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Will you be making a resolution for 2024? Sound off on the practice in today's One Click Survey!

Here is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Paxton Forces Google to Pay

As the year ends, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a $700 million settlement with Google over the tech giant's anticompetitive practices. Sydnie Henry has the details [[link removed]].

Under Paxton, Texas led a coalition of all the states in taking on Google.

Google must pay $630 million in restitution—minus costs and fees—to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by what Paxton describes as the company's anticompetitive practices. Google will pay the states an additional $70 million in penalties.

“Texas has led the nation in the fight to hold giant tech companies accountable for monopolistic activity,” said Paxton [[link removed]]. “I am proud that this settlement brought together so many states who recognized the importance of protecting free markets.”

2023 in Review

Texas Finally Banned Child Gender Mutilation After several years of failure to act, Texas lawmakers in 2023 passed a ban on gender mutilative drugs and surgeries for children. Valerie Muñoz looks back on the story [[link removed]].

A 2019 custody battle over a 7-year-old boy played a pivotal role in prompting the Republican Party of Texas to prioritize legislation aimed at protecting children from gender mutilation. A Dallas jury ruled against the boy's father for trying to stop his ex-wife from transitioning their son into a girl.

In addition to a legislative ban, Attorney General Ken Paxton has ordered an investigation into Dell Children’s Medical Center for potential illegal performance of “gender transitioning” procedures.

Homosexual groups have begun offering travel vouchers to “gender-diverse” minors seeking mutilative procedures outside Texas.

2023 in Review

House, Senate, Governor Sparred Over Property Tax Relief

When the 2023 legislative session began with a surplus in excess of $31 billion, many believed some amount of property tax relief was almost certainly an easy win. Brandon Waltens explains [[link removed]] how infighting nearly derailed the effort.

While property tax relief was a legislative priority of Abbott, the House and the Senate were at odds all year on the approach. House members advocated for stronger appraisal caps and the Senate supported an increase to the homestead exemption. For his part, Abbott embraced a plan to use the money to help buy down—or “compress”—local school property taxes.

A special session was called to address the matter immediately after the regular session ended, during which the House refused to meet. Following a month-long stalemate, a compromise plan was reached that resulted in the second-largest tax cut in state history but nonetheless failed to meet the expectations of many taxpayers.

“The Texas Legislature had an historic opportunity this year with a $33 billion surplus to provide lasting property tax relief. Unfortunately, at just $12.7 billion in new tax relief passed this year, the second-largest new property tax relief package in Texas history, the Legislature squandered that historic opportunity,” said Andrew McVeigh of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.

2023 in Review

Texas House Repeatedly Killed School Choice

School choice has been a top priority for the Republican Party of Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott, but the Texas House spent 2023 continually shooting it down. Emily Medeiros explores the policy fight [[link removed]] that is reshaping the 2024 political landscape.

Leading up to the 2023 legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott promised to get the job done.

While proposals to create Education Savings Accounts moved through the Texas Senate, the Republican leadership of the Texas House slow-rolled—and then killed—similar initiatives.

As the year wore on, Abbott promised action on school choice and even threatened political retribution for those Republicans who opposed him. The Senate again passed variations of school choice legislation. Finally, the House leadership allowed a vote on an omnibus education finance measure that included a school choice program.

Twenty-one Republicans and the full Democrat caucus voted to strip the school choice proposal—effectively killing Abbott's priority for 2023.

In response, Abbott has begun endorsing against the Republican opponents ahead of the 2024 GOP primary. Today In History

On Dec. 27, 1836, Stephen F. Austin died in the town known today as West Columbia. He was 43 and serving as secretary of state for the newly formed Republic of Texas.

Number of the Day

80%

Percentage of Americans who say they feel confident in achieving their 2024 New Year's resolutions.

[Source: Forbes [[link removed]]]

Quote-Unquote

"By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail."

– Benjamin Franklin​

ONE CLICK SURVEY

Resolutions for the new year go back thousands of years, often rooted in—but not exclusive to—religious traditions.

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Directory of Your U.S. & Texas Officials [[link removed]]

This information is automatically inserted based on the mailing address you provide to us. If you'd like to update your contact information, please visit our subscriber portal [[link removed]].

​ U.S. Senator [[link removed]]

John Cornyn - R

(202) 224-2934

U.S. Senator [[link removed]]

Ted Cruz - R

(202) 224-5922

Governor of Texas [[link removed]]

Greg Abbott - R

(512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor [[link removed]]

Dan Patrick - R

(512) 463-0001

Attorney General [[link removed]]

Ken Paxton – R

(512) 463-2100

Comptroller [[link removed]]

Glenn Hegar – R

(512) 463-4600

Land Commissioner [[link removed]]

Dawn Buckingham – R

(512) 463-5001

Commissioner of Agriculture [[link removed]]

Sid Miller – R

(512) 463-7476

Railroad Commissioners [[link removed]]

Wayne Christian – R

Christi Craddick – R

Jim Wright – R

(512) 463-7158

State Board of Education [[link removed]], District

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Main (512) 463-9007

U.S. House [[link removed]], District

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Congressional Switchboard (202) 225-3121

Texas Senate [[link removed]], District

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Capitol Switchboard (512) 463-4630​​​​​​​

Texas House [[link removed]], District

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Capitol Switchboard (512) 463-4630

Speaker of the Texas House

Dade Phelan (R)

(512) 463-1000

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