Good morning,

How do you describe a foreigner who has crossed the border without permission? That's the question you will find below in the One Click Survey.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, January, 15, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Ready For The Cold Weather? ERCOT Says 'Yes'

• As much of the state embraces cold weather to start the week, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas is warning citizens of a higher electrical demand than normal—but is confident the system will not face an energy emergency. Amelia McKenzie has the details.
       
• Temperatures are expected to drop 20-30 degrees below Texas’ typical January averages.
        
• The grid operator said it will continue to monitor the upcoming conditions carefully to manage the grid and to ensure a “reliability-first approach.”

Family of Sex-Trafficked Teen 'Astounded' by Dallas Democrat D.A.

• While politicians call attention to January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Erin Anderson reports on the efforts of a Texas mom to make lawmakers aware of how the state’s justice system is failing victims like her daughter.

        
• The teenage girl's case made international headlines in April 2022 when she was sexually assaulted and forced into prostitution after disappearing from a Dallas Mavericks game. Police and prosecutors in Dallas were initially dismissive of the situation, telling the family at the time she should be listed as a runaway instead of a kidnapping victim.
       
• The girl was only found when a private investigator hired by the family found online photos advertising her for sex. She had indeed been abducted, raped, and moved across state lines for trafficking. Three suspects connected to her case were arrested and charged in Oklahoma with human trafficking, conspiracy, and computer crimes. She is now safely back with her family.
      
• In the months since the girl's recovery, her mother said the traumatic experience has been a “rollercoaster” and criticizes Dallas law enforcement, as well as “loopholes” in state law, for allowing the man caught on video allegedly abducting her—who her daughter says raped her—to go free. Specifically, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot refused to prosecute the man who initially abducted and raped her... despite a lengthy record of abusing other children.
       
•  “Aside from the goodness of God, we wouldn’t have my daughter," said the victim's mother. "But we are not the norm. What about all the other victims?”

Education Funding at Record Levels, Districts Claim It’s Not Enough

• As Texas school boards begin to discuss spending for the 2024-2025 school year, districts around the state claim they are struggling to manage their budgets. But as Emily Medeiros reports, public education has never had so much cash available to it.
       
• Currently, Texas taxpayers are spending more than $12,000 per student per year. And that number is getting higher, with several billion dollars in new funding coming from the Legislature.
     
• "School Districts must be responsible stewards of taxpayer money, and ensure every penny goes to the actual education of children. So the idea that public schools are underfunded is, generally speaking, a myth." – Andrew McVeigh of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility

School Boards Must Vote on Chaplain Policy by March 1

• A new state law requires Texas school districts to decide if they will allow chaplains to work or volunteer within their schools. That vote must happen by March 1 in each school district.
           
• Under the new law, school districts and open-enrollment charter schools are allowed to have chaplains on their campuses as employees or volunteers.
     
• Whether they are employees or volunteers, the chaplains are not required to be certified by the State Board for Educator Certification. They must, though, complete a criminal background check.
       
• Allowing chaplains in public schools is proving to be controversial. Keller ISD trustees voted 6-1 to adopt a policy allowing chaplains to be volunteers in the district’s schools, with the lone opponent resigning from the board over the issue. Dallas ISD, one of the largest districts in Texas, voted unanimously to reject chaplains in its schools in any capacity.

In Memoriam: Jill Glover

• Conservative activist Jill Glover died on Sunday after a battle with cancer. A devoted mother and wife, Glover was also a member of the State Republican Executive Committee and oversaw the party’s legislative priorities.
       

• Her activism and dedication to the advancement of self-governance—notably the protection of children—led to her being presented with the Conservative Leader Award in 2020.

Former Houston Mayor Spent Taxpayer Cash Promoting His Legacy

• In his final days in office, former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner received a taxpayer-funded gift: a $30,000 documentary highlighting his mayoral tenure. Charles Blain reports the video was produced by Houston TV and chronicled Turner's childhood and life.
       
• While the amount may seem trivial, this isn’t the mayor’s first time using public funds to solidify his legacy.
     
• Taxpayers were initially asked to pay for the publication of a 90-page book given to attendees at Turner's final State of the City Address. In all, more than $600,000 was spent on the event surrounding that address —including the book's $124,000 price tag. (Eventually, an outside non-profit paid the bill.)
        
• Neither the book nor the TV documentary mentioned Turner's failure to reach a contract with the city's firefighters, the crumbling infrastructure, or rising crime.

Leftist Files Petition to Recall Dallas Mayor

• An effort to recall Eric Johnson from the mayorship of Dallas stems from his switch to the GOP last year. A leftwing activist has until March 5 to obtain more than 103,000 signatures from registered Dallas voters to make the recall election happen.
       
• Johnson served in the Texas House as a Democrat for a decade before being elected mayor of Dallas in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. While municipal officeholders in Texas do not run on a partisan label, Johnson's party switch upset the establishment in Democrat-run Dallas County. 
          
• Due to city-level term limits, Johnson will not be eligible to seek a third term.

Quote-Unquote

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

– Martin Luther King Jr.
(Born January 15, 1929)​

ONE CLICK SURVEY

Which word or phrase best describes the thousands of people crossing illegally into the United States?

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