Good morning,

Closing out this week's Texas Minute, Michael Quinn Sullivan reflects on the lessons we can learn from Jesus healing the servant of a Roman centurion.

But first, here is the news you need to know for Friday, September 22, 2023.

– Brandon Waltens 

Will AG Ken Paxton Challenge John Cornyn for US Senate Seat?

• Following his acquittal on impeachment charges, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined Tucker Carlson for an interview to discuss the state of Texas politics.
   

• Sydnie Henry reports Carlson drew attention to the ongoing crisis at Texas’ southern border and asked Paxton how he felt U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has handled it.
   

• “I have no idea why he doesn’t seem to address this on a regular basis,” said Paxton. “Thank God Ted Cruz has, but John Cornyn has been basically vacant on this issue.”
   

• Carlson then questioned whether Paxton would consider running against Cornyn when his term ends in 2026.
   

• “Everything’s on the table for me,” said Paxton. “Now that I’ve been through this, and I’ve seen how guys like John Cornyn have represented the State of Texas and not represented us, I think it’s time. Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy that will do the job and do it the right way and represent us and worry about what’s going on at the border.”
   

• Cornyn came under fire from Texas Republicans last year when he joined Democrat lawmakers in crafting legislation to expand gun control regulations. Polling of delegates to the Republican Party of Texas convention found that 67 percent of delegates had an unfavorable opinion of Cornyn, while 16 percent supported him.

How Close is Texas to Passing School Choice?

• As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warns lawmakers that he will call a special legislative session to address school choice next month, citizens are preparing for the fight ahead. Katy Marshall recaps where school choice efforts were left at the end of the regular session in May. 
   

• Although passing meaningful school choice legislation was one of Abbott’s—and the Republican Party of Texas’—legislative priorities, the Texas House failed to approve measures sent over from the Senate.
   

• State Sen. Brandon Creighton’s (R-Conroe) Senate Bill 8 would have funded education savings accounts at $8,000 per student a year and provided a reimbursement of $10,000 to school districts with fewer than 20,000 students for each student who withdraws from public school.
   

• It would have also expanded parental rights by standardizing the district grievance process, requiring consent to administer any psychological tests, providing transparency of instructional materials, and prohibiting teaching on sexual orientation or gender identity.
   

• That bill was killed in the Texas House without a vote.
   

• Abbott has announced that he will call a special session on education sometime in October, and warned lawmakers that he is dedicated to passing school choice legislation.

Two Lawmakers Call for Special Session to Secure the Border

• Two state representatives are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call an immediate special session to address the invasion on the southern border. Emily Medeiros has the story.
   

• State Reps. Brian Harrison (R–Midlothian) and Matt Schaefer (R–Tyler) released a joint statement asking Abbott to use “every state and federal constitutional authority he has to stop the invasion and deport illegal migrants.”
   

• During the 88th regular Legislative Session, Schaefer authored House Bill 20—the Border Protection Unit Act—which sought to create a border security force within the Texas Department of Public Safety. Harrison authored House Bill 1491, also known as the Texas Title 42 Act, which would have used the state’s police powers to remove illegal aliens from Texas.
   

• Both bills were killed in the House. 
   

• “This has to stop. Texas can lead, but so far, our efforts have not worked. It’s time for bold action to deter and repel the cartel invasion. Send them back.” –State Rep. Matt Schaefer

FACT CHECK: No, Gov. Abbott Did Not Just Declare a Border Invasion

• While some news outlets are reporting that Gov. Greg Abbott has just declared an invasion at the southern border, the truth is less exciting for border security advocates.
   

• The source of the excitement stemmed from a post on X Abbott made on Wednesday evening, in which he stated, “I officially declared an invasion at our border because of Biden's policies. We deployed the Texas National Guard, DPS & local law enforcement. We are building a border wall, razor wire & marine barriers. We are also repelling migrants.”
   

• Abbott’s post, however, cites a letter from November of 2022 where he claimed he was using his constitutional authority to declare an invasion on the southern border. 
   

• In the 10 months since, hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens have continued to pour into Texas.
   

• Chris Russo, the president of Texans for Strong Borders, says the reason stems from Abbott’s unwillingness to “use all available state resources to physically repel illegal border crossings all across the state.”
   

• While National Guard troops have been used as part of Operation Lone Star, they have primarily helped Border Patrol process illegal aliens.
   

• Tucker Carlson recently said anything aside from deploying the guard to stop the invasion is not a meaningful solution.

Travis County GOP Unanimously Passes Medical Liberty Resolution

• Travis County’s Republican Party has unanimously passed a medical liberty resolution, joining several other counties in requesting Gov. Greg Abbott add COVID-19 vaccine freedom legislation to a special session call. Soli Rice has the details. 
   

• During the regular 88th Legislative Session, identical measures House Bill 81 by State Rep. Brian Harrison (R–Midlothian) and Senate Bill 177 by State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston) were designated as the Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Freedom Act. 
   

• This act would have required a person or entity to obtain an individual’s “informed consent” before administering a vaccination for COVID-19.  It would have also prohibited any action intended to “compel or coerce” an individual into giving such consent, as well as prohibited taking an “adverse action” against someone for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. 
   

• The Senate passed SB 177 and sent it to the House; however, the Republican-majority House allowed both bills to die by running out the clock without scheduling either for a vote. 
   

• Travis County joined Ellis, Dallas, Williamson, and El Paso counties in calling  for Abbott to address the issue during a special session.

Sen. Bob Hall: Inside Look at the Historic Impeachment Trial

• In a new commentary, State Sen. Bob Hall recounts his thoughts on the Ken Paxton impeachment trial.
   
• "The shortcut the House took by bypassing due process led them down the wrong path to a trial where the scarcity of evidence left the Senate unable to get 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' THIS must never happen again." –Sen. Bob Hall

Friday Reflection:
Scandalizing The Faithful

When confronted with Jesus’ miracles in the Bible, seeped as they are with 2,000 years of devotion and faith, we sometimes skip past just how scandalous some of the situations would have been – not just to the ruling elite, but even His own followers.

As described in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus had just delivered the Sermon on the Mount and was returning to the “home base” of His ministry in Capernaum. A Roman centurion approached him about a servant who was paralyzed and in pain.

Romans didn’t have a reputation for caring much about their servants, and they weren’t big on asking the Jews for help. And the Jews – particularly the brand of zealous Jews found in Capernaum – were not necessarily inclined to mix socially with the Romans.

So this interaction would have caused a stir in both camps.

The centurion seemed to understand this. When Jesus offered to go to the centurion’s home and visit the servant, the Roman military man said no.

“But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

Matthew describes Jesus as being “amazed” by the centurion’s response, and the “servant was healed at that moment.”

But, as always, there is more. Jesus said to those around Him: “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”

Listen to that rebuke from the perspective of the Jewish zealots who had attached themselves to Jesus. They thought they were following a Messiah in their own image, one who would knock the Romans down a couple of pegs – not heal a centurion’s servant. And most certainly, not one who was willing to praise the faith of a gentile.

Jesus wasn’t looking for convenient allies in a civil war but committed soldiers in the fight for eternity. He was uninterested in ethnic feuds and more interested in the salvation of humanity.

Many of Jesus’ Jewish followers saw a Roman as a blood enemy of Israel. Jesus saw a man created in the image of God who was hurting.

Are we blinded by the purity of our commitment to our own cause, or do we have the faith of a Roman centurion? Rather than earn the cheers of our fellow zealots, we should hope for the approval of our Lord and Savior.

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