborah Ingersoll, Mark Jones, Robert Kepple, Richard Khouri, Tom Kleinworth, Sandy Kress, Nick Lampson, Pete Laney, James LeBas, Luke Legate, Vilma Luna, Matt Mackowiak, Steve Minick, Mike Moses, Gardner Pate, Robert Peeler, Tom Phillips, Allen Place, Gary Polland, Jay Pritchard, Jay Propes, Tim Reeves, Patrick Reinhart, David Reynolds, A.J. Rodriguez, Jeff Rotkoff, Grant Ruckel, Jason Sabo, Jim Sartwelle, Barbara Schlief, Stan Schlueter, Bruce Scott, Robert Scott, Jason Skaggs, Ed Small, Martha Smiley, Larry Soward, Leonard Spearman, Dennis Speight, Colin Strother, Sherry Sylvester, Sara Tays, Jay Thompson, Trey Trainor, Vicki Truitt, David White, Darren Whitehurst, Seth Winick, Angelo Zottarelli.

INSIDE INTELLIGENCE: The Texas Weekly/Texas Tribune insider poll for 12 June 2015