Good morning,

What would it take to remove Dade Phelan from the speakership of the Texas House? Brandon Waltens puts it in the context of Kevin McCarthy's ouster.

That, and more, in today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Thursday, October 5, 2023

Texas Senator Wants Reimbursement From Feds for Educating Illegals

• State Sen. Drew Springer (R–Muenster) is calling for the adoption of legislation requiring the federal government to reimburse Texas for the cost of educating illegal aliens. The senator wants Gov. Greg Abbott to include the idea included on the agenda for the upcoming special session, reports Emily Medeiros. 
      
• “Texas can not afford to wait until the 89th Legislative Session to address this matter,” wrote Springer. “Texas is not a sanctuary state for illegal migrants, yet we’re spending billions each year to fund their education. It is time that we put an end to this and send the federal government the bill.”
      
• Springer authored similar legislation earlier this year. The measure was left pending in the Senate’s education committee.
       
• According to Springer, Texas taxpayers are paying up to $8 billion annually to provide an education for illegal aliens.

Major Drug Bust at Border

• In recent days, South Texas Customs and Border Protection officers have seized packages of cocaine, methamphetamines, and marijuana along the border. Soli Rice reports law enforcement officials set the street value at more than $1.5 million.
        
• The drugs were found hidden inside vehicles entering the country. In one case, a 42-year-old male Mexican citizen was traveling with his spouse and children into the U.S. Their pickup truck was selected for a secondary inspection, which resulted in 300 pounds of methamphetamines being discovered in the truck’s bed liner.
        
• “Our country is being flooded with drugs manufactured in China or in Mexico with Chinese precursors and being trafficked by narcoterrorist cartels,” said Chris Russo, president of Texans for Strong Borders.

Could Dade Phelan Be The Next Speaker Removed From Office?

• Whatever one thinks about the historic ousting of Kevin McCarthy from the speakership of the U.S. House, Brandon Waltens explores the similarities—and differences—in calls to remove Dade Phelan as speaker of the Texas House.
       
• It boils down to this: a motion to vacate the chair can be made by any legislator, but the speaker must recognize it. Under the rules, if a speaker does not allow a member to make that motion, a written request—signed by at least 76 members of the Texas House—can be submitted to appeal the lack of recognition. Of course, 76 members is a majority of the 150-member body.

• Be sure to catch Brandon's "Daily Headlines" each weekday at 5 p.m. for the latest news and analysis

Plano Parents Blast School Board Over Sexually Explicit Books

• After waiting five hours for a chance to speak, Plano parents blasted their elected school board trustees for failing to remove dozens of books that the district has acknowledged are sexually explicit but still decided to keep in students’ libraries. Erin Anderson has details from this week's board meeting.

     
• Parents were upset by the district's decision to retain library books rated as “very explicit” and “intended to titillate or shock the reader” by the district’s own review committee.
       

• Multiple people read aloud explicit passages from books they described as “reviewed and approved by Plano ISD.”

Commissioners Reject Funding For 'Girls Inc.'

• Tarrant County Commissioners voted to block funding for an organization that has openly supported leftwing political agendas and radical gender ideology, while working against pro-life laws.
      
• County commissioners were asked to allocate $115,334 in state grants for a “progressive” non-profit organization called Girls Inc. Instead, the commissioners voted to reject the contract.

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