January 12, 2016
Robert T. Garrett


Republican challengers have sent GOP primary voters mailers that suggest Speaker Joe Straus, left, and Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth haven’t done enough to stop unauthorized immigrants from entering Texas. The two House leaders say they helped to increase state spending on border security and a bill backed by law enforcement that strengthens policing of the Texas-Mexico border. (2015 photo of Straus by staff photographer Ashley Landis)

AUSTIN — Republican challengers have sent GOP primary voters mailers that suggest Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio and Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth haven’t done enough to stop unauthorized immigrants from entering Texas.

First-time candidate Sheila Bean of San Antonio, one of Straus’ two opponents in the March 1 election, and Fort Worth businessman Bo French, who is trying to unseat Geren, sent hit pieces with the same headline, “My Priorities to Push Back Against Illegal Immigration” and three similarly worded arguments.

Bean and French imply that the incumbents have been complicit — or at least too passive — as fellow Republicans blocked “sanctuary cities” measures that would let police officers ask anyone they stop about their residency status.

They give Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick all the credit for increasing state spending on border security to more than $800 million in the current two-year budget.

And they pledge to support repeal of a 2001 law granting unauthorized immigrants who meet certain requirements in-state tuition at public colleges and universities in Texas — and stand firm against proposals to give driver’s licenses to people who are in the country without permission. Legislatures in some other states, such as California, have approved driver’s licenses for unauthorized immigrants. But the Texas Legislature has rejected such bills.

Straus and Geren, who wields power as head of the House Administration Committee and is perhaps the speaker’s closest ally, have praised the House’s actions on immigration and border security as smart and effective. They stress that last year, they supported the increase in spending on border security and a House-crafted bill backed by law enforcement that strengthens policing of the Texas-Mexico border and prosecution of human traffickers.

But GOP consultant Luke Macias, who represents French and Bean, among other House challengers, defended the mailers’ praise of Patrick on the border spending.

“Without the leadership of the Texas Senate and Dan Patrick, it would not have gotten funded to the level that all the House Republicans are now boasting” about, he said. “It would not have happened without Dan Patrick, period.”

Macias declined to say whether a similar mailer will be used against other House incumbents, such as Dallas GOP Reps. Jason Villalba and Cindy Burkett.

“The issue of illegal immigration is definitely going to come up in every district, but each campaign takes a different approach,” he said.

There is speculation that police chiefs soon may come out against sanctuary cities legislation. In 2011, two of Texas’ most powerful business leaders — HEB grocery chain chief executive Charles Butt and the late homebuilder Bob Perry — came out against a Senate-passed measure to ban local directives instructing officers and deputies not to inquire about immigration status. The bill died in the House.

Straus, joining former Gov. Rick Perry, has been an outspoken opponent of repealing the in-state tuition law.

Here’s a look at French’s mailer, as captured in this Twitter pic by Emily Farris, an assistant professor of political science at Texas Christian University:

Emily M. Farris
‏@emayfarris
Got this "anti-immigrant" piece in the mail from a local candidate for #txlege House race -



http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.c...igration.html/