Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday, November 30, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

John Cornyn Calls Gun Control Bill ‘A Good Start’

• U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is doubling down on his support for “compromise” gun control legislation he helped move through the Senate. Brandon Waltens has the details. 
   

• In 2022, Cornyn joined with Democrats to help pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The law was criticized for incentivizing states to impose “red flag” laws. The purpose of such laws is to deny otherwise law-abiding citizens of their right to purchase firearms by circumventing the Constitution’s due process protections.
   

• Cornyn was condemned by the Republican Party of Texas during their convention, which took place right as the gun control proposal was being moved through the Senate. Cornyn was loudly booed during his speech to delegates, while a resolution denounced red flag laws as “a pre-crime punishment of people not adjudicated guilty.”
   

• During a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the “public health crisis” caused by guns, Cornyn called the legislation "a good start."
   

• "This law has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with eroding the Second Amendment. It must be repealed."–Chris McNutt, Texas Gun Rights

Texas A&M Interim President Believes in ‘White Privilege’

• As the 21-day waiting period between the time a sole finalist for university president is selected and officially appointed nears its close, Texas A&M Interim President Mark Welsh continues to face scrutiny over his past support of leftist ideologies. 
   

• Sydnie Henry reports following George Floyd’s death in 2020, Welsh released a statement in which he endorsed the idea of “White Privilege.” 
   

• Welsh has served as the university’s interim president since former President Kathy Banks resigned in late July following a hiring debacle. He was named the sole finalist for university president on November 17.
   

• The required 21-day waiting period between when a sole finalist is chosen by the TAMU Board of Regents and officially appointed means Welsh may be named president on December 8. 

Cruz to Endorse Against School Choice Opponents

• Sen. Ted Cruz says he will endorse against the 21 Republicans who voted with Democrats against school choice in the Texas House.
   

• Earlier this month, 21 Republicans in the Texas House sided with Democrats in killing a school choice proposal. During an interview on the Chris Salcedo Show, Cruz said he is prepared to replace them with more conservative members.
   

• “l’ll tell you this, the 21 Republicans that voted this last session to kill school choice, every one of those 21 I want to make an invitation to their primary opponent: run against them and I will back you.”
   

• 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. While Abbott endorsed incumbents State Reps. Kyle Kacal (R–College Station) and Glenn Rogers (R–Graford), Cruz supported their challengers. Both Kacal and Rogers won their elections and went on to vote against school choice.
   

• This year, however, Abbott has made the issue his top priority and has already begun endorsing against incumbent members who opposed school choice.

Biden Admin Directs Border Patrol to use 'Preferred Pronouns'

• As border patrol agents are swamped with mass numbers of illegal border crossers, the Biden administration is prioritizing preferred pronouns over border security. 

• Emily Medeiros reports that a memo obtained by the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project shows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security directing border patrol agents to comply with the preferred pronouns of illegal aliens. 

• The memo, called the “Guide to facilitating effective communications with individuals who identify as LGBTQ+,” gives guidance to all U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees on how to interact with individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

• The document adds that the terms and definitions are not universal and that “some LGBTQI+ individuals may define these terms differently and the meanings of the terms may change over time.”

• DHS also encourages agents to use gender-neutral terminology until they are certain of the person’s preferred pronouns. Additionally, agents are prevented from assuming an illegal alien’s gender and are asked to avoid using “sir, ma’am, mr., and mrs.”

Harris County Drops Challenge to Law That Abolished Elections Administrator

• Harris County has dropped its challenge to a new Texas law that returned election administration duties to elected officials in the state’s most populous county. Erin Anderson has the story. 
   

• Senate Bill 1750, which took effect on September 1, abolished the appointed position of elections administrator in any county with a population of more than 3.5 million and transferred election administration and voter registration duties back to the county’s elected county clerk and tax assessor-collector.
   

• Only Harris County currently fits the law’s population requirement.
   

• Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee filed a lawsuit in July claiming that SB 1750 violated the Texas constitution by specifically targeting the county.
   

• State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston), who authored the measure in response to recent election fiascos in the county, called the lawsuit “frivolous” and “a waste of taxpayer money.”
   

• Just before Thanksgiving, Menefee filed a notice of “nonsuit without prejudice,” withdrawing the lawsuit but reserving the right to refile. The state then asked the Texas Supreme Court to abate a pending appeal in the case and cancel oral arguments scheduled for Tuesday.
   

• Once the trial court formally dismisses Harris County’s case, the state will file a motion to dismiss its appeal. The Texas Supreme Court set a deadline of January 26, 2024.

Kyle Rittenhouse Corrects False Media Narratives in New Book ‘Acquitted’

• Kyle Rittenhouse, who was thrust into the national spotlight after defending himself from rioters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020, is sharing his story for the first time.
   

• The new book, aptly titled Acquitted, comes two years after he was acquitted on homicide charges after killing two men in self defense.
   

• “The reason I wanted to tell my story is because there were so many false media narratives and so many people painting a different picture of who I really am in their own mind,” Rittenhouse told Texas Scorecard.
   

• I was honored to get to participate in helping Kyle tell his story. I think you’ll enjoy getting to know the real Kyle Rittenhouse.
   

• Acquitted is available digitally on Amazon. Physical and signed copies are available for pre-order at RittenhouseBook.com.

Quote-Unquote

“A right Heart exceeds all.”

– Benjamin Franklin​

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