Good morning!

This is the Texas Minute for Thursday, March 14, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Attorney General Proposes New Reporting Requirements for Local Prosecutors

• With Democrat prosecutors around the state refusing to prosecute crime, Attorney General Ken Paxton will require them to make regular reports that provide more transparency to citizens. Sydnie Henry has the details.
        
• Even though district and county attorneys are elected independently of the Office of the Attorney General, state law already allows the OAG to require reports from them on criminal matters. Paxton's new rules include a definition for "violent crime" to which the reports must adhere.
       

• Among other things, local prosecutors will be required to report quarterly on any decision not to indict a person who was arrested for committing a violent crime.
   

• “District Attorneys who choose not to prosecute criminals appropriately have created unthinkable damage in Texas communities.” – Ken Paxton
       
• The new rule would apply only to counties with a population of 250,000 or more. Currently, only 20 of the 254 counties fit that parameter—including Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis, and El Paso.
         
• Last year, legislators enacted a law prohibiting the DA or county attorney from adopting a policy that refuses to prosecute a certain class of crime. 

Ahead of Landslide Loss, Glenn Rogers Set Stage for School Shenanigans

• Losing in a landslide on Super Tuesday was State Rep. Glenn Rogers (R-Graford), who was bested by conservative activist Mike Olcott by a margin of 63.4 percent to 36.6 percent. Leading up to his defeat, Rogers laid the groundwork for school districts to advance his campaign with taxpayer resources. Now, as Luca Cacciatore reports, those districts could be facing legal jeopardy as a result.
   
• One district placed Rogers' highly politicized commentary as a featured item in its newsletter. In another district, a school principal recorded an endorsement video on the school property.
       
• State law does not allow school officials to “knowingly spend or authorize the spending of public funds for political advertising.” Attorney General Ken Paxton has been active this year in pursuing school district electioneering cases, having already filed civil lawsuits against seven school districts.

TEXAS TOMORROW: Job Growth in the Lone Star State

• "We want to be wary of those who want to challenge our success. This includes people we elect. This includes people who move here." – Charles Blain

Federal Judge: Biden Must Continue Building the Border Wall

• A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to continue funding the construction of a border wall. Will Biagini has the story.
      
• During the Trump presidency, Congress allocated approximately $1.4 billion to fund the construction of a barrier system along the southwest U.S.-Mexico border. When Joe Biden assumed office, he ordered federal agencies to redirect the funding.
       
• Texas and Missouri sued, resulting in this order being issued. Texas' Ken Paxton said Biden's “actions demonstrate his desperation for open borders at any cost, but Texas has prevailed.”

RELATED NEWS

ANALYSIS: Dennis Bonnen Coalition Clings to Power

• If Republican House members are “smart,” they will ignore the loud repudiation of the culture in Austin by voters in Texas and continue to let Democrats run the show. That’s what they are being told by Austin insiders. Brandon Waltens examines the effort by disgraced former Speaker Dennis Bonnen to keep his (shrinking) coalition of Democrats and Republicans in charge.
       
• As recently as this week, Bonnen was approvingly noting that the legislative math still means the next House speaker could be elected by 50 to 60 Republicans and 20 to 25 Democrats—simply ignoring the remaining GOP members and labeling them (and their constituents) as "extreme."

Quote-Unquote

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

– Albert Einstein (born March 14, 1879)

Today in History 

On March 14, 1964, Jack Ruby was convicted of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald.

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