Good morning –

Yesterday we asked readers which chamber of the Texas Legislature they thought was most responsive to conservatives. Today, you'll find their answer.  

Here is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Gooden Pushes Measure To Curtail Human Trafficking

• Legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Terrell) would require a DNA test to be performed to determine the familial relationship of any alien entering the country with an accompanying minor.
       
• Gooden's legislation was filed in response to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents encountering more than 81,000 unaccompanied minors at the Southern border this fiscal year alone, as well as the Biden administration reportedly ending all familial DNA testing at the border last month. 
       
• “Every child deserves protection, particularly those most vulnerable,” Gooden told the Dallas Express. “The exploitation of underage aliens by human traffickers is one of the most sickening results of the border crisis. This legislation will ensure that young children are no longer viewed as ‘skip the line’ tickets by cartel members.”
       
• A 2018 pilot program by the Department of Homeland Security revealed that nearly one in five claims of familial status were fraudulent. 

Paxton Lawyers To Texas House: 'Cease and Desist'

• As the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton approaches, his attorneys have sent a cease and desist letter demanding that the House halt efforts in seeking additional "evidence" behind the scenes. Emily Wilkerson has the details.
     
• Sources say Phelan and his House leadership team know their actual case against Paxton is flimsy and are therefore retroactively seeking new justifications for their secretive impeachment push.
     
• The letter, sent by Paxton’s attorneys Judd Stone and Chris Hilton, addressed Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R–Beaumont), State Rep. Andrew Murr (R–Junction), State Rep. Ann Johnson (D–Houston) as well as the two Houston attorneys leading the case against Paxton, saying they have no authority to request documents or approach witnesses until the Senate has established the rules for the impeachment.
       
• “It has come to our attention that you and your agents have been contacting potential witnesses, including employees of the Office of the Attorney General, regarding the House’s meritless impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Presumably this is an after-the-fact attempt to gather facts to support your sham investigation, which has made a mockery of all Texans who believe in justice and the constitution. But whatever the reason for your refusal to conduct your investigation in public, it must stop.” – attorneys representing Ken Paxton
      
• A secret investigation conducted by Speaker Dade Phelan's appointees resulted in a rushed impeachment of Paxton in the final days of the regular legislative session. Critics have noted that the impeachment revelations and vote came after Paxton criticized Phelan for apparently being intoxicated on the House floor. House members were not given the opportunity to talk to the investigators or access witness transcripts ahead of the Phelan-driven push for a vote.
      
• By the function of law, Paxton was suspended from his duties until the trial is completed. Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Fort Worth Attorney John Scott to act as the interim attorney general.

Abbott's School Choice Push Continues

• Even though the regular legislative session has ended, Gov. Greg Abbott is not relenting in his fight for school choice legislation. As Matthew DeLaCruz reports, that's welcome news for the Texas Home School Coalition.
       
• The organization's policy director, Anita Scott, says school choice legislation positively affects homeschool families by "validating the voice of the parent and the rights of the parent."
       
• The Texas Senate passed legislation creating a school choice program, but it was killed by the Texas House. Gov. Abbott has said he will call lawmakers into a special session to address school choice.

Organization Funds Out-of-State Abortions for Texas Minors

• A Texas-based abortion fund, Jane’s Due Process, has been sponsoring out-of-state abortions for Texas teens under 18. Valerie Muñoz reports the organization claims to have processed “30 intakes” in one month.
       

• The organization’s website opens with a pop-up message stating, “Under 18 and need an abortion? We know getting your parent’s permission isn’t always an option,” and provides a 24/7 hotline minors can use to solicit an abortion.

       
• The group stopped funding out-of-state abortions for ten months due to legal fears, but resumed in May after U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled that Texas abortion groups cannot be prosecuted for aiding abortion travel.

Drag Queens Plan East Texas Protest March

• East Texas drag queens are upset about legislation that forbids sexually oriented performances in the presence of children. As a result, reports Ryan Hughes, they are organizing a protest later this month in Longview. 
       
• Senate Bill 12 by State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R–Mineola) takes effect Sept. 1, banning sexually explicit programs, such as drag performances, from being performed in the presence of a minor. Violation will result in a $10,000 fine and a Class A misdemeanor.
       
• The protest march will be led by drag performer Gemini Alexander Brooks and Wolfie Hoover, vice president of Pride East Texas Longview (PETL). 
       
