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There are fewer newspapers in Texas today than in 1943 when the population was a third of the current size. Today's One Click Survey asks about your media consumption.

Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, August 14, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

UPFRONT: An article from Friday misspelled the name of U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran. We apologize for the confusion!

Congressmen Give Support to Gov. Abbott’s Border Buoy Barriers

• Two dozen Republican lawmakers have filed an amicus brief in federal court supporting Texas’ construction of buoy barriers in the Rio Grande to block illegal immigration. Emily Medeiros has the details.
      

• The legal filing, spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), was made in response to the U.S. Department of Justice asking the federal courts to block the state from placing additional barriers in the Rio Grande. 

         

• Arrington said he and the others filed the brief because President Joe Biden has failed to secure the border, forcing Texas to take action.
        

• “Sovereign states do not have to be passive victims of Biden’s border crisis and a failed federal government." – U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington
       

• The Biden DOJ claims the barriers violate the Rivers and Harbors Act, posing an immediate threat to navigation and safety. The agency also claims Texas' action causes harm to relations between the U.S. and Mexico.

Cruz Vows Campaign Against School Choice Opponents

• U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R–TX) is preparing to campaign against Republican state lawmakers who oppose school choice. Brandon Waltens reports the state's junior senator wants to "change the calculus" on the issue.
       
• The issue of school choice – giving parents flexibility in the academic setting for their children beyond where the family sleeps at night – has been a priority of the Texas GOP for two decades.
     

• While school choice legislation was repeatedly struck down in the Texas House during the regular legislative session earlier this year, Cruz is optimistic that a bill can pass during a special session later this fall.
        

• This is not the first time Cruz has endorsed candidates based on their support for school choice. In the 2022 primary, Cruz said it was a “critical factor” in earning his support.
       

• That decision led to a split between Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott on a number of state legislative endorsements. For example, Abbott endorsed incumbents State Reps. Kyle Kacal (R–College Station) and Glenn Rogers (R–Graford), but Cruz supported their challengers.
       

• Yes, Kacal and Rogers won their respective elections... but they voted (against Abbott) to block any state funds from being used to implement a school choice program. 

Harrison Requests Investigation Into Texas A&M’s Payout to Job Prospect

• A Republican lawmaker is asking the Texas State Auditor to investigate the $1 million settlement Texas A&M made with Kathleen McElroy, a diversity, equity, and inclusion proponent who voluntarily terminated her employment negotiations with the institution. Matthew DeLaCruz has the story.

        
• Texas A&M faced public criticism for offering McElroy the position of director of journalism. When their initial deal was publicized, and her background promoting radical leftist ideology was exposed, Texas A&M changed the job offer. She turned it down.
       
• Inexplicably, A&M then offered her a $1 million cash settlement.
       
• State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) wants to know if taxpayer dollars are being used to pay McElroy, who has kept her tenured position at UT-Austin. 

CLAIM: 32K ‘Illegal Ballots’ Were Counted in Harris County

• New documents filed by the 2022 Republican nominee for Harris County Judge claim that 32,000 “likely illegal ballots” were counted in that November's election. Erin Anderson explains the number is higher than the Democrat's margin of victory.
      
• Democrat incumbent Lina Hidalgo was declared the winner in 2022 with an 18,183-vote lead over Republican Alexandra Mealer.
     
• According to Mealer's lawyers in an ongoing election contest, more than 32,000 ballots were counted in violation of Texas law. These include ballots cast by voters who had moved outside the county, had canceled registrations, had not attested to their eligibility as residents, or cast mail ballots without proper signature verification.

Today In History

On Aug. 14, 1819, the first newspaper in Texas began publication in Nacogdoches. It ceased publication the next month.

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