menu_open Columnists
Chris Tomlinson

Chris Tomlinson

Houston Chronicle

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Medical marijuana firms hired GOP lobbyists to push THC ban, protect business

Medical marijuana firms hired GOP lobbyists to push THC ban, protect business

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks about a range of intoxicating THC products available in Texas to illustrate his concerns that seemingly harmless snacks...

saturday 30

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

What Trump’s China trade talks in London have to do with the Texas economy

What Trump’s China trade talks in London have to do with the Texas economy

A general view of the Lancaster House, where the trade talks between the U.S. and China are taking place is seen, in London, Monday, June 9, 2025....

11.06.2025 20

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Pride events suffer from cowardly CEOs, while a banker sells out the climate

“Y’all means all.” A transgender pride flag at the Texas Capitol in Austin. People wave Pride flags as they line a staircase at the Texas...

07.06.2025 4

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Dan Patrick loses temper and goofs up in Texas Legislature’s final week

Dan Patrick loses temper and goofs up in Texas Legislature’s final week

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over the Senate at the Capitol on the first day of the 89th Legislative Session Tuesday January 14, 2025. Lt. Gov. Dan...

04.06.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Elon Musk leaves Trump by slamming budget bill, when will he ever learn?

Hey Elon, I hope you learned your lesson. Like so many CEOs before him, Elon Musk offered up engineering solutions to political problems and...

31.05.2025 3

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas electric grid shows improvement, despite lawmakers’ misguided efforts

Wind turbines operate next to a field of flowers Friday, July 8, 2022, near Garden City. A pumpjack is obscured by the heat as it operates on dry...

28.05.2025 5

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick passes his THC ban, strikes against personal freedom

Army veteran, Ty Cobb, shops for CBD gummies which he says helps reduce his anxiety at Rock N' Roll It Vape Shop on Saturday February 25, 2023 in...

24.05.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Trump budget cuts popular programs, but not the deficit, adding to financial cri

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, voted “present” on the Republican budget bill, allowing the budget reconciliation to move out of committee. On Twitter,...

21.05.2025 6

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Trump the peacenik? He hates wars and strikes deals to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

Make deals, not war! Donald Trump may be the first pacifist president since Jimmy Carter. Four months into his second term, Trump has exhibited, if...

17.05.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas law would promote racial profiling and discourage investment

Rep. Gene Wu delivers remarks inside the House Chamber at Texas State Capitol in Austin, Thursday, March 13, 2025. Wu opposes Senate Bill 17, which...

14.05.2025 6

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Dan Patrick’s university thought police law progresses in the Texas Legislature

President Donald Trump greets Lt. Gov. of Texas Dan Patrick during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, May...

10.05.2025 30

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Why Texas homeowners will face higher insurance rates, even with new laws

Gabriel Gomez, 46, helps clean up a homes within the West Houston Mobile Home Community that was recently destroyed by Hurricane Beryl on Thursday,...

07.05.2025 7

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

The Vietnam War transformed the U.S. Army; those lessons apply today

An infantryman points out a suspicious shadow in a tree to his machine gunner as they move on patrol near the Cambodian Border in Vietnam in 1966. ...

30.04.2025 4

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Trump’s layoffs, taxes and suppression triggering Texas opposition

Hundreds of protesters gathered at Houston City Hall on Saturday in another demonstration of Trump Administration policies. Republicans don’t...

26.04.2025 5

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas lawmakers want to weaken free speech protections, encourage more lawsuits

State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, and Perla Hopkins, a former teacher and Republican candidate for Texas House who supported Senate Bill 797, which...

23.04.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Follow the money to find out who wants to ban wind and solar energy

Dan Friedkin of AS Roma celebrates with the Europe Conference League Trophy after victory the UEFA Conference League final match between AS Roma and...

19.04.2025 60

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas budget will decide the fate of schools, hospitals and businesses

The Texas State Capitol photographed on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025 in Austin. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, and Gov. Greg Abbott, right, talk...

16.04.2025 4

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Trump tariffs are bad for Texas, leaving executives guessing

Let us never speak of Liberation Day again. President Donald Trump’s scheme to impose ridiculous retaliatory tariffs on our allies failed miserably....

12.04.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Cannabis teams up with liquor to save THC beverages from ban

Howdy is one of the non-alcoholic seltzer brands from Bayou City Hemp.  A selection of THCa hemp flowers are shown at the Cobo Dispensary on Buck...

09.04.2025 20

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Trump’s tariffs are a tax on consumers to give breaks to billionaires

Gaze long enough into President Donald Trump’s most controversial policies, and you’ll find a kernel of common sense and, in some cases, a nod to...

05.04.2025 9

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Taxpayer-funded loan program for electricity is failing, just as critics warned

A map of Texas showing the state's transmission lines is a focal point in the control room of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which...

02.04.2025 5

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Hegseth’s Signal texts were classified, I know, I was in military intelligence

Pete Hegseth, then the nominee for defense secretary, appears during a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 14 in...

29.03.2025 20

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas THC ban is a tough sell to Texans who have relied on hemp products

A THCa hemp flower is shown at the Cobo Dispensary, 4403 Buck St. in Houston on March 14. Howdy is one of the non-alcoholic seltzer brands from Bayou...

26.03.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas Legislature is working on good laws along with the bad and ugly

Texas state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, answers a question from state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham. State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst represents...

