Good morning,

State lawmakers receive $221 per day – or, more than $6,600 per month – during the special session whether they are at the Capitol, at home, or on vacation. Today's One Click Survey asks your opinion of that arrangement.

Here is today's Texas Minute for Monday, July 10, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Installation Begins For Border Buoy Barriers

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Department of Public Safety has begun the installation of buoy border barriers across the Rio Grande River, starting in Eagle Pass. Micah Rice has the details.

        
• Abbott said the floating barriers are intended to “deter illegal border crossings between ports of entry.” 
         
• “Ultimately, static barriers alone will not solve the problem of crossings between ports of entry,” said Chris Russo of Texans for Strong Borders, noting that “if Governor Abbott deploys state personnel to directly repel crossings in addition to this, it could prove an effective solution.”
      
• As the Texas DPS began the process of installing the buoys, the Maverick County Democrat Party protested the installation. Without evidence, one Democrat attorney has suggested the buoys would change the trajectory of the river and make Eagle Pass part of Mexico.

Impeachment Prosecutor Represented Killer Who Chopped up Neighbor’s Body

• One of the lead taxpayer-funded prosecutors in the impeachment trial against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has a reputation for having once represented a notorious murderer in a case that has inspired numerous television shows and documentaries. Brandon Waltens has the grisly background.
      
• Dick DeGuerin, a Houston-based criminal defense attorney, was hired by the Texas House to prosecute Attorney General Ken Paxton. He and attorney Rusty Hardin are being paid $500 per hour each, along with travel expenses.
     
• DeGuerin’s history of defending real estate heir and convicted murderer Robert Durst may raise some eyebrows from taxpayers who are set to foot the bill.
      
• Durst shot his neighbor in the face, dismembered the body, and disposed of the body parts in Galveston Bay. 
      
• The House's impeachment of Paxton has been widely panned by legal observers and criticized by the Republican Party of Texas, former President Donald Trump, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, among others.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Biden's ‘Ghost Gun’ Rule

• A federal judge in North Texas has rejected a rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives that would change the definition of a “firearm receiver.” Valerie Muñoz reports that because the Biden administration could not get Congress to change the law, the ATF attempted to accomplish the task through regulatory rulemaking.
     
• Biden's bureaucrats wanted to include parts kits in the definition of a firearm, thus requiring them to include serial numbers such as those found on manufactured firearms. The president issued an executive order in 2022 as part of his attempt to make it illegal for a business to manufacture parts kits without serial numbers.
     
• District Judge Reed O’Conner of the Northern District Court of Texas vacated the definition change, noting that it was up to Congress to set the definitions.
      
• “The ATF is quickly becoming known for its overreach and incompetence, and they’ve had more of their ‘rules’ halted by the court than any other agency." – Chris McNutt, president of Texas Gun Rights

Harris County Sues Texas Over Election Law

• In an attempt to block new election security legislation from taking effect, Harris County is suing Texas. Emily Medeiros has the story.
       
• Until 2020, Harris County elections were administered by the county clerk. Then, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the commissioners court decided to appoint an elections administrator to handle all election duties. Problems soon emerged, leading to the first administrator's resignation. The replacement's mismanagement of the November 2022 election sparked a criminal investigation and multiple lawsuits.
     
• Two measures passed by lawmakers to address the abuses have upset Harris County's Democrat officials, who say they should be free to manage local elections as they see fit.
      
• State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) was the chief architect of the reforms. He said the public would be better served by having elected officials who follow the election code rather than the "election fiascos" created by Harris County officials in recent years.

Texas Bishop Faces Investigation by Vatican Over Political Stance

• East Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland is facing investigation by Pope Francis after criticizing the church’s leadership and speaking out politically. Matthew DeLaCruz reports the bishop has called for Catholic Christians to embrace Jesus Christ rather than over-adhere to the Pope’s secular directives.
      

• Strickland has taken strong political initiatives, such as describing Joe Biden as an “evil president” and endorsing videos that strongly discourage Catholics from voting Democrat in political elections.
     
• The self-described “red-pilled” bishop has amassed more than 124,000 followers on Twitter. Observers note that the investigation into Bishop Strickland’s actions and statements underscores the looming tensions within the Catholic Church.

ONE CLICK SURVEY

Members of the Texas Legislature famously earn $600 per month but with some added benefits – like a pension tied to the salary of full-time state district judges – that few mention back home. They also get paid $221 per day for expenses when in Austin... or just because the legislative session is going on.

This means as the second special session continues without results in sight, lawmakers stand to collect $6,630 each month – even though many of them are not at the Capitol for the full 30 days.

Should it be considered theft for lawmakers to collect the full 30 days of special session per diem cash without having been present at the Capitol?

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