Good morning,

The best thing about Leap Year? Getting an extra Texas Minute! Today is Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Republican Lawmaker to Trump: 'Not Welcome in Texas'

• "Trump is not welcome in Texas." That's the message State Rep. Justin Holland (R-Heath) posted to social media last March. As Brandon Waltens reports, those six words are receiving renewed scrutiny ahead of the GOP primary.
      
• Holland also took to social media to assert that Trump is “out of touch” and that he would not support him for re-election.
       
• He has two opponents in the March 5th Republican primary election: former Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson and businessman Dennis London.

Superintendent Sends Staff Voting Guide

• Another school district superintendent has been caught sending an email with district resources to staff with a listing of candidates to support and telling them to “vote accordingly” in the primary election. Emily Medeiros has the story.
      
• Renee Smith-Faulkner sent an email instructing the district’s “administrative leadership team” to vote according to a voter guide from the Castleberry ISD Retired Teachers Association. 
       
• The email includes a tirade from the association's president against Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The "voter guide" divides the candidates by “legislators for us” and “Abbott/Paxton Challenger.”
       
• The attorney general has begun suing school districts that engage in "illegal electioneering" with taxpayer resources.

RELATED NEWS

Paxton Blasts Cornyn for Joining Democrats in Ignoring Constitution

• Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a victory in federal court this week against a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives despite half of the members being absent. In celebrating the courtroom victory, Paxton took aim at U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for joining Democrats in passing the massive spending bill. 
        

• The U.S. Constitution requires that a quorum of members of the U.S. House of Representatives be present for the lower chamber of Congress to conduct business. However, only 201 of the 435 members of the House were present when the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 was voted on in December 2022.

      
• The attorney general brought a lawsuit on behalf of Texas, arguing the spending package was passed unlawfully and that such a provision would impose a financial burden on Texas taxpayers. Earlier this week, the U.S. District Court in Lubbock agreed.
       
• “We sued because in doing this John Cornyn and these other senators, Republican senators, along with the Democrats, allowed a bill to pass that was not done the right way. The Constitution was ignored and not followed,” said Paxton.

Houston Police Crisis Worsens Over 'Closed Cases'

• Following the revelation that the Houston Police Department suspended 4,017 sexual assault incident reports without investigation, Police Chief Troy Finner has now announced that the true number, across all divisions, is 264,000. Charles Blain has the details.

        
• The practice of arbitrarily closing cases with a "lack of personnel" code was started in 2016 and was supposed to have ended in 2021. The chief just learned this month the practice had continued.
      
• HPD has 32 officers assigned to reviewing reports dating back to 2016. 

Fort Worth ISD Approves Abstinence-based Sex Ed Curriculum

• The Fort Worth ISD Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to implement a new sex education curriculum that promotes abstinence.
       
• The curriculum is called "Choosing Best." It educates teenagers on the practical health benefits of delaying sexual activity.
      
•  “For too long, local officials, elected in so-called ‘nonpartisan’ elections have pulled most everything our community does hard to the left. It’s time we shine a light on the disgusting, reject the evil, and pursue an agenda that puts the interests of parents ahead of radicals.” – Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French

Denton School Board Keeps ‘Transgender’ Books in Kids’ Library

• By a vote of 6 to 1, trustees at the beleaguered Denton Independent School District voted to keep two books promoting “transgender” ideology in an elementary school library. Erin Anderson reports the board did vote to remove some other books that had been flagged as inappropriate.
       
• Denton attorney Mitch Little told trustees the challenges centered on the books' “lack of educational suitability.” He noted the author of one book has said the purpose was to "spark activism."
        
• “That’s not a statement of educational intent; it’s a statement of progressive activism.” – Mitch Little

Kerrville Ordinance Could Violate First Amendment

• City officials in Kerrville are debating a proposed ordinance aimed at curbing door-to-door solicitors, but Luca Cacciatore reports there are concerns that some provisions could violate rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.

      
• At issue is a proposal to limit when solicitors, peddlers, and canvassers could knock on residents' doors. If adopted, Kerrville would be one of the most restrictive cities in the state.
       
• However, concerns have been raised in the community about the possible impact on political canvassing. Others warned children cutting neighbors’ lawns without a relevant nonprofit or school “sponsor” could qualify them as unpermitted solicitors under the proposed ordinance, making them subject to penalties.

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Quote-Unquote

"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!"

– Pericles​

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