Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Thursday, January 25, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Abbott: Biden has 'Violated Oath' at Border

• As the standoff continues between the Biden administration and the state of Texas over the crisis at the southern border, Gov. Greg Abbott said yesterday Texas will continue to push back against the invasion. Brandon Waltens has the details.
      
• In a statement, Abbott accused Biden of having "violated his oath" and "enticed illegal immigrants" to break the laws of the United States.
       
• “The federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States," wrote Abbott. "The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including immigration laws on the books right now. President Biden has refused to enforce those laws and has even violated them.”
       
• The governor reiterated his November 2022 invocation of "Texas’s constitutional authority to defend and protect itself."

Cornyn: ‘I’ve Seen Enough’

• U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has joined other statewide officials in Texas in endorsing Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. The endorsement comes despite an often contentious history between Cornyn and Trump.
      

• Cornyn had previously expressed interest in a “new direction” for the party. But after Trump’s victory Tuesday night over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary election, Cornyn said he had “seen enough.”
       

• U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz endorsed Trump last week following the Iowa caucus.

Glenn Hegar Silent on Trump

• Only one of the top-tier statewide elected officials in Texas has thus far not endorsed in the presidential race: Comptroller Glenn Hegar. This makes him the odd man out among the statewide elected officials now that U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has endorsed Trump’s bid to re-take the White House.

       
• Despite having accepted Trump’s endorsement in his own 2018 and 2022 re-election bids, Hegar appears to have not made an endorsement in the 2024 presidential race. 
         
• In his third term as comptroller, Hegar is sitting on a campaign war chest of more than $9 million. Having previously served in the Texas House and the Texas Senate, political observers say Hegar has been methodically positioning himself for a bid to run for lieutenant governor or governor the next time one of those offices is open.

Election Round-Up

• Erin Anderson reports on a GOP debate featuring incumbent State Rep. Lynn Stucky and his challengers—Andy Hopper and Elaine Hays. The challengers took Stucky to task for a record they say is out of touch with Republican voters. 
        
• Amelia McKenzie covers the endorsements Texas Gun Rights has made ahead of the March primary.

Houston Mayor Calls for Merging Police Forces

• Barely a month into his first term in office, Houston Mayor John Whitmire is calling for a merger of the Houston Police Department and the Houston METRO Police. Charles Blain explains how the mayor hopes to complete the merger in the next few months.
      

• Whitmire’s move follows a long history of public calls for consolidation, or at least more cooperation, between the region’s dozens of law enforcement agencies. 

      
• If successful, the move would add roughly 300 officers to HPD. The officers would still monitor transit lines but also be able to patrol surrounding neighborhoods. Whitmire said the consolidation would save money in the long run by reducing the duplication of support systems for the departments.
      
• The mayor is also signaling a shift in the city’s homeless policy, saying homeless people in Houston don’t have the right to “camp out on the streets.” A policy to that effect is expected in the coming months.

Quote-Unquote

"Texas is the finest portion of the globe that has blessed my vision."

– Sam Houston​

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