Good morning,

With the situation at the border worsening, the Biden administration is taking an increasingly hostile stance against any state-based restrictions on illegal border crossings. The One Click Survey asks for your review of Gov. Greg Abbott's border actions.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, January 22, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Illegal Aliens Not Required to Have ID When Flying

• Under a policy adopted by the Transportation Safety Administration, illegal aliens are not required to present an official government-issued identification card for air travel. Will Biagini has the details.
       
• TSA announced that illegal aliens, when flying in the United States, can simply notify the TSA officer that they are a "migrant," present an alien identification number, and follow the TSA officer's instructions from there.
      
• Highlighted in the TSA announcement is the fact that illegal aliens may decline to have their photo taken if they do not wish to be photographed.
       
• Think about that the next time a TSA agent hassles you about your hat or is groping someone's grandma.

Disgraced Former Speaker Sends Campaign Cash to Glenn Rogers

• Even though he announced his retirement from the Texas Legislature more than six years ago, disgraced former House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio is still getting involved in Texas politics. But as Brandon Waltens reports, Straus has reported only one contribution this year.
    

• Straus came to power by working with the Democrat caucus and a dozen liberal Republicans to oust his Republican predecessor. He held the speakership from 2009 until being forced out in 2019. His successors, Dennis Bonnen and Dade Phelan, followed the same model by appealing first to Democrats.
       
• During his tenure as speaker, Democrats were given chairmanships of committees so as to kill GOP priorities. After leaving the House, Straus has continued to oppose conservative reforms ranging from school choice to election security.
     
• In the most recent campaign finance report, Straus' political action committee reported more than $150,000 in expenditures—but only one campaign contribution of $2,500 to State Rep. Glenn Rogers (R-Graford). 
      
• Rogers is being challenged in the GOP primary by conservative Mike Olcott. Olcott has been endorsed by grassroots activists like JoAnn Fleming and Julie McCarty, as well as elected officials such as Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Ag Commissioner Sid Miller, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Pfizer Injects Cash into Texas Campaigns

• Since the end of the legislative session, a political action committee associated with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has donated to 31 state-level lawmakers. Daniel Greer explains that the total given—$32,500—is small in the context of elections, but the donations are nonetheless revealing.

      
• Members of both the Texas House Public Health Committee and the Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee were counted among the recipients of Pfizer’s largesse. 
     
• Notably, Pfizer made contributions to various Texas politicians who were supportive of the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2023. In November, Paxton announced he was suing Pfizer for misrepresentation of the COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and for “conspiring to censure public discourse.”

Paxton Endorses More House Challengers

• Ahead of the March 5 primary, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is continuing to announce endorsements for challengers to members of the Texas House. As Emily Medeiros reports, Paxton has now endorsed nearly two dozen challengers—including seven more at the end of last week.
       
• “Texas is under attack, and we must fight to protect our conservative values not only from the Biden Administration but from liberal Republicans who enable and allow reckless liberal policies to wreak havoc on our state and our local communities,” explained Paxton.

Permian Basin ‘All Ages’ Drag Show BLOCKED

• A Barbie-themed LGBT event was scheduled for Saturday in Midland, featuring a drag show open to children. On Friday, Erin Anderson reported on the negative reaction from the community. By Saturday, the event was canceled due to overwhelming community pressure.
       
• "The pro-family cavalry fought back and the venue has CANCELLED this event," wrote Brady Gray of the Texas Family Project. "But the fight isn’t over. Texans have to stay vigilant and engaged in their communities."

   

• Legislation was passed last year to block sexually explicit programs—like drag shows—from targeting children. That law is on hold because of a legal challenge from the ACLU.

Harris County’s Guaranteed Basic Income Program May Be in Jeopardy

• Amid constitutionality concerns, State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) is seeking an opinion from the attorney general on Harris County’s newly-launched guaranteed basic income program. Charles Blain has the story.

       
• As Bettencourt notes, state law bars jurisdictions from granting or gifting public money to individuals. 
     
• "Uplift Harris" is a tax-funded program proposing to provide 1,900 households $500 per month for 18 months. Bettencourt and other critics believe counties lack the authority to enact such a program.
      
• The idea of guaranteed income, while not new, saw a boost in popularity following the Trump administration’s unconditional cash payments given out to millions of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, a number of local jurisdictions have used leftover federal aid, budgetary funds, or private donations to launch their own programs.

Quote-Unquote

"There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him."

– Robert A. Heinlein​

ONE CLICK SURVEY

As the situation at the southern border worsens, the Biden administration is opposing state-based efforts to block illegal aliens from entering the country. What do you think of Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent handling of the crisis at the border?

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