Good morning,

Readers sound off on school districts keeping students' "gender identity" secret from their parents.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, January 30, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Won't Surrender Shelby Park

• After a long wait, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has finally reported that the number of illegal alien encounters at the border for December 2023 broke the all-time record. Will Biagini has the details.
     
• Encounters with illegal aliens totaled 302,034—the highest ever recorded in a month. Border Patrol also arrested 19 individuals in December who are on the FBI’s terrorist watchlist.
      
• Meanwhile, Attorney General Ken Paxton is refusing to surrender Eagle Pass' Shelby Park to the federal government. The park has been a popular and convenient entry point for illegal aliens. The Biden administration’s policy has been to meet the aliens there and then release the aliens into the country.
        
• The state took over the park on January 11 and has refused to allow federal agents in so that the illegals could be deterred—through barriers and blockades—or arrested for criminal trespass. The flow at the park has gone from thousands to a dozen.
       
• Now, the Biden administration is demanding the state allow agents to enter the park so they can remove Texas' barriers. Paxton sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with his own demands—including that they provide an “explanation of where the Congress has empowered your federal agency to pursue this scheme.”
       
• "As I said before, this office will continue to defend Texas’s efforts to protect its southern border against every effort by the Biden Administration to undermine the State’s constitutional right of self-defense,” continued Paxton in his letter.

Texas GOP Chairman Endorses Trump

• Citing "the threat our nation faces," Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi endorsed Donald Trump's bid to re-take the White House. Brandon Waltens has the details.
       
• “While party officials should remain neutral in primaries absent extraordinary circumstances, the threat our nation faces from the Democrats, globalists, and fake Republicans that hand power to Democrats is truly extraordinary. We need everyone in this fight,” wrote Rinaldi on social media yesterday.
      
• In the same post, Rinaldi reiterated his support for David Covey, a challenger to House Speaker Dade Phelan.
       
• The Republican Party of Texas passed a resolution in September calling on Phelan to resign as speaker, citing the failed impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and his support for placing Democrats in leadership positions.
       
• Houston surgeon Dana Myers has announced she will challenge Rinaldi for the chairmanship of the Republican Party at the May convention. Rinaldi asked her to join him in supporting Trump and Covey as a sign of unity.
        
• In a response, Myers deflected on the Phelan question but said she had long supported Donald Trump.

Principal Filmed Campaign Commercial in School Office

• A school principal is on video in her school office urging voters to support a state lawmaker for re-election. Such an action could constitute a serious violation of state law.
      
• Laura Gibson of the Breckenridge ISD apparently filmed herself endorsing liberal Republican Glenn Rogers of Graford for re-election. She specifically cited his opposition to the Texas GOP platform plank on school choice. Rogers then posted the video to his own social media account. The video would appear to violate Section 255.003 of the Texas Election Code, which prohibits public employees from using public resources to electioneer.
     
• As questions began to be raised about the legality of her video, Rogers' campaign deleted it and replaced it with another one of Gibson reciting the same speech—this time at a different location.
     
• Texas Scorecard recently caught Rogers touting fake endorsements from elected officials who didn’t support his campaign. 

Electric Rates to be Argued Before Texas Supreme Court

• Later today, the Texas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments to determine whether the Public Utility Commission of Texas illegally set the price of electricity far in excess of the market rates during 2021's Winter Storm Uri. Bill Peacock of the Energy Alliance breaks down what happened and what is at stake for Texans.

Former Texas Teacher Faces Federal Prison

• A now-former substitute teacher for the Marfa Independent School District faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography. Erin Anderson reports the case began in 2023 when Sonya Conchita Murillo was arrested.
       

• While investigating her one-time boyfriend, authorities discovered at least eight videos of Murillo performing sexual acts on a young child. Her face and a tattoo were visible, and she has pled guilty.

School Choice Advocate Targets Anti-Choice Republicans

• School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis announced on social media that his organization’s political action committee will be opposing anti-school choice representatives in the Texas House.
      
• DeAngelis said the American Federation for Children Victory Fund is “targeting these 12 ‘Republicans’ in the Texas House for opposing school choice.”
      
• Check out Amelia McKenzie's story to get the list.

Quote-Unquote

"In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards."

– Mark Twain​

Y'All Answered

A lawsuit filed against Arlington ISD is rooted in questions over the district's policies regarding gender-confused students. Meanwhile, an investigation into Anna ISD found the district allowed a student to dress and identify as the other gender without informing the parents.

