Good morning,

Believe it or not, this isn't the first time "underwear" has been mentioned in the Texas Minute... But don't worry, today it is in a quote from former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm related to the "Today In History" feature.

This is Thursday, July 13, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

New PAC Urges Republicans to ‘Stand With Paxton’

• A new political action committee is calling on Republican voters to rally around Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of his upcoming impeachment trial in the Texas Senate. Brandon Waltens reports on the initiative launched by the Houston-based Conservative Republicans of Texas.
     
• CRT founder Steven Hotze has sent a letter to more than 300,000 Republican voters in the state’s 19 Republican Senate districts. He is urging those voters to contact their senators and express opposition to the impeachment of Paxton.
       
• The letter is signed by more than a dozen prominent conservative leaders, such as Matt Rinaldi, the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, and Dr. Robin Armstrong, the state's Republican National Committeeman. Others include Patriot Academy founder Rick Green and Rick Scarborough, who leads Recover America.
      
• Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Dallas County passed a resolution condemning the impeachment of Mr. Paxton. Erin Anderson reports the Dallas GOP is the largest county party in the state to have adopted a resolution challenging the validity of the House process.
      
• Last month, the Republican Party of Texas condemned the House for voting to impeach Paxton “under illegal circumstances.”

Adults-Only Book Stays On Middle School Library Shelf

• Despite being labeled as “adult only,” a comic book with graphic depictions of sex acts is still being made available to middle school students in Fort Worth. Emily Medeiros has the details.
      
• A social media post from the popular online group "Libs of TikTok" reveals that the library at Daggett Middle School in Fort Worth still shows the book “Gender Queer” is available for students to check out.
      
• The so-called "graphic novel" (a comic book) covers topics such as chest binders, masturbation, sex toys, gay sex, and oral sex.
      

• Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 900, which will raise public school library standards when it takes effect on Sept. 1. The measure requires vendors to rate their books regarding sexually explicit material and prohibits school districts from purchasing such materials.

Border Security Advocates Hope For Special Session Action

• As the border crisis continues, advocates are calling on the governor to address border security. Sydnie Henry reports activists are asking the governor to pressure lawmakers into ending magnet programs that incentivize illegal crossings.
       
• “Despite the persistent efforts of grassroots conservatives, lawmakers concluded the regular session of the Texas Legislature without passing any meaningful legislation to protect the sovereignty and security of our state,” said Cary Cheshire, executive director of Texans for Strong Borders.
      
• TFSB is pushing for lawmakers to address policies that incentivize illegal aliens coming to Texas, including the job availability that exists because employers are not required to use E-Verify to verify legal residency.
      
• Earlier this year, Florida passed legislation that mandates the use of E-Verify for employers with 25 or more employees and imposes penalties for those who employ illegal aliens.

Court Rules UNT Can Charge Illegal Aliens Less Than Out-of-state U.S. Citizens

• Although a federal judge ruled last year that the University of North Texas could not charge out-of-state students higher tuition than illegal aliens residing in Texas, an appeals court has now reversed the decision. The ruling opens the door for UNT to resume charging illegal aliens less than U.S. citizens from other states.
      
• The lawsuit started three years ago, when the Texas Public Policy Foundation filed a lawsuit against UNT officials on behalf of Young Conservatives of Texas, arguing that UNT’s tuition scheme violated federal law.
      
• "We’re disappointed for our clients who now, as the Court recognized, have to pay 9 times more in tuition than illegal aliens," said Christian Townsend, an attorney at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Cruz Accuses ‘Barbie’ Movie of Propagating Chinese Disinformation

• With a promotional trailer for the upcoming "Barbie" movie showing a pro-Beijing take on the South China Sea, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has criticized the film for pushing CCP propaganda. Matthew DeLaCruz has the story.
     
• "I guess Barbie is made in China…." – Ted Cruz
      
• The controversy arose after a preview of the film depicted a controversial map of the South China Sea with the disputed nine-dash line. In 2016, following disputes between the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan, the United Nations ruled China’s claim over the nine-dash line “unlawful.” Despite this ruling, China has continued to exercise military power in the territory by constructing islands and dispatching naval ships in the territorial waters.
      
• The inclusion of the nine-dash line in “Barbie” has resulted in Vietnam banning the film from domestic distribution. The nation has a history of banning movies seen as sympathetic to China.
       
• Producers for “Barbie” claim the map means nothing and only acts as a guide to the “real world” in the movie.

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