Good morning,

Has the push to protect defendants gone too far? That's the subject of this week's One Click Survey.

But first, this is today's Texas Minute for Monday, Dec. 11, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Whitmire Wins Houston Mayoral Race

• State Sen. John Whitmire beat U.S. Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee in the runoff election for mayor Saturday. Neither of the two Democrats had received more than 50 percent of the vote in the general election last month. Sydnie Henry has the details.

      
• Whitmire received 65 percent of the vote in a campaign he focused on crime and infrastructure.
     
• Jackson Lee has been in Congress for 28 years. Her campaign was plagued with scandal after a profanity-laced audio recording of Jackson Lee berating a staff member emerged in November.

Court Rules for Galveston, Clearing Way for New Legal Precedent

• A federal appeals court granted a request to keep Galveston County’s current redistricting plan in place during an ongoing legal fight over how the county drew boundaries for its four commissioner precincts. Erin Anderson explains the statewide and national significance of the ruling.

      
• At issue is the county's redistricting plan that eliminated the county’s only majority-minority commissioner precinct, a “minority coalition” district of blacks and Hispanics represented by the lone Democrat commissioner. Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit arguing this was done in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
     
• The county argued that such "coalition" districts are not protected, and the new lines were necessary to reflect the growth in Galveston County’s population.
       
• By ruling against the plaintiffs, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals signaled that Galveston County is likely to win on the merits of the redistricting case.
      
• Such a ruling from the full court will overturn the circuit’s precedent that has allowed minority groups to be aggregated into “coalition” districts. Reversing that precedent will transform redistricting in the appeals court's jurisdiction (Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi). Other federal circuits do not allow using minority group coalitions to create what are almost always Democrat districts.

Texas Republican National Committeewoman Not Seeking Re-election

• Facing two opponents in her re-election bid to the Republican Nation Committee, Toni Anne Dashiell has announced she is withdrawing from the race. Brandon Waltens has the story.
      
• Dashiell has served 10 years in the position but gained opposition when she voted for the re-election of RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel. Dashiell's support was in direct opposition to a resolution passed by the State Republican Executive Committee—the party’s governing board—which unanimously approved a resolution calling for new leadership in the national party.
     
• The two candidates opposing Dashiell— Randan Steinhauser and Debbie Georgatos—will now be vying for the open seat. 
      
• Each state elects a Republican committeeman and a committeewoman to the RNC. The vote to fill the committeewoman role will take place during the Republican Party of Texas convention in May.

Shelley Luther Sets Re-match Against Phelan Ally

• Conservative activist Shelley Luther announced she is challenging incumbent Republican State Rep. Reggie Smith for the GOP nomination in House District 62.
       
• Luther made state and national headlines in 2020 when she was jailed after refusing to close her salon during the COVID-19 shutdowns. 
      
• In announcing her bid, Luther highlighted Smith's role as a committee chair under Speaker Dade Phelan "slow-walking" and killing conservative reforms. Smith also voted for the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and against Gov. Greg Abbott's marquee school choice proposal.

District Investigates Teacher For Assault of Student

• A DeSoto High School teacher is being investigated after a video posted to social media shows a physical altercation between him and a student. As Emily Medeiros reports, the video seems to show the teacher holding the student up against a pillar with his hand around the student’s neck.
       
• DeSoto Independent School District said that the teacher was placed on leave once they were made aware of the altercation.

Quote-Unquote

"No government ever succeeded in changing the moral convictions of its subjects by force."

– Lawrence Sullivan Ross​

ONE CLICK SURVEY

Advocates for “criminal justice reform” have pushed to eliminate cash bail, saying it discriminates against offenders with low income. Recent years have seen a rise in violent offenders being released without bail, only to commit crimes again.

What do you think? Should Texas end cash bail even if it means letting violent offenders back on the streets?

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