Yesterday, we asked if Texas school districts should be required to inform a parent (or other legal guardian) when a minor asks to be known by a different name or gender in class. Readers overwhelmingly (97.9 percent) said parents should be told, leaving 2.1 percent who believed otherwise.

Here is a sampling of the reader responses we received...

• “Until parents care enough about their children to start attending school board meetings and speaking out, things will continue to get worse in Texas public schools.” – Catherina Buschold
      

• “Notifying the parent of a gender-confused student should be a no-brainer.  As a parent, I would want to know 1) is my child gender confused and 2) who put that notion in their head.” – Randall Woodman
      

• “If any school is found to be doing this, a parent should immediately withdraw their child from the school. There are always other options.” – Sylvie McLeod
     

• “The fact that this is even a question illustrates what happens when the citizens are not in charge. We have allowed ‘the government’ to take too much control without even a modicum of resistance. The super-minority has taken control of the majority. According to Gallup, the Texas population includes less than 5% who identify as ‘LGBTQXYZ!’” – Steve Sullivan
     

• “This is one of the many reasons parents are abandoning public schools and demanding better alternatives for their kids.” – Fran Rhodes
      

• “If a kid wants to be called ‘Bubba’ or ‘Tank,’ I should not have to tell the parent every time they change their mind. Just trivial. I will not call a different gender, so they won't get that from me. I am fine telling a parent about a gender identity request.” – Mathew Howard
      

• “As a parent, I should be informed of any and everything being taught to my child. Contrary to popular belief, I pay taxes, which in turn pay teachers. So I should know what my money is paying for.” – Debra Davis
      

• “If a child is under 18 years of age, the school is obligated to tell parents should something like this occur. There may or may not be mental health issues, and it is the family that should determine any course of action if needed. School may be the child's advocate, but they are not the parent or guardian.” – Anthony Fourman
      

• “Isn't it interesting that the left fervently preaches ‘separation of church and state’ but feel it is their right and duty to feed our children the propaganda of their cultist religions with impunity?” – Patrick Bell
      

• “Parents and legal guardians have the absolute right to know EVERYTHING about their minor children. Schools were founded to help educate children.” – Lynn Tannehill
      

• “Government schools thinking the children are theirs and not the parents' is just another step in the Marxist Parade.” – Rick Goncher
      

• “Not only should the school inform the parents, it should be against the law for a school to use any name except the child’s name on the birth certificate.” – Gary Hunt
      

• “Once children are in school, anything can happen. If you want to make sure your children are safe, actually learning something other than pronouns, and will not be encouraged to become a different gender, homeschool them. More importantly, disciple them in God's truth!” – Cathy Blake
      

• “The school district will call the parents if the child is behaving badly, sick, or in a fight, but the district doesn’t call the parent if the student has a mental crisis? I think the groomers at the elementary education level have infiltrated district administration and want gender confusion for personal reasons.” – Gene Klutts
      

• “The practice of keeping secrets about their children from parents  (other than those that could endanger them, i.e., home abuse) must stop!” – Michelle Lantz 
      

• “Absolutely, yes! Since children are minors, the parents should know about every major decision since they are the ones responsible for the well-being of said child. This is just common sense, but I guess that is quite elusive these days.” Eric Knutson
      

• “Yes, parents should be involved in all decisions concerning their children, and schools should not hire teachers or counselors who would join children in delusional behavior of any kind.” – Tamara Gunn
       

• “Parents have the God-given right to know what is going on in their school in ALL respects. Further, the school should teach traditional subjects without getting involved in the gender issue.” – George McClure 
      

• "Unfortunately, too many of us have abdicated responsibilities to elected officeholders (and bureaucrats). Questioning policies, be it schools, local taxing agencies, state or federal arenas, is our burden. We're living the results of voter apathy every day, we can no longer allow ourselves that luxury. It is OUR money, not theirs." – Mary Casper
      

• "Parents should be informed if a student shows signs of mental health issues such as Gender Dysphoria. Child rearing is the parents' responsibility to God, not to the state, and if a child is having health issues, the schools have a duty to inform the parents. Calling a confused child by his preferred pronouns or allowing him to cross-dress contributes to the child's illness and breaches trust between the parents and the school." – Tyler Tennies

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