Reporting From Texas 🏈

With the University of Texas eyeing a Big 12 exit, @DanPatrick wants a special Senate panel to study the economic impact of such a departure on other schools. He asked @SenJaneNelson to chair the panel, which meets Aug. 2. #txlege https://t.co/ed9ckDQKIC

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) July 27, 2021

Who would this move affect?

If the schools were to leave the Big 12, it would drastically affect the remaining Texas schools that are part of the conference — Texas Christian University, Baylor and Texas Tech.

Background: https://t.co/BEEb1nwXrT

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) July 27, 2021

Remember February, when the entire state froze in the dark for the month? Nobody in the Legislature does. And yet:

Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, a Baylor University alumnus, said in a statement Friday that decisions related to conference realignments could “potentially have monumental impacts on the entire State of Texas.”

Priorities.  Voting rights, access to electricity; feh.  This is football we're talking about!

 In the meantime, among real people:

As of July 26, there are 2.6 million confirmed cases in 254 counties. The average number of cases reported over the past seven days shows how the situation has changed over time by de-emphasizing daily swings. The number of new cases reported drops on weekends, when labs are less likely to report new data to the state.

Since Abbott ruled that mask mandates can no longer be enforced in Texas, the number of new cases of covid are up to 1387, equal to the numbers when the mask mandate was lifted. 4626 cases of covid are being treated in Texas hospitals, which includes long-term cases that are part of the continuing problem of covid in Texas, but not necessarily part of the spike in late July.

Abbott still asserts his absolute authority to be the sole decider of mask policy in Texas; and he still refuses to respond to this latest crisis.

We all wait breathlessly for him to weigh in on the importance of football.