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December 3, 2023
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
The Fourth Special Session of the Texas Legislature is set to end on Wednesday, December 6.
So what has been accomplished?
Border security legislation to create a state penalty for illegal entry has been sent to Gov. Greg Abbott, as well as increased funding for border barrier infrastructure.
Education issues—including school choice—remain in limbo as the House killed a proposal to create Education Savings Accounts for parents.
After that vote, Abbott said he would would “continue advancing school choice in the Texas Legislature and at the ballot box, and will maintain the fight for parent empowerment until all parents can choose the best education path for their child.”
Whether that means calling lawmakers back for a fifth special session, however, is up in the air.
At different times, Abbott has given different answers on the possibility of additional special sessions. Ahead of the third special session, Abbott indicated he would call lawmakers back for two additional sessions.
“If we do not win in that first special session, we will have another special special session and we’ll come back again,” Abbott said at an event in September. “And then if we don’t win that time, I think it’s time to send this to the voters themselves.”
Just a few weeks ago, Abbott changed his tune and said he would call lawmakers back if school choice did not pass.
“We’d be spending December here, maybe January here, maybe February here,” said Abbott. “And I know one thing about both the House and Senate—They want to get out of here.”
His latest statement about fighting for school choice “in the Texas Legislature and the ballot box” appears to straddle the fence between his two previous statements. Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment on whether he would call another special session. He has, however, begun endorsing Republican incumbents who have supported school choice.
If Abbott does call a fifth special session, it will be only the second time a governor has called five special sessions. The current record is six, called by Gov. Bill Clements in 1990.
Featured
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to reinstate the injunction against Texas that ordered Texas to move the buoy barriers.
The Fifth Circuit had previously stayed the injunction in question, allowing Texas to keep its buoy barriers in the Rio Grande until the court ruled.
State
Sole Finalist for Texas A&M President Believes in White Privilege
Mark Welsh is set to be named as the President of Texas A&M early this month.
Texas Sues Pfizer for ‘Misrepresenting’ COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy
Attorney General Ken Paxton says Pfizer violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Ted Cruz to Endorse Against Texas Republicans Who Killed School Choice
Cruz also prioritized school choice in the 2022 primary, saying it was a “critical factor” in earning his support.
Local
Tyler ISD Substitute Teacher Charged with Sexually Assaulting Student
The district says Davian Isaiah Hunter has not been a part-time employee since the investigation began.
Harris County Drops Challenge to Law That Abolished Elections Administrator
The law’s author says elected officials are already doing a better job administering elections than the county’s appointees.
Allen West Announces Run for Dallas County GOP Chair
West says he will help bring conservatives into local positions.
Federal
Kyle Rittenhouse Corrects False Media Narratives in New Book ‘Acquitted’
Rittenhouse says he believes readers will be most surprised by the fact that he was just “a normal kid.”
John Cornyn: Gun Control Bill Was a ‘Good Start’
Cornyn was condemned by the Republican Party of Texas during their convention in 2022 after he worked to pass gun control legislation.
Illegal Border Crossers Given GPS Coordinates to Enter Texas
It has been previously reported that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has coordinated mass swims across the Rio Grande.
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Quoting...
"I shall never surrender or retreat."
- William B. Travis
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