William O. Pate II
In consideration of length, footnotes and images providing source information have been removed from this print version of the “Timeline of Irresponsibility.” Please visit the websites provided at the end to find comprehensive reference information.
—William O. Pate II
August 2021
Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
January 2020
January 21, 2020: First novel coronavirus case detected in the United States of America.
March 2020
March 4, 2020: First coronavirus case in Texas.
March 11, 2020: World Health Organization declares COVID-19 pandemic.
March 13, 2020: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declares a state of disaster (enabling federal funds to flow to the state) and halts elective surgeries (including abortions).
March 16, 2020: First COVID-19 death in Texas.
March 19, 2020: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues first coronavirus-related executive order shutting down government and businesses and banning gatherings.
March 23, 2020: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick offers to sacrifice Texas seniors to coronavirus in order to reopen the Texas economy.[1]
“No one reached out to me and said, ‘as a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren?’ And if that’s the exchange, I’m all in.”
— Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, March 23, 2020
April 2020
April 14, 2020: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, under indictment for nearly six years,[2] issues a letter to Texas House of Representatives Elections Committee Chair Rep. Stephanie Klick stating his “unofficial opinion” that “fear of contracting COVID-19 unaccompanied by a qualifying sickness or physical condition does not constitute a disability under the Election Code for purposes of receiving a ballot by mail.”
April 15, 2020: U.S. District Court Judge Tim Sulak rules in favor of allowing all Texans to vote by mail during coronavirus pandemic.
April 17, 2020: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues executive order announcing the establishment of the 45-member Governor’s Strike Force to Open Texas and the beginning of the first phased reopening of Texas businesses.[3]
April 23, 2020: U.S. President Donald J. Trump suggests people infected with coronavirus get an “injection” of disinfectant as a deterrent to the virus during his daily briefing.
April 27, 2020: Governor’s Strike Force to Open Texas releases The Governor’s Report to Open Texas: Texans Helping Texans with health and safety guidelines for individuals, employers, employees, the business sector and low-COVID counties along with celebratory biographies of the business leaders on the strike force and self-congratulatory reprisals of Gov. Abbott’s (non-)response so far.
May 2020
May 1, 2020: Texas begins Phase I of reopening.
May 5, 2020: Audio leaked of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledging reopening will increase transmission of COVID-19
May 18, 2020: Texas begins Phase II of reopening.
May 19, 2020: U.S. District Judge Fred Biery rules that all state voters regard