OOPS!  I got it wrong!

The first section of this message on Grassroots Pressure has a major error.  I wrote that the Journalism professor was from A&M, applying to UT Austin.  IT'S THE OTHER WAY ROUND!  She's currently at UT and was being considered at A&M.  Apologies to all the Aggies out there who were instrumental in applying the grassroots pressure that won the day.

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Dear TTP Citizen Advocates,

Happy Friday!  August is almost upon us and where did the summer go?  We saw an end to the 88th Regular Session (disappointing!) followed by 2 very confusing, disjointed special sessions resulting (finally) in a property tax relief bill being signed into law.  What's next?  So much is next, I hardly have room to write about it in one Friday Message.  But let's try!

GRASSROOTS PRESSURE WORKS!

People ask me all the time why we continue to pressure legislators and others when we see so few results.  My answer is "how can you not do it?"   We can't ever give up!  Where would that leave our kids and grand kids? I'm telling you - grassroots pressure works!  We are seeing it all the time.  Here are some examples:

• DEI and LGBT in Texas Universities - An  article in Texas Scorecard by a student doing a fellowship with Scorecard, exposed the left leaning, DEI pushing, racist record of an A&M professor targeted to run the UT Austin Journalism Department.  There was a huge outcry and push back from students and the general public, and the employment offer was drastically reduced, and eventually rejected.  The same public outcry also triggered the resignation of A&M's President, AND the interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.  Grassroots pressure did that!
• Legislative Gains as a result of grassroots pressure - Although we are all disappointed in the results of the 88th Legislature in general, we did see significant gains on issues of protecting children.  It was grassroots pressure that brought those wins!  Most of the lawmakers did not want to take those votes, but community involvement forced the issue, and we won.  (for a summary of the specific bills on this subject, please see the 88th Session Wrap Up article.). 
• Drag Queen Shows - As a result of those legislative wins, the "Drag Queen Christmas" show that toured the US last year, open to all ages, will now be restricted to attendees 18 and older with a valid I.D.
• It also works at the local level - since 2020, mad mama and papa bears and taxpayers in general have taken action to replace school policies that do not benefit children, and elect trustees devoted to common sense education for all students. In Fort Worth, a movie theater recently removed a preview focused on LGBT perspectives that was showing prior to movies intended for children because of push back from parents and local residents.  Grassroots pressure works!

So please don't get discouraged!  It's working, and we're slowly shifting the Overton Window to the right.  Just look at what's happened to Bud Light!

ACTION - Keep up the pressure anywhere and everywhere!

IMPEACHMENT UPDATE

• The Lt. Governor's office has set up  a website where you can sign up for impeachment trial updates and information.  There's also a section where you can read all the documents related to the trial.  Trial is still set to begin on Sept. 5.
• A gag order has been issued by LG Patrick for all participants in the trial
• Paxton's lawyers have asked for clarification on the impeachment charges
• Congressman Ronny Jackson has said this about it. "Texans OVERWHELMINGLY voted to re-elect Ken Paxton. His only offense was standing up to the weak-kneed establishment, and putting Texans FIRST! The Witch Hunt against Ken Paxton is a DISGRACE!!"
• Paxton's lawyers are calling for 3 Senators to be disqualified from the trial because of publicly demonstrated bias against the AG.  If Sen. Angela Paxton is excluded because of potential bias in favor, they claim that the 3 Democrat Senators should be excluded for their bias against.
  
• Looks like one of the things that prompted the impeachment investigation was the request for the state to fund the lawsuit settlement against the OAG over the firing of whistleblowers.  Text messages and FB exchanges by Rep Jeff Leach reveal a high level of animosity for AG Paxton over the settlement.  Rep Leach is on the House Board of Managers for the trial.

Remember this - our opposition to this impeachment is not about Ken Paxton, the things he did prior to the 2022 election, or whether or not we like him.  It's about the process.  As mentioned in last week's message, the process was flawed, and seems to be another example of the weaponization of government against individuals.  If they succeed in this impeachment, they will attempt to do the same for others who challenge the establishment agenda.  It's very similar to what's happening to President Trump.  We should all be concerned about that.

