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This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Vegas Goes Big for Dade Phelan After mainly remaining on the sidelines ahead of the primary, casino companies seeking to turn Texas into their crony monopoly piggy bank are spending big to back the current House Speaker and his allies. Daniel Greer has the details [[link removed]].

Chief among these out-of-state interlopers is Las Vegas Sands, giving through its “Texas” Sands PAC. The largest beneficiary of Sands’ money in the latest filing period is embattled House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont). They gave Phelan $200,000, making Sands his second-largest contributor in the latest filing period.

Gambling special interests have long targeted Texas but have been rebuffed for decades following failed promises of the Texas Lottery. During the 2023 legislative session, the Texas House advanced gambling measures that the Texas Senate ignored.

Rather than create a free market, Phelan's push would have seen the creation of a state bureaucracy handing out geographic monopolies to multi-national conglomerates like Sands.

Besides Phelan, the other big recipients of Sands cash went to Phelan allies like Republicans John Kuempel, Lacey Hull, Richard Hayes, Hugh Shine, Steve Allison, Justin Holland, and Charlie Geren. Democrats getting casino cash include Harold Dutton and Ron Reynolds.Related Campaign News Paxton Targets Phelan Loyalists Ken Paxton may not be on the ballot, but he is hitting the campaign trail for challengers to incumbent Republicans who voted to impeach him last year. Brandon Waltens has the story [[link removed]]. “If we don’t stop this, we’re going to lose our state. We’re going to have guys like Dade Phelan who are basically trading our state to the Democrats, because that guy is elected by the Democrats,” Paxton told a crowd in Denton [[link removed]] rallying for Andy Hopper against incumbent Lynn Stucky. Trump Endorsements Flood in for Candidates

With early voting in the primary election underway, Sydnie Henry reports [[link removed]] that former President Donald Trump has now thrown his support behind several candidates for the Texas House and statewide judicial races.

Trump endorsed all three challengers to incumbent members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest court on criminal matters. The three incumbents on the ballot voted to strip the Office of the Attorney General of its prosecutorial power over election fraud cases.

The once (and future) president also lent his support to a dozen candidates [[link removed]] in House races—including incumbent Republicans Steve Toth (The Woodlands), Gary Gates (Richmond), and John Smithee (Amarillo). Federal Agents Seize Six Tons of Methamphetamine in Eagle Pass

Six tons of methamphetamine was confiscated by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers at the Camino Real International Bridge in Eagle Pass. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, the seized narcotics were valued at $117.1 million.

Amelia McKenzie reports [[link removed]] that the flow of illegal narcotics has increased during the Biden administration.

“President Joe Biden came in and wasted no time creating an open, accessible, and crime-ridden southern border,” explained Selene Rodriguez [[link removed]], a policy director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “People from El Paso down to the Valley can see the increase in crime, drug and human trafficking, vehicle bailouts, and more.” Texas Defends Law Protecting Internet Free Speech Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week on legislation prohibiting social media companies from censoring Texans based on viewpoint. Will Biagini filed a report [[link removed]] on what's at stake in NetChoice v Paxton.

Legislation passed in 2021 would prohibit tech companies from engaging in viewpoint-based censorship. An industry group known as NetChoice sued to block the law from taking effect.

NetChoice argues that requiring neutrality would result in social media becoming less attractive to users and advertisers. Texas' Solicitor General, Aaron Nielson, likened the virtual world to the modern public square.

No ruling is expected until the summer. Quote-Unquote

"If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

– George Washington​

🔒 Donate to Texas Scorecard 🔒 [[link removed]] Today in History

On Feb. 28, 1859, Anson Mills platted a community at the western-most tip of Texas that he called "El Paso."

Number of the Day

677,456

Estimated population of El Paso on July 1, 2022.

[Source: U.S. Census [[link removed]]]

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