To celebrate Sunday's Oscars, here's which Texas politicians would win golden statues in top categories for their roles so far this legislative session. Who needs a red carpet when you've got a pink state Capitol dome?
— Best Picture: The Internet video showing a testy exchange between gun rights activists and Democratic Rep. Poncho Nevarez. From panic buttons to security details to the difference between bills allowing open carry versus "constitutional carry" of handguns, the 121-second video has turned the Texas Legislature upside down.
— Best Actor: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. He scooped the State of the State by announcing his own plan to extend the National Guard deployment to the border before the governor's speech. He's also managed to monopolize the spotlight on the guns issue, for better and worse.
— Best Actress: Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound. She's relished being the upper chamber's chief budget writer as head of the Senate Finance Committee, a first for a woman in Texas. But will Nelson still be smiling if her colleagues eventually tie the budget approval process in knots?
— Supporting Actor: House Speaker Joe Straus. His response to Patrick's National Guard plan announcement — that there's only one governor, regardless of how many people attend a press conference on the issue — cinched it.
— Supporting Actress: Rep. Molly White, R-Belton. She marked Muslim lobbying day at the Capitol by instructing staff to have "representatives from the Muslim community" take a loyalty oath. White even boasted online, "We will see how long they stay in my office."
— Best Director: Gov. Greg Abbott. As expected, the former Texas Supreme Court justice has brought a judicial mentality to his new post. Can his calming presence keep things relatively orderly in the Legislature as the session wears on?
Here's some other non-Academy Award-themed stories to watch this week:
DPS FUNDING: Department of Public Safety officials testify Monday before the Senate Finance Committee. Abbott's calls to double border security funding — $735 million over the 2016-2017 biennium — will be a hot topic, as will the governor's plan for 500 new state troopers who can eventually replace National Guard forces along the border.
TRANSPORTATION PROPOSAL: The Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday discusses a major bill by its chairman, Jacksonville Republican Robert Nichols, that would funnel billions of dollars into building roads beginning in 2018 by using part of the tax revenue generated by car sales statewide.
ABBOTT ON TOUR: The governor plans to visit different parts of Texas to promote the issues he raised in his State of the State address. He'll start by giving an abbreviated version of the speech at a lunchtime event Thursday in Houston.
CPAC: Former Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Ted Cruz will speak at the high-profile Conservative Political Action Conference, which begins Wednesday outside Washington. This year, participants will be required to answer questions from a moderator or the audience. Cruz often fields audience queries as he crisscrosses the country. Perry, who has lately hit Iowa and New Hampshire hard, has also begun fielding more questions from crowds.
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