Rick Perry’s last day as Governor of Texas is upon us.
Made over 14 years with a rotating cast of cronies, Rick Perry’s sweeping drama of governorship is full of mistakes, missteps, and malfeasance. Too many to count.
Later, Rick Perry, it’s been…real.
Comparing Homosexuality to Alcoholism
From the statewide ban on same-sex marriages to comparing homosexuality to alcoholism, Perry's backwards thinking caused true pain and consequences for countless LGBTQ Texans.
Taxpayers Pay for Perry's Campaign Travel
While running for President, Rick Perry had the state pick up the tab on his security detail - a tab that is now up to $3.5 million.
Healthcare: Not For Everyone
With 5.7 million uninsured, Texas still has the worst rate of health insurance in the country. In 14 years, Perry never did anything to make it better - and his opposition to Medicaid expansion and closing the coverage gap kept 1,000,000 Texans from getting much-needed access to care.
King of Cronyism
There's a lot to say, but Mother Jones really said it best: "If presidential candidates were elected based on how well they rewarded their political donors, then Texas Governor Rick Perry would lead the pack."
Rick Perry Indicted
It finally all caught up to him. In late 2014, Rick Perry was indicted on two counts: abuse of power and coercion. He hired more lawyers than OJ to defend him - the case is expected to continue for most of 2015.
"OOPS!"
Perry made a lot of gaffes in his life, and we loved all of them. But like a true champion, he waited until he was on the biggest stage of his life to really show how foolish he could be.
Evolution Denier
"Evolution...it's a theory that's out there. It's got some gaps in it." #smh
Perry: Texas Doesn't Need Equal Pay
In 2013, Rick Perry vetoed the Equal Pay Act - a bill by Rep. Senfronia Thompson and Sen. Wendy Davis designed to mimic the federal Lily Ledbetter Act.
Leaves Basic Safety Regulations to God
“From time to time there are going to be things that occur that are acts of God that cannot be prevented.” - Rick Perry
Women Can't Be Trusted
Where do we start? The sonogram law, state materials that say abortion causes breast cancer, and the time Perry said that if all clinics had the same strict HB2 regulations in place, Joan Rivers would still be alive. #wtf
Climate Change Denier
"Someone needs to tell the E.P.A that we don't need you monkeying around and fiddling around and getting in our business with every kind of regulation you can dream up. You're doing nothing more than killing jobs. It's a cemetary for jobs at the E.P.A."
Perry Collects Salary and Pension at Same Time
Double dip much? At the same time Perry was collecting his governor's salary, he retired as a state employee so he could take advantage of a law allowing him to collect his pension at the same time.
Rick Perry's Slush Funds
The Enterprise Fund, one of Perry’s most touted initiatives, was exposed for awarding nearly $222 million in no-strings-attached funds to businesses that didn’t fill out an application and were not required to use the funds for job creation.
Voter Turnout and Voter ID
The unnecessary voter ID law pushed by Perry - now in limbo in the federal courts - is at least one reason why Texas' voter participation rate remains the worst in the country.
Perry Vetoed Dark Money
In 2013, a bipartisan Texas Legislature passed a bill to ban dark money in Texas campaigns. Rick Perry, of course, vetoed the legislation.
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