Good morning,

Filing began on Saturday for places on the Texas primary election ballot. In today's One Click Survey, I'm curious about which "political label" best describes you.

But first, here is the Texas Minute for Monday, Nov. 13, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas House Refusing to Show Up for Special Session

• In what has been a recurring theme for the Texas House under the leadership of Speaker Dade Phelan, Republican and Democrat members alike refused to show up for business again on Saturday. This marked the fourth time in two weeks a quorum was not present to conduct business.
       
• On Saturday morning, Republican lawmakers Steve Toth, Tony Tinderholt, Brian Harrison, and Nate Schatzline accused Phelan himself of giving lawmakers permission to skip town and disrupt the legislative proceedings.
        
• "This is what’s being told to the members, that it’s not important to be here," said Schatzline in a social media post, repeating what he heard Phelan telling several dozen lawmakers on Friday.
        

• For example, establishment Republican Ellen Troxclair is a former member of the Austin City Council and lives within a few miles of the Capitol. She was among those who have been absent from proceedings.
      

• The House is scheduled to convene at 6 p.m. today.

Senate Finishes Work on Session Agenda 

• Just over 48 hours into the fourth special session in Austin, the Texas Senate made quick work of Gov. Greg Abbott’s agenda, passing legislation relating to every item on the call. Brandon Waltens has the details.
      
• In addition to creating a school choice program and providing pay raises for teachers, senators advanced legislation dealing with border security.
     
• The Senate is set to convene at 2 p.m. today.

Abbott: More Special Sessions if House (Again) Kills School Choice

• As the fate of school choice legislation hangs in the Texas House’s hands, Gov. Greg Abbott said he could call lawmakers back repeatedly if it fails.

    
• On Friday, the issue hit a new milestone after a school choice bill was passed out of a House Committee, preparing the way for a vote by the full body. But that success was marred by lawmakers not showing up for business on Friday and Saturday.
     
• “We’d be spending December here, maybe January here, maybe February here,” said Abbott.

Donald Trump Files for Place on Texas Ballot

• Donald Trump was the first presidential candidate to file for the ballot. His paperwork and check were hand-delivered on Saturday morning to the Republican Party of Texas’ headquarters in downtown Austin by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson.
       
• All three had previously endorsed Trump early in his re-election bid.

Pope Forcibly Ejects Conservative Texas Bishop from Leadership

• Conservative Bishop Joseph E. Strickland has been forcibly relieved of his post as the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Tyler by Pope Francis. As Sydnie Henry reports, Strickland has a history of speaking out for pro-life issues and traditional family values.

       
• Among other things, Strickland has been critical of Pope Francis’ embrace of LGBT unions. Strickland was a 2020 recipient of the Conservative Leader Award.

Rangers Launch Investigation Into Democrat Harris County Judge

• More than a year after three of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s senior staffers were charged with misuse of information and tampering with a government record, Texas Rangers are looking into new related tampering claims within Hidalgo’s office. Soli Rice has the story.

      
• In 2022, three of Hidalgo's staffers were indicted following an investigation into an $11 million COVID-19 outreach contract. The contract had been awarded to Elevate Strategies, a local company founded by a political ally of Hidalgo.
     
• The new investigation focuses on efforts by Hidalgo’s office to allegedly conceal records showing how the $11 million county contract was awarded.

Quote-Unquote

"When I feel the heat, I see the light."

– Everett Dirksen

ONE CLICK SURVEY

Which of these best describes your political leanings?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!