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State Senator Molly Cook embarrassed Former Houston DA Kim Ogg with one question as she appeared at a Senate Hearing at the Austin Capitol. She was defending GOP Paul Bettencourt’s SD 2046 Bill.
Texas Senator embarrasses DINO Fmr. DA
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Summary
In a Texas Senate hearing, former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg supported a Republican bill (SB2046) to elevate misdemeanors to felonies concerning government contract mismanagement. Despite the acquittals and lack of evidence, Ogg cited her failed prosecution of Judge Lina Hidalgo’s staff as justification. Senator Molly Cook challenged Ogg on the absence of data proving that harsher penalties deter such crimes. Ogg admitted she had no data, exposing the weakness in the bill’s rationale. The exchange highlighted the contrast between punitive conservatism and evidence-based progressive reform.
5 Key Bullet Points:
- Former DA Kim Ogg backed SB2046, a GOP bill increasing penalties for alleged corruption in contract procurement.
- Ogg used her discredited case against Lina Hidalgo’s staff to justify the need for harsher laws.
- Senator Royce West questioned the validity of her case, pointing out its lack of results and accountability.
- Senator Molly Cook demanded data showing that felony-level punishment deters misconduct, but Ogg had none.
- The exchange showcased a clear divide between progressive structural reform and regressive punitive policy.
This moment epitomizes the deep rift within the Democratic Party between performative centrists and true progressives. While Kim Ogg parroted Republican carceral logic with no data to support it, Senator Molly Cook stood firm on the progressive principle that justice policy must be grounded in facts, not fear. Cook’s leadership reflects a new generation of Democrats prioritizing prevention, transparency, and systemic reform over empty tough-on-crime theatrics.
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In an increasingly polarized political landscape, clarity, principle, and the pursuit of justice too often become casualties of opportunism. The recent showdown in the Texas Legislature offers a textbook example of this — and it underscores the importance of genuine progressive leadership in the face of reactionary policies cloaked in “law and order” rhetoric. Former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, long accused by progressives of being a Democrat in name only (DINO), recently testified in support of Senate Bill 2046, a GOP-backed measure that would escalate certain misdemeanor-level procurement infractions to felony offenses. However, what unfolded during the hearing was a masterclass in accountability and evidence-based policy led by Texas State Senator Molly Cook, a progressive voice unafraid to call out the dangerous implications of punitive policy-making without substantiating data.
Let’s be clear: Kim Ogg’s tenure as district attorney was marred by what many viewed as targeted prosecutions of progressive Democrats and a disturbing deference to the political right. Ogg consistently drew criticism for siding with Republican officials, and her push for carceral solutions often mirrored GOP talking points. Perhaps most notoriously, she initiated prosecuting several staffers tied to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo — a young, progressive Latina judge widely celebrated by grassroots organizers — in a case that ultimately fell apart. Two staffers were acquitted, and the third settled without jail time or restitution, indicating that the case lacked merit. Yet, Ogg used this failed prosecution as the foundation of her argument to push for SB2046, a bill that echoes the GOP’s draconian approach to criminal justice.
That is where Senator Molly Cook stepped in with both precision and principle. Cook, representing over a million constituents in Harris County, called Ogg’s bluff. In a decisive moment, she asked a simple yet foundational question: What evidence do you have that harsher penalties deter this type of crime? The silence from Ogg was deafening. Ogg defaulted to anecdotal assertions and vague platitudes about public trust rather than provide empirical support — data, peer-reviewed studies, or even agency reports. Cook, refusing to be placated, doubled down: “I heard no data today.”
This was a rhetorical jab and a full-throated indictment of a policymaking approach rooted in fear rather than facts. As the Brennan Center for Justice has repeatedly reported, harsh sentencing does little to deter crime compared to improving the certainty of being caught. According to their 2016 study, “the certainty of being caught is a vastly more powerful deterrent than the punishment.” Criminologists and justice reform advocates have echoed this point for years: Deterrence is more effectively achieved through transparency, oversight, and robust prevention systems than severe penalties.
While Kim Ogg attempts to to disparage others by implying unfounded insider deals, one must point out that her Republican friend, Rachel Hooper, who was hired on a no-bid contract, prosecuted Hidalgo’s staff Likewise virtually all of her attacks on Progressive Democrats have been thrown out with little fanfare after she ensure indictments or investigations got massive media coverage, the prostitution of the district attorney’s office under her reign.
Senator Cook’s approach, as she embarrasses Kim Ogg’s prostitution of her intellect, reflects a progressive philosophy rooted in systemic reform rather than reactionary punishment. Her questioning shifted the focus from punitive measures to the structural changes necessary to prevent corruption in public contracting. That includes increased transparency, independent audits, citizen oversight boards, and whistleblower protections — not just expanding the prison pipeline under the guise of accountability.
What’s more, this interaction reveals a more profound truth about the ideological fault lines within the Democratic Party. Kim Ogg’s support of GOP legislation illustrates why the progressive base admonished her. A Democrat who mirrors Republican strategies — especially in criminal justice — does more damage than good. The progressive movement understands that justice isn’t achieved by locking up more people; it’s achieved by crafting institutions that minimize the opportunity and incentive for wrongdoing in the first place.
This clash also raises broader questions about the direction of the Texas Democratic Party. With Republicans controlling both legislative chambers, Democrats must stand united in opposing bad-faith bills that exploit “public safety” concerns to further regressive policies. Ogg’s testimony played directly into GOP hands, reinforcing a narrative that aligns with carceral conservatism rather than transformative justice.
Thankfully, voices like Senator Molly Cook are showing that there is another way. Her insistence on data, oversight, and prevention over incarceration reflects a progressive agenda grounded in equity and evidence. It also resonates with a public increasingly skeptical of mass incarceration and punitive policies that disproportionately harm marginalized communities while failing to address root causes.
The episode serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of bipartisan pandering at the expense of principles. It also offers a hopeful reminder that when progressives lead with integrity and intelligence — as Molly Cook did — they can expose the hollow core of regressive policymaking. For voters, activists, and policymakers alike, the lesson is clear: We must demand data, defend our values, and never allow fear-based narratives to drive legislation.
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