Good morning,
With just over 40 days remaining in the legislative session, the One Click Survey asks who you think is more committed to advancing the legislative priorities of conservative activists: House Speaker Dade Phelan or Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, April 17, 2023.
– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Democrat Lawmaker Dismisses Border Plight
- At a hearing last week on border security issues, State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) suggested ranchers should pay the litigation costs of suing illegal aliens for property damages. Sydnie Henry has that story.
Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith said responses from farmers and ranchers to Anchia’s suggestion would probably require quite a few redactions. “It was disappointing that Representative Anchia’s remarks during committee testimony were focused on inept ‘gotcha questions’ and attempts to create political division.”
Texans Prepare Rally For Border Security
While Texas experiences unprecedented levels of illegal border crossings, a rally at the Capitol is scheduled for later this month with the goal of urging action. Katy Marshall reports the event will include musician Ted Nugent, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, and retired ICE Special Agent Victor Avila.
- Those planning the April 29 “How Many More?” rally say participants will be there to demand that Texas' lawmakers find solutions for the crisis.
- The event’s master of ceremonies is Mark Meckler, national president of Convention of States. He highlighted the issue’s urgency, saying, “It’s time to stop the madness on our southern border.” Meckler also called on citizens to attend the rally and voice their support for border security measures.
- According to a website set up by the rally's organizers, 6 million illegal aliens have crossed Texas’ southern border since 2020, including at least 53 individuals on the U.S. terror watch list.
Lt. Gov. 'Concerned' GOP Priorities Won't Pass House
As the clock continues ticking on the legislative session in Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he’s concerned Republican priorities won’t make it out of the House. Brandon Waltens has the details.
In a post on Twitter, Patrick noted that the Senate had passed 316 bills, while the House had only passed 85 bills. There are just over 40 days left in the legislative session.
- “I’m concerned many Republican priorities will not pass the House at this rate. Proud the Senate has passed 26 of our top 30 priorities already, and we’ll finish next week,” wrote Patrick.
The issue of the Texas House’s slow speed in comparison to the Senate had become an issue early in the session. It took Speaker Dade Phelan nearly a month to appoint committees in the House, while Patrick appointed Senate committees after less than two weeks. And while the Senate had begun committee hearings in February on priority legislation, the House repeatedly voted to give itself five-day weekends.
Despite Republicans holding a majority in the Texas House, they have yet to consider any priorities of the Republican Party of Texas.
Senator Wants Students To Learn About Pregnancy
Instruction in public schools about the development of an unborn child could soon be required by state law, reports Darrell Frost. on a legislative initiative by State Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney).
- Paxton's legislation would require public school students in grades 7 and 8 to receive instruction on a number of topics related to fetal development, including “the human reproductive process,” “the establishment of healthy life skills,” “the prevention of birth defects,” and “a description of the growth and development of an unborn child that occur during each trimester of pregnancy.”
- “Every human life traces its beginning to the moment of conception,” explained Paxton in presenting her legislation to the Senate Education Committee.
Texas has one of the highest teen birth rates in the country. In 2020, the state averaged 22.4 births per 1,000 females between the ages of 15 and 19.
Llano County Library Returns Explicit Books to Shelves
Following a ruling from federal Judge Robert Pitman, the Llano County Commissioners Court voted to keep the county’s library open and return explicit books to the shelves.
- Seven Llano County residents filed a lawsuit in October 2022 against the county commissioner, county judge, library systems director, and several library board members, accusing the local officials of censorship. The plaintiffs alleged that library employees violated citizens’ First and 14th Amendment rights after moving explicit books from the children’s section to the adult section.
- Judge Pitman ordered the books be returned and barred the county from taking any more books off the library shelves until the lawsuit ends.
- Why do some adults feel so entitled to push pornography and explicit materials into the hands of other people's children?
High School Band Director Busted for Giving Alcohol to Minors
- A high school band director in Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District – 24-year-old Jacob Diaz – was arrested for giving alcohol to underage students and has resigned. Erin Anderson has the story.
- “We cannot have a teacher doing this,” said Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn. “The public needs to be able to trust a teacher will be a guardian for our kids and not allow them to do the wrong things.”
- Clarendon Consolidated ISD is a rural district in the Texas Panhandle with three schools and fewer than 500 students.
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