So Texas Looked At The Hospital Crisis In Louisiana And Said:

.@GregAbbott_TX announces a 2nd special session. Here's what's on his agenda for education:

-Masking is not mandatory and vaccines are voluntary.

-In-person learning must be available.

-Ensuring students receive a high-quality education.

Nothing about virtual learning. https://t.co/L7Ju7QkrcW

— Brian Lopez (@brianlopeztx) August 5, 2021

 "Hold mah beer."

In Texas, where hospitals are struggling with historically low staffing levels while hospitalizations from the COVID-19 delta variant are skyrocketing, nurses like Price are a hot commodity.

There are 23,000 more unfilled jobs in Texas for registered nurses than there are nurses seeking to fill them, according to a labor analysis by the Texas Workforce Commission.

“There's no pipeline of staff that we see ready to just hop in and start helping,” said Carrie Kroll, vice president of advocacy, quality and public health at the Texas Hospital Association.

Burnout is causing nurses of all specialties to leave the profession in droves — or to accept better paying nursing jobs in an increasingly competitive market, nurses and hospital officials say.

Louisiana is reporting a shortage of 6000 nurses.  Tell me how this ends well for anybody. 

As you can see from the tweet above, Abbott is VERY concerned about this situation.

Also on the list - "enhancing criminal laws" to support the flood of law enforcement at the border.

In the last two weeks, Abbott's orders have led to 150+ migrants arrested after crossing on trespassing charges. https://t.co/2FwFcSfeOX #txlege #immigration https://t.co/mvrQf3B9J6

— Jolie McCullough (@jsmccullou) August 5, 2021

In a preview of the redistricting year ahead (remember redistricting?), @GregAbbott_TX includes modifying the 2022 primary election schedule on the special session agenda.

A related House bill never moved in committee during the regular session #txlege

— Alexa Ura (@alexazura) August 5, 2021

Gov. Abbott has announced the next Texas special session will start Aug. 7. Gender-affirming care for transgender children is not on the agenda, while anti-trans sports bans are and have been for both sessions. #TXlege https://t.co/VSmluvCrgs

— Izz Scott LaMagdeleine (@IzzLaMagdeleine) August 5, 2021

.@rossramsey: “It’s hard to ensure students’ safety in classrooms during a pandemic surge. And Gov. Greg Abbott has said schools can’t require masks or mandate vaccinations or other responses to the coronavirus.” #TXed https://t.co/M8ge8dY3bc

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) August 5, 2021

Parents of students (who, being minors, are helpless in assuring their own protection from disease) are very concerned about the upcoming school year. Greg Abbott doesn't give a shit about them. He's got a GOP base to appease.  Meanwhile, outside the classroom:

The situation threatens to lower both access to and quality of health care — and that’s a problem for everyone in the industry, health care officials say. No matter how many beds a hospital may have, it can use only the ones that have staff to cover them.

....

It all comes at a time when Texas is recording nearly five times as many hospitalizations from COVID-19 than it was a month ago — with an increase of nearly 50% just in the past week — as the highly contagious delta variant sends more unvaccinated Texans to the hospital every day. New cases are up 92% since last week, and deaths are up 15% in the same time frame, state health officials said Wednesday.

Texas politicians were showered with money by energy interests after they did bugger all for the Great Freeze of 2021, in which people died and almost the entire state was without power and water for days.  I'm wondering who they think is going to repay them for killing us off with covid?  No, I'm serious; cui bono here?