• “The mere fact these groups are so upset they will no longer be able to host vile performances in the presence of children is concerning," said Brady Gray of the Texas Family Project.

Arlington Mayor Commends Explicit Event Targeting Children

• Though Arlington’s highly sexual “Pride” festival exposed children to half-naked men strutting around in women’s lingerie, harnesses, and dog masks, the city's mayor – Jim Ross   – has praised the event. As Soli Rice reports, Ross was introduced during the highly sexual event as a “steadfast supporter of the [LGBT] community since day one.

       
• During his remarks, Ross pointed out that the City of Arlington received a perfect score from the left-wing Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index in 2022.

Y'All Answered

The chairman of the Republican Party of Texas has rebuked the GOP-dominated Texas House for what he described as watering down conservative priorities.

Yesterday, we asked readers which chamber of the Texas Legislature they thought had so far been more responsive to conservatives: the House or the Senate. Just 5.2 percent of readers gave kudos to the House, while 94.8 percent said it was the Senate.

Here's a sampling of the responses we received...

• “My expectations going into the session were very low, but the House even failed to meet that low bar. I'll give credit for passing some bills to protect children (but then why should we need legislation to protect children in the first place?), but on every other priority - a Big Fail!” – Fran Rhodes
       
• “I had a difficult time choosing which button to click because they both have failed their Conservative base which put them in office. I'm disgusted with the performance of the House this session.” – Wallace Dunn
      
• “The House is a useless bunch… all members need to be replaced with people who want to work to make our state better & get it back on the right track in so many areas before it’s too late!” –  Ann Cole
       
• “The House may as well be Democrat majority. Its members paid little, if any, heed to their constituents.” – Ellen Leyrer
       
• “While I clicked on the Senate, in reality, neither chamber was responsive. Most of the legislation passed by the Senate had no chance of passing in the House and they knew it, but it made them look good and allowed them to thump their collective chests and brag ‘look what we did.’ The House was more ’in your face’ about ignoring the will of the people and was responsive only to the lobbyists and special interest groups. Both chambers need to be purged.” – Bill Parks
         
• “I think your survey should include another option… ‘none of the above’!”– Priscilla Love
        
• “Had you given us a choice of ‘neither,’ I would have chosen it.” – Melissa Rowell
        
• “The Texas Senate has certainly done better than the House but that is like saying one child is better than the other because he only made one mess while the other made two or three.” – Roger Taylor
        
• “I don't understand why Phelan is allowed to continue to be called a Republican - he's anything but.” – Melynda B. Caudle
        
• "Senate is more responsive....by a hair." – Mary Casper
      
• “Not happy with the state house or senate. However, my ‘representative’ Matt Shaheen has received my final vote. He voted for Dade Phelan for Speaker and voted for the impeachment of Ken Paxton. If my next choice for District 66 is my current traitor Shaheen or whatever communist runs with the D by their name, I will vote for the Demonrat just to get rid of Shaheen. We will end up with the same crappy leftist legislation and conservatives will not have to shoulder the blame. Hopefully, a real conservative will primary and defeat Shaheen next time around so I don't have to vote for the official communist (D) party candidate.” – Brett Holman
        
• “Are you kidding me? The only thing the House has been responsive to is all the 5-day weekends they had during the regular session.” – Cindy Armstrong
       
• “Our Texas legislature is broken and works openly against the majority party over and over. The Governor seldom steps in to reprimand or get the House to work for the people. Isn’t that part of his duty to the people? We can not continue on this path.” – Jan Goria
        
• “Honestly, with this survey, you are giving us a choice between bad and worse!” – Sam Sorrell
         
• “The Texas House has been a joke and an embarrassment. Dade Phelan is obviously working with a liberal agenda, which is the opposite of what Republicans and Conservatives have voted for. Democrats committee chairs are driving Texas into a communist state (again Dade Phelan appointed).” – Dianna Allen
        
• “In my opinion the Senate has done all right, considering we are talking about politicians. The House on the other hand is a disgrace to the State of Texas. The RINO stench is horrid and most current members need to be primaried starting with the treacherous Dade Phelan.” – Eric Knutson
        
• “Dade Phelan has used his Democrat Chairs/Allies to block conservative bills as effectively as he possibly could, even more than had he been an openly Far-Left Democrat Politician. No other single Texas Politician has done more to harm Conservative Texans than Dade Phelan with the help of House Republicans.” – Johnny Nail

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