Good morning!

Fridays are usually good days, but why this one in particular? What’s so good about the day when an innocent man was executed by the political elite for challenging their authority? I conclude the week with my answer.

But first, this is the Texas Minute for Friday, April 7, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Majority of Texas House Votes To Block School Choice Funding

• In a rebuke of Gov. Greg Abbott's marquee legislative priority, 23 Republicans joined with 63 Democrats in amending the House budget to prohibit any and all school choice programs. Sydnie Henry has the details.
       
• The move is largely symbolic. The budget must still go to the Senate, where the amendment is expected to be removed. However, the symbolism is real. The 23 Republicans have shown their hand in opposition to what is a priority not just of Gov. Abbott but also the Republican Party itself.
       
• Another nine Republicans were present on the House floor but opted not to take a side on the amendment – including the chairman of the House Committee on Public Education, Brad Buckley (R-Salado).
         
• While a majority of the Republican caucus voted for the amendment, none of the leadership of the caucus spoke in support of school choice.

Speaking of the Budget...

• Speaking of the state budget, Sydnie Henry also breaks down what members of the House did overall – growing state spending to $303 billion. 
       
• “This is a massive growth in the overall size of the budget that infiltrates all of our lives in the process and doesn’t do nearly enough for property tax relief,” explained economist Vance Ginn.
      
• Of the $303 billion, a mere $17.3 billion is being allocated to relieving Texans of onerous property taxes.

Texas Senate Advances School Choice Legislation

• Just hours after the House voted to prohibit state funds from being used on any school choice program, the Senate voted to advance a limited school choice program. Darrell Frost has the details.
       
• While the Senate measure (Senate Bill 8) ostensibly covers 80 percent of Texas school children geographically, the measure's author – Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) – told senators it would be limited to just 62,000 students out of 5 million enrolled in public schools. The legislation establishes a state-funded "education savings account" that parents would apply to receive. If accepted into the program, they could then spend those funds on tuition or other education-related expenses.
      
• Significantly, the program would be administered by the Office of the Comptroller and not the Texas Education Agency.
       
• The legislation only applies to students enrolled in a Texas public school; it is not available to students currently homeschooled or in private schools  – though on the Senate floor it was amended to set aside 10 percent of the available positions for socio-economically disadvantaged students who are currently in a private school.
     
• One Republican – State Sen. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville – joined with Democrats in opposition to the legislation. The measure now moves to the Texas House.
       
• If Gov. Abbott is serious about getting school choice done, he’s got a lot of work cut out for him.

Senate Passes Ban On Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying

• Long-awaited legislation to stop local governments from using taxpayer dollars to lobby against taxpayers received tentative approval in the Texas Senate on Thursday. Erin Anderson has the details.

       
• Senate Bill 175 by State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston) prohibits public funds from being used to hire paid lobbyists.
       
• Not only does the measure prohibit political subdivisions from spending public funds on “hired gun” lobbyists, it also prohibits the use of public funds to pay a nonprofit state association or organization that primarily represents political subdivisions, if the organization hires or contracts with lobbyists.
       
• “It’s not a partisan issue, and shouldn’t be,” said Middleton, citing polls that show strong bipartisan support for the ban among Texas voters.
        
• But since the taxpayer-funded lobbyists heavily push leftist narratives, the Senate vote split straight down party lines. 

Dallas Schools Mocked Over Sexually Explicit Books

• The Dallas Independent School District is under fire on social media for allowing students to check out sexually explicit books. Katy Marshall has the story.
       

• Libs of TikTok—a Twitter account that routinely exposes the sexualization and indoctrination of children—shared images from a graphic novel available in Dallas schools that features sexually explicit language, scenes depicting partial nudity, and allusions to masturbation. Numerous other titles featuring sexually explicit images and language are available in the Dallas schools.
      

• The exposure of sexually explicit books in Dallas school libraries comes on the heels of recent news that two DISD teachers committed sex crimes against students.

Friday Reflection: A Good Friday

From a certain perspective, it is hard to think of this as a “good” Friday. It is, after all, the anniversary of the day when the political elite of the 1st century colluded with a corrupt judiciary to execute a man who had done nothing wrong.

This is the day when the high court of Israel convened in contradiction to its own rules, and engaged in an exercise designed specifically to convict Jesus. Not a good Friday.

This is the day when the High Priest Caiaphas finally made good on what he considered to be politically expedient: the death of Jesus. Not a good Friday.

This is the day when Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, a politician who feared more for his reputation in Rome than the miscarriage of justice in Jerusalem. Not a good Friday.

This is the day when a mob, seeking to curry favor with the city’s ruling elite, asked for a murderer to be set free. Not a good Friday.

This is the day when Jesus was hung from a cross. Not a good Friday.

This is the day when two Roman centurions, doing their drudgery at the execution sight, unwittingly fulfilled an ancient prophecy. Not a good Friday.

This is the day when darkness covered the Earth. Not good.

This is the day the curtain in the Holy of Holies was torn in two, from the top. On this Friday.

This is the day the burden of our debts was paid in full… by someone else. On this Friday.

This is the day Jesus began three days in the tomb, from which He would arise.

This is a day you can again consider the words of Galatians 5, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

This is a day you can consider the opportunity to be truly free in Christ.

So yes, this is a good Friday.