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January 21, 2024
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
Even as he fends off primary challengers, House Speaker Dade Phelan is sending campaign contributions to several members of the Texas House—including those opposed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Newly-released campaign finance reports—which cover the second half of 2023—reveal that Phelan has directly contributed to 16 members of the Texas House.
The donations include around $15,000 each to the following state representatives:
Steve
Allison (San Antonio)
Ernest Bailes (Shepherd)
Ben Bumgarner (Flower Mound)
Drew Darby (San Angelo)
Mano DeAyala (Houston)
Stan Gerdes (Smithville)
Cole Hefner (Mt. Pleasant)
Justin Holland (Heath)
Jacey Jetton (Richmond)
John Kuempel (San Antonio)
Stan Kitzman (Brookshire)
Stephanie Klick (Fort Worth)
Glenn Rogers (Graford)
Lynn Stucky (Sanger)
Kronda Thimesch (Lewisville)
Gary VanDeaver (New Boston)
Notably, seven of these members—Allison, Bailes, Darby, Holland, Rogers, Kuempel, and VanDeaver—opposed Abbott’s push for school choice legislation. Abbott has already endorsed opponents to Allison, Darby, and Rogers.
In addition to direct financial support, some Republican incumbents have reported in-kind polling contributions from Phelan, including several House impeachment managers from the failed impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Those members include State Reps. David Spiller (Jacksboro), Charlie Geren (Fort Worth), Jeff Leach (Plano), and Briscoe Cain (Deer Park).
State Rep. Andrew Murr (R–Junction)—who led the impeachment—also reported $13,850 in polling from Phelan just weeks before he announced he would not seek re-election.
Featured
Attention to big pharma and Pfizer, in particular, has been on the rise since 2020 and the mandated administration of vaccinations. As a result, Pfizer’s political giving to Texas politicians made waves on social media earlier this week.
Since the end of the legislative session, Pfizer has donated to 31 state-level lawmakers. While the total given $32,500 is small compared to the giving of many, its decisions can be useful to citizens discerning between candidates who may be influenced by the pharma giant.
State
Paxton’s Office Moves to End Lawsuit By ‘Rogue Employees’
With Paxton conceding the lawsuit, any judgment awarded to the former employees would have to be funded by the Legislature, which could prove difficult to collect.
Disgraced Speaker Joe Straus Sends Campaign Cash to Rep. Glenn Rogers
While Straus’ PAC reported over $150,000 in expenditures during the most recent report, Rogers is the only direct recipient of cash from the PAC.
Report: Immigration Power Should Return to the States
A report from the Huffines Liberty Foundation suggests Texas should declare an invasion and “shut down illegal border crossings itself.”
Local
Harris County’s Guaranteed Basic Income Program May Be in Jeopardy
State Sen. Paul Bettoncourt has asked the attorney general to look into the legality of such a program.
McKinney Mayor Pushes Plan to Extend City Officials’ Term Limits
The proposed city charter amendment would allow Mayor Fuller to seek a third four-year term next year.
Tarrant County Republican Party Passes Anti-DEI Resolution
The resolution calls for an end to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies in all taxpayer-funded institutions.
Federal
Illegal Aliens Not Required to Possess ID Card to Pass TSA Security
Illegal aliens are also being allowed by TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to decline to having their photos taken at airport security.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz Endorses Donald Trump
After winning Iowa this week, Donald Trump adds another Texas official to his list of endorsements.
Federal Court Blocks Texas Law Requiring School Library Vendors to Rate Books’ Sexual Content
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily enjoined the state from enforcing book-rating regulations in HB 900 while a challenge to the measure is litigated.
Quoting...
“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
- Ronald Reagan
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