Good morning!

Should the salaries of school superintendents be capped? Sound off in the One Click Survey.

Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, April 10, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Announcing ‘Reflections on Life and Liberty’!

• I’m excited to announce the publication of my new book, “Reflections on Life and Liberty.”

• Three formats of the book are available: hardcover, paperback, and digital download. For now, the book is only available at Amazon.
      
• It is my hope this collection of topical reflections will encourage those who have begun to grow weary to keep fighting, and inspire others to join in the fight for liberty.

More Than 140 Illegal Aliens in Stash Houses

• As Texas’ border crisis worsens, law enforcement officials found more than 140 illegal aliens in two stash houses near El Paso. Katy Marshall has the details.
      
• The illegals hiding in the residences were from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Guatemala. They were described as living in “deplorable” conditions.
     
• Border Patrol also reported that for the 2023 fiscal year, human smuggling interdiction teams in the El Paso sector have discovered 130 stash houses and apprehended more than 1,800 individuals. Agents in the El Paso sector have encountered more than 224,000 illegal aliens for this fiscal year, the most of any region in the country.

After Federal Judge Blocks Law, Abortion Groups to Restart Funding for Out-of-state Abortions

• U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pitman says Texas cannot enforce its ban on out-of-state abortions. The ruling means pro-abortion organizations can again raise money to send women out-of-state to receive abortions without legal consequences. Emily Wilkerson has the story.
     
• Texas law prohibiting most abortions in the state continues to be in effect. It is also still against the law in Texas for anyone to facilitate an abortion – with an exception of saving the mother’s life – with penalties including a $100,000 fine and up to life in prison. 
     
• At least three abortion groups have stated they will be returning their services to women in Texas, including the Lilith Fund, Texas Equal Access Fund, and Fund Texas Choice.

New Charge Added Against Mansfield Teacher

• A second sex crime charge involving a student has been filed against Diego Barona, the now-former special education aide at Legacy High School in Mansfield Independent School District. Erin Anderson reports Barona has not yet been arrested on this new count.
      
• Barona, 35, was first arrested on February 22 and charged with sexual assault of a child younger than 17 years of age. Parents in the district have been outraged they were not notified of the teacher's arrest until late-March.
     
• On Thursday, the school district notified families that “an additional charge of improper relationship between educator and student has been filed and an additional arrest warrant has been issued for Mr. Barona.”
     
• Both the original charge and the new one are second-degree felonies, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Fort Worth ISD Set to Eliminate Equity and Excellence Department

• After two years of protests, complaints, and petitions, the Fort Worth Independent School District is expected to do away with its Equity and Excellence Department at the end of the current academic school year. Soli Rice reports the change is being driven by administrative restructuring brought on by a drastic decline in enrollment and unbalanced budget.

      
• The department has pushed "critical race theory" on teachers, who were then told to instruct students accordingly.
      
• Hollie Plemons, a mom in FWISD, told Texas Scorecard she was “thrilled to learn that FWISD eliminated the Equity and Excellence Department.”
     
• “After over seven years and $14,000,000 in salaries alone, the department did absolutely nothing to improve outcomes for our students. It was way past time to shut it down,” said Plemons. “FWISD needs to focus on education and stop with the politically divisive agendas that do nothing but destroy our children, our communities, and our city.”

RUSSO: Keep Billions in our Economy, Not Corrupt Regimes

• In a new commentary, Chris Russo of Texans for Strong Borders argues it is time to stop allowing cash to flow from illegal aliens back to their homelands.
   
• "With nationals from more than 165 countries apprehended along the Texas-Mexico border in the last two years, many other nations are reaping the significant benefit of payments made from illegal immigrants who are able to illegally obtain employment in the United States. The ability to send money home to their families is a significant driver of illegal immigration." – Chris Russo

ONE CLICK SURVEY

A new report shows Texas superintendents making extraordinary base salaries with lucrative benefits that are not available to teachers or many people working in the private sector. Base pay packages of over $300,000 to upwards of a half-million are increasingly common. In contrast, the governor's salary is set at $153,750.

Should Texas school superintendents' pay be capped at no more than that of the governor?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!