22.03.2025 3

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas laws hurting renewable energy will trigger blackouts as natural gas fails

The natural gas plants at NRG’s WA Parish power plant in Richmond. A battery storage yard Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Blue Jay solar and storage...

19.03.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Trump Cabinet makes Big Oil look like climate activists

Secretary of the US Department of the Interior Doug Burgum speaks at CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Michael Stoppard,...

15.03.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Investors have created an AI bubble. The coming bust could cost Texans

This picture taken on Jan. 23, 2023, in Toulouse, France, shows screens displaying the logos of OpenAI and ChatGPT. - ChatGPT is a conversational...

12.03.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Trump wants lower gas prices and high tariffs, will hurt Texas economy

Then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Oct. 14, 2024,...

08.03.2025 5

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Energy companies eye billions in profits from Texas Legislature’s grid proposals

A pumpjack is obscured by the heat as it operates on dry farmland with large windmills Friday, July 8, 2022, near Midland. Electrical lines are seen,...

05.03.2025 5

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

ICE and DPS should raid convention centers and home builders

Authorities are seen staged along main roads as ICE conduct raids through out Colony Ridge on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. Memo To Border Czar Tom Homan and...

01.03.2025 4

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas lawmakers want to gut free speech protections and encourage more lawsuits

Texas state Sen. Brian Hughes speaks about the Texas Attorney General’s Office investigating a complaint of vote harvesting in Gregg County. State...

26.02.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Texas Bitcoin reserve would enrich crypto bros with taxpayers’ money

A woman poses with a bitcoin mascot during the Thailand Crypto Expo. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar couldn’t answer basic questions about how he...

22.02.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Some budgets slashed, others boosted, where’s the money going?

Then-President-elect Donald Trump watches SpaceX's Starship rocket lift off for a flight test with Elon Musk from Starbase in Boca Chica on Nov. 19,...

18.02.2025 9

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick reveal Texas Republicans are divided

Texas Republicans are moving quickly to pass their economic and social priorities through the Legislature, but the party is far from unified, and the...

15.02.2025 7

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Highly addictive, dangerous drugs available at convenience stores

Gummies that contain CBD and THC Delta-9, sold at supermarkets across the state.  Hundreds of Texas convenience stores are selling untested, highly...

12.02.2025 5

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Defense secretary can’t handle Black History Month truth

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Luis Burgos, Air Force Sgt. Nancy Hunt and U.S. Army Sgt Chris Tomlinson at Bad Aibling Station's Army Ball at Prien-am-Chiemsee,...

08.02.2025 40

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Texas GOP beat the big banks on climate, we’ll pay the price

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, right, listens as BlackRock CEO Larry Fink makes a statement during opening remarks of the Texas Power Grid Investment Summit...

05.02.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: School voucher bill is the nose of a camel with big plans

Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on the north steps of the State Capitol to supporters at a Texas Public Policy Foundation Parent Empowerment rally on Tuesday,...

01.02.2025 40

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Texas billionaire spends his fortune to become a political influencer

A banner displaying Palantir Technologies Inc. signage during the company's initial public offering (IPO) in front of the New York Stock Exchange...

29.01.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Trump’s National Energy Emergency is a farce

President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at on Jan. 20. Fuel and electricity prices are below average when adjusted for...

25.01.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Texas can be more resilient to disaster, it’s a choice

Boarded up windows on the Enterprise Plaza building’s blown out windows downtown on May 22, 2024, in Houston. A corner office of a building with a...

22.01.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Billionaires don’t get money’s worth from donations to Texas Dems

George Soros, founder and chairman of the Open Society Foundations, donated $8.8 million to Texas Democratic political action committees and county...

18.01.2025 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Campaign megadonors erode the Legislature’s independence

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Texas oil tycoons Tim Dunn, left, and Farris Wilks, right, have financed conservative candidates for years. Texas Attorney...

15.01.2025 20

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Abbott and Whitmire float harebrained scheme to sell Houston’s water

Remnants of buildings and artifacts from Old Bluffton are visible on land exposed as waters of Lake Buchanan recede in drought. The town was...

11.01.2025 20

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Investigation links Exxon to Israeli PI accused of hiring hackers

Exxon Mobil has spent more than two decades sparring with activists over climate change. Darren Woods, chairman and chief executive officer of...

08.01.2025 9

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Scientists worried climate change may be happening faster than expect

A tractor drives through a dry farm field occupied by wind mills and oil wells Friday, July 8, 2022, near Garden City. An airplane drops fire...

04.01.2025 5

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: President Jimmy Carter’s strength through humility and kindness

Former President Jimmy Carter receives flowers from a little girl on his arrival at the airport in Goma, Zaire, in November 1995.  Former U.S....

01.01.2025 6

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Property taxes or high electricity rates. Which would you choose?

A Texas city is charging high electricity rates to avoid property taxes, enraging some residents. A Texas city is charging high electricity rates...

29.12.2024 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Skip politics during holidays, let’s talk internet scams

Young people should ensure their elders are not replying to scam text messages. More than 880,000 Americans reported losing $12.5 billion to...

25.12.2024 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson

Tomlinson: Texas governor’s plan for taxpayer-funded nuclear reactors reanimates

Topping off Reactor #1 at the South Texas Project Nuclear Power Plant A large dome is lowered onto a nuclear containment building at the Plant...

21.12.2024 10

Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson