Good morning!

What do Texas Republicans think of Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, and Donald Trump? You'll find out in today's edition of the Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 

PROGRAMMING NOTE: I'm heading out on a special assignment (more details coming soon), so Brandon Waltens will be taking over the Texas Minute for the rest of the week. Be nice to him!

Officials Warn Texas' Grid Not Ready For Summer

• With summer rapidly approaching, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas—the quasi-governmental nonprofit entity that tracks energy usage and supplies power to more than 26 million Texans—shows that the grid could need 6,000 more megawatts than last year to operate at capacity in “extreme summer conditions.” Katy Marshall has the story.
        

• Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, warned Texans that they may have to rely on backup energy sources. "Data shows, for the first time, that the peak demand for electricity this summer will exceed the amount we can generate from on-demand, dispatchable power."
     

• On-demand dispatchable power sources include nuclear energy, natural gas, and coal plants, all energy sources that can be turned on and off at will. Unreliable power sources, like wind and solar, are not readily available in a wide range of circumstances but have been widely subsidized by lawmakers.

GOP Priority Legislation to Protect Elections ‘At Risk’

• Republican Party of Texas officials are sounding the alarm about state House lawmakers failing to advance priority election integrity measures as the regular legislative session draws to a close. Erin Anderson has the details.

       
• “We have three weeks left in the legislative session, and many Legislative Priority bills are getting close to the Governor’s desk,” wrote Jill Glover, the chair of the RPT’s Legislative Priorities Committee, in an update this week. “They are also at risk of sudden death.”
       
• While the Texas Senate has passed "10 of 22" measures related to election integrity, Glover said the House has not passed any of those supported by the GOP.
      
• Both chambers have already passed separate versions of legislation to restore felony penalties for illegal voting offenses, another Texas GOP priority. 

House Unanimously Expels Slaton For 'Predatory Behavior'

• For the first time since 1927, a member of the Texas Legislature has been expelled as the House voted unanimously to oust Republican Bryan Slaton from the chamber. Brandon Waltens reports the House moved quickly to remove Slaton's name from his desk, office, the vote boards that dominate the front of the chamber, and the chamber's website.
     
• The expulsion comes following a report released by the House General Investigating Committee on Saturday that found Slaton—45 and married—provided alcohol to a 19-year-old staff member prior to having sex with her at his apartment. The report also found that Slaton attempted to use his position to cover up the situation.
       

• In addition to violating House rules, committee members told their colleagues Slaton might have broken state laws for which he could still be criminally liable.
      

• “Expulsion of a member of this body is a rare and serious action. Mr. Slaton’s predatory behavior merits such a consequence,” said House Speaker Dade Phelan. “I am proud of each of our colleagues for holding each of us accountable. I hope the action we have taken here today sends a message that sexual harassment and other inappropriate activities in the workplace will not be condoned and they are unacceptable.”

Sherman To Host Drag Show Targeting Kids

• As the Texas House continues to drag its feet on banning sexually explicit drag shows targeting children, Emily Wilkerson reports that a group called Grayson County Pride is hosting a drag show in Sherman on Saturday targeting children.

       
• The event will be hosted by a man named Alex Gemini, whose stage name is Whipme Soulstruck.
       
• “It’s very concerning that the City of Sherman has allowed their park to be reserved as a venue for a ‘kid-friendly’ drag show,” said Kelly Neidert, executive director of Protect Texas Kids. “These shows are extremely sexual and are never appropriate for children to attend. I will be there to peacefully protest with Protect Texas Kids, and I encourage others to do the same.”
       
• A bipartisan coalition of the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 12 on April 5 that would restrict sexually explicit drag performances on public property and in front of a child. The measure is scheduled to be considered by the House State Affairs Committee tomorrow.

Texans Ditch Fox News After Carlson's Dismissal

• After Fox News announced they would be “parting ways” with media personality and talk show host Tucker Carlson, a new poll of Texas Republican voters shows the change was not taken positively. Soli Rice has the details.
       
• An eye-popping 55 percent of Texas Republicans say they are much less likely to watch Fox News after they stopped carrying Carlson’s show on their network, according to a poll released yesterday by the Defend Texas Liberty PAC.
       
• The same poll also shows Donald Trump is the favored presidential candidate if the Republican primaries were held today. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second, with support from 16 percent of those polled.
       
• Among other issues surveyed, more than 70 percent said they were far less likely to consume Bud Light after the company launched a marketing campaign with a personalized beer can featuring a transgender activist. 
       

• When asked about Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s requirement that his employees dress “in a manner consistent with their biological gender,” 80 percent gave their approval to the policy.

Fort Hood Becomes Fort Cavazos

• The Army base formerly known as Fort Hood has been officially renamed Fort Cavazos. Darrell Frost has the story.
       

• The facility was renamed to eliminate reference to the association with John Bell Hood, the Confederate general for whom it had been named. Gen. Richard Edward Cavazos, a Texas-born veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, was the first Hispanic to achieve the rank of four-star general in the U.S. Army. He died in 2017.
        

• The newly renamed Fort Cavazos is one of the largest military installations in the world.

Directory of Statewide Officials

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