At a press conference Monday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott provided an update for Texans who have been wondering since early March when they might have their natural and constitutional rights returned and the rule of law restored in the Lone Star State.
They’ll have to wait even longer yet; the governor decreed most businesses must still be mainly closed but that some more would be permitted to reopen, and some of those already partially reopen may increase their capacity.
In short, Abbott has said he is allowing massage parlors, tattoo shops, and child care facilities to reopen with additional guidelines, effective immediately. On Friday, bars, bowling alleys, zoos, and aquariums can reopen (with limited capacity), and professional sports (without fans) and summer camps can reopen at the end of the month.
The text of Abbott’s guidelines for businesses and customers can be viewed here.
Like Abbott’s previous orders that have lessened the restrictions he’s placed on Texans who want to make a living and provide for their families, there’s no doubt that many Texans stand to benefit.
Indeed, any reprieve or relief is certainly welcome news for the nearly 2.5 million Texans out of work due to the job-killing shutdowns imposed by governments across Texas.
For more than two months, Texas has been ruled by the edicts from Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.
It’s been the governor—and the governor alone—who has decided which businesses can reopen and how many people they can allow inside. The governor’s directives have strayed in the mundane operations of individuals, such as noting how often their employees must wash their hands.
As Empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan asked rhetorically last week: “Are we finding we don’t actually need a legislative branch, with all their pesky drama and hand-wringing?”
Such is the case in current-day Texas. This is the status quo in a state where the legislature and the Supreme Court have thus far refrained from reining in the power of what’s essentially become an absolute executive.
As with the previous partial reopening announcements by Abbott, grassroots activists like Julie McCarty of the True Texas Project say Texans should not be satisfied with merely an additional portion of the freedom their leaders have taken from them.
“I get what Abbott is doing, he’s trying to save his own skin by doing just enough to not be fully blamed by either side. That’s appeasement, not leadership, and it accomplishes nothing,” McCarty told Texas Scorecard. “Texans have had enough with these made-up orders that don’t follow common sense. It’s time for Abbott to fish or cut bait; he doesn’t deserve any praise for piecemeal actions that put his lack of leadership skills on full display.”
Instead, Texans should be demanding a full restoration of their rights, a full return to the status quo, and they should be making ready to hold those who have abused the powers of their office and usurped the rights of Texans accountable.