ACTION - Keep contacting ALL Senators (not just your own) asking them to either dismiss the charges as invalid, or vote no in the trial.  For contact information, click here.  Find the Senator, click on the picture, and find phone #, email, and mailing address for both the Capitol offices and the district offices. 

I'm definitely planning an activist day at the Capitol on Sept 5 when the trial begins.  I'm accumulating names, so if you're interested in joining, please let me know by replying to this email.

BORDER SECURITY

The border buoys have been installed in the Rio Grand river, and getting quite a bit of attention.  Now the Biden Administration is suing Texas to have them removed.  (probably because it's working!)  Our answer to that is simple:

CASINO GAMBLING IN TEXAS - When lawmakers tried to pass legislation in the regular session to bring casino gambling and on-line betting to Texas, grassroots activists rose up to oppose it.  TTP Citizen Advocates delivered petitions with hundreds of signatures to House Reps and Senators opposing the legislation. We joined with other grassroots organizations to send the message that we don't want gambling in Texas.  AND IT WORKED!  The bills were narrowly defeated on the floor of the House because they couldn't get the required 2/3 majority for a constitutional amendment.  Rep. Charlie Geren, the author of one of the bills remarked that he "knew when to fold em".  But apparently, some people to not know when to fold em.  According to a TX Scorecard article, a new PAC, called Texans for Opportunity & Prosperity is heavily funding the campaigns of incumbent representatives who favored the gambling legislation, and has collected large sums from the Texas Sands PAC and Texans for Lawsuit Reform.  Of course, the word "gambling" is not mentioned anywhere!  It's all about "opportunity" and "prosperity".  It's not about gambling.  Not at all!  (These people are sneaky and you have to pay attention!)

ACTION - Contact the following Representatives (especially if you live in one of these districts) and tell them Texans do not want gambling in our state, no matter how much "opportunity and prosperity" they think it will bring.  Thanks to TX Scorecard, you can click on the name, and go directly to the Scorecard directory where you'll find their contact information, along with voting records and other interesting things.  The Texas Scorecard, in my opinion, has the VERY BEST directory available!

• Jacey Jetton (Richmond)
• Ernest Bailes (Shepherd)
• Jeff Leach (Plano)
• Brooks Landgraf (Odessa)
• Angelia Orr (Itasca)
• Cody Harris (Palestine)
• Sam Harless (Spring)
• Janie Lopez (San Benito)
• Brad Buckley (Killeen)
• Ken King (Canadian)
• Glenn Rogers (Graford)
• Frederick Frazier (McKinney)
• Charlie Geren (Fort Worth)
• Justin Holland (Heath)
• Steve Allison (San Antonio)

Interesting fact:  I checked the financial records (contained in the Scorecard Directory) and for almost all of these Reps, the top 3 donors to their campaigns are Texans for Lawsuit Reform and/or Dade Pheln.  Hmmmmmm.

SPEAKING OF SCORECARDS - have you seen all the various scorecards by our partner groups?  These groups all have a specific issue focus, and they score legislative votes based on those issues.  Be sure to analyze all of them when making voting decisions.  Don't be a single issue voter - but take into consideration how they did on a number of issues.

• Texans for Fiscal Responsibility - fiscal issues
• Texans for Vaccine Choice - medical freedom and informed consent issues
• Texans United for Reform and Freedom - transportation issues
• Texas Family Project - family, parental rights, protect children issues
• Texas Right to Life - life issues including anti-abortion (**This one is not released yet, but it will be on their website when it is finished.)
• Rice University Mark Jones Lib-Con index - rates House and Senate by most liberal or conservative to least.

OK, that's probably enough for a hot Texas summer Friday!  Stay cool, but stay engaged!

For Texas always,

Fran Rhodes, President

PS:  Have you heard about our election 2024 plan?  You'll see all the details in Sundays weekly newsletter.  We're very excited about it and I hope you will be too, cause we need EVERYONE to participate!