Good morning,

In today's Texas Minute, we've got answers to yesterday's One Click Survey and a look at more of the top stories from 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023 

2023 In Review

Democrat Chairs Continue to Plague Texas House

• The practice of Republican lawmakers in the GOP-dominated legislature naming Democrats to chair important policy committees continued in 2023, despite widespread opposition from voters. Emily Medeiros looks back on the story.
     
• In the March 2022 Republican Primary, more than 81 percent of voters affirmed a non-binding ballot proposition for Republican lawmakers to abandon the practice.
      
• While it has now ended in the Texas Senate, House Speaker Dade Phelan and the House Republican Caucus continue to let Democrats run major policy committees. Republican activists say this has contributed to the chamber's lackluster performance on conservative legislative priorities.
   
• As recently as this fall, Speaker Phelan has doubled down on his support of placing Democrats in leadership positions, saying he has no plans to stop appointing Democrats to key committee chairmanship positions.

2023 In Review

As New Law Takes Effect, Parents Still Fighting Sexually Explicit Books

• As Texas implements a new state law designed to protect children from sexually explicit content in school libraries, parents are continuing to fight with local officials to remove age-inappropriate books from schools and public libraries. Erin Anderson explains how out-of-state vendors have tried to block the law.
      
• At issue is legislation passed during this year’s regular legislative session in response to months of complaints from parents about age-inappropriate and sexually graphic books that school officials refused to remove from campus libraries.
       

• The READER Act mandated new “collection development” standards prohibiting school libraries from obtaining or possessing materials that are sexually explicit, harmful, pervasively vulgar, or educationally unsuitable.
       

• A portion of the law requiring book vendors to rate materials sold to school libraries based on sexual content is being challenged in court by a group of vendors and publishers.
       

• While some school districts have begun to take action against sexually explicit materials in their collections, parents report other districts are waiting to see how court challenges play out.
      

• “There isn’t anything more important than protecting our children.” – Christin Bentley

2023 In Review

Election Security Remains a Chief Concern for Voters

• As the 2024 election season heats up, citizens remain concerned with election security after a mixed 2023 legislative session. Daniel Greer has the details.
       
• Legislation removing Texas from a controversial interstate voter roll cross-check system did pass both chambers. Lawmakers also reversed a 2021 deal made by House Speaker Dade Phelan with the Democrats. It is once again a felony to vote illegally.
       

• Nearing the end of the session, Democrats in the House killed a constitutional amendment that would have barred non-citizens from taking part in any elections.
              

• Lawmakers did pass a measure allowing the blind to vote online. Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed it, citing vague wording and the potential for unintended consequences. Abbott's concerns were well-founded. Election integrity watchdogs were critical of the bill for this progressive approach, allowing blind voters to cast ballots online was seen as a gateway to full-blown online voting in Texas.
            
• Democrats, meanwhile, have sued Texas to remove age-limits to vote by mail. Lower courts have rejected legal arguments in support of universal balloting by mail. Now, Democrats are going to try their luck at the Supreme Court. It’s long been established that voting by mail is more vulnerable to fraud and abuse than in-person voting.

2023 In Review

Lawmakers Leave Texas Lands Accessible to Foreign Powers

• Despite the efforts of State Sen. Lois Kolkorst (R-Brenham) to stop foreign enemies from owning land, mineral, and timber interests in Texas, lawmakers failed to deliver on the popular proposal. Sydnie Henry explains what happened. 
          
• Kolkhorst's push came amid revelations that large swaths of land near Texas military installations and other infrastructure had been purchased by individuals closely associated with the Communist Party of China and the Red Army.
        
• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Chinese firms and investors have bought 383,935 acres of U.S. land. Polling has shown that 82 percent of Republican voters in Texas would support a ban on Chinese land purchases in the state.
       
• As the 2023 legislative session began, Gov. Greg Abbott said he would sign Kolkhorst's measure if it reached his desk. Even though it passed the Senate, her legislation was killed in the House State Affairs Committee by Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi).
       
• Other states, including Arkansas and Florida, have enacted laws restricting hostile foreign nations from land ownership.

Quote-Unquote

"Be at War with your Vices, at Peace with your Neighbours, and let every New-Year find you a better Man."

– Benjamin Franklin​

Y'All Answered

The practice of setting personal resolutions for the new year dates back thousands of years. Yesterday, we asked readers if they plan to set any resolutions for 2024.

Two-thirds of respondents (77.1 percent) said they will not be making resolutions for the New Year, while 22.9 percent said they will be.

Here is a brief sampling of the notes folks sent in...

• “No, this is why gyms are full in January and empty the rest of the year. Set the goal again or make a new one. Don’t wait for 1/1, or you’ll continue to fail every year.” – David Dell
      

• "New resolution, same as the old resolution: work hard to glorify God and remove corrupt public officials." – Laura Nunn
     

• "Resist the Maoists." – Thomas Bazan
        

• “One of my resolutions always is to read the Bible in a year. I'll find a daily reading plan online and try to stick to it.” – Cathy Blake
      

• “I make a list of personal, professional, parental, and spiritual goals every year and post them by my desk. I don't call them resolutions. Resolutions seem so rigid and lead to failure. Goals are reached step by step. Any book on success will tell you to do this, so I figured they can't all be wrong... and they weren't! I really like where I'm at in life and what I've accomplished!” – Julie McCarty
      

• "I do not make 'New Year's Resolutions.' One should resolve every day to live the best life that he/she can and to do something good for someone that day." – Ken Marx
    

• "My New Year's Resolution is I will do all in my power to spread the word and vote to unseat all House Republicans who voted to impeach AG Paxton." – Neal O'Quinn
       

• “I resolve each day to commit the events of the day to the leading of the Holy Spirit. God knows the future and can direct me correctly day by day to accomplish God's will for me and anyone in my circle of influence.” – Beverly Uhlmer Roberts
      

• "It is a waste of time making resolutions." – Eleanor Edmondson
       

• “No, I don't make New Year's resolutions. Like every day, it is a new day to find the best ways to enjoy life and do what is best and correct.” – Roger Taylor
      

• "My political resolution is to do everything in my power to keep Texas RED, help Texas-First & America-First candidates win their elections (including President Trump), and rid Texas of the RINO plague! My personal resolution is to sleep 7 hours each night. These resolutions may not be very compatible." – Dana Krasinski
        

• “I don't make a New Year's resolution every year.  When I do, it has to be for something I feel strongly about, and I will see the benefit throughout the year and beyond.” – Dennis Scharp
       

• "In my experience, no one manages to keep their New Year’s resolutions. The last thing I need is one more thing to beat myself up for!" – Louise Herrmann

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