Good morning, 

Rather than focus on academic achievement, Texas public schools spend an increasing amount of time indoctrinating children in radical sexual and gender ideologies. Today, we ask what should be done about it.

Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, March 18, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Carlson Focuses on Border Invasion at Fort Worth Event

• Conservative commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson took a break from interviewing world leaders and newsmakers to speak at a fundraiser for the Tarrant County Republican Party. As Brandon Waltens reports, Carlson focused his comments on the invasion at the southern border—firing shots at Gov. Greg Abbott in the process.

      
• “Neville Chamberlain will get a fairer shake” when judged by history, said Carlson of Texas' governor. He went on to explain how he has come to see the alignment of politics in the 21st Century.
       

• “For me, politics is really simple. I divide all players into two categories: people who think they’re God and people who know they’re not. And I’m on the side of those who know they’re not.” – Tucker Carlson

House Chairman: Dade Phelan Will Not Return as Speaker

• A member of Dade Phelan’s leadership team says Phelan will not be returning as speaker in 2025.
      
• Republicans J.M. Lozano of Kingsville and Tony Tinderholt of Arlington penned a commentary explaining why it was time for their fellow Republicans to stop granting chairmanships to Democrats in the GOP-dominated chamber.
     

• The most notable comment, however, may be its conclusion: “The voters made clear on March 5th that Speaker Dade Phelan will not return as Speaker of the House. As we work toward defeating Democrats in November, all Texas House Republicans should make clear to our voters the practice of appointing Democrats to chair committees will come to an end as well.”
       

• Significantly, Lozano is the chair of the House Committee on Urban Affairs—a position to which he was appointed by Phelan early last year.
      

• Lozano was originally elected to the House as a Democrat; he switched parties in 2012.

RELATED NEWS

• Sources tell Texas Scorecard that Perry's former strategist, Rob Johnson, has been retained for close to $250,000 to manage the two-month runoff campaign with the promise of another quarter-million win bonus. The announcement will reportedly be made Thursday in Austin.
      
• Phelan's team is hoping to millions of dollars for his runoff bid with the aid of donor networks connected to Perry and disgraced former House Speaker Joe Straus.

Paxton: Frisco ISD Violated Temporary Restraining Order in Electioneering Case

• Attorney General Ken Paxton has alleged that Frisco Independent School District violated a temporary restraining order preventing it from engaging in illegal electioneering. Luca Cacciatore has the details.

     
• Frisco ISD was first sued by Paxton’s office on February 28 for civil violations over three posts made by a district-affiliated Facebook page that encouraged individuals to “vote for candidates who support public schools and … are against vouchers.”
       
• Now, Paxton says the district violated the restraining order within four hours of it being decreed by a state judge in Denton County.
        
• A 2021 ruling by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stripped the Office of the Attorney General from prosecuting election integrity cases. However, the OAG can still bring civil suits against offending parties.
     
• Frisco ISD is no stranger to heavy-handed controversy. Last year, leaked video footage showed three Frisco school trustees talking with each other about how to silence the voices of conservative parents and other trustees.

Investigation: Dallas College Breaks DEI Ban

• A new report finds Dallas College is breaking the new law banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies in higher education. Emily Medeiros reports on the findings of a Dallas Express investigation.

     
• Since taking effect in January, the new law forbids public colleges and universities from hiring employees to “perform the duties” of a DEI office. It is also meant to block any promotion of policies, training, or activities “designed or implemented in reference to race, color, or ethnicity.”
     
• Yet as recently as last week, Dallas College was still advertising various positions that mandated DEI adherence. For example, a posting for the role of the Vice Provost of E-Learning required a candidate to have a “deep appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a track record of promoting these values within the academic school.”
       
• The college told The Dallas Express that they are committed to following the law, but due to hundreds of job postings, some of them have not been updated since the law took effect... in January.

City of Houston Reaches Deal with Firefighters

• An eight-year employment standoff between the City of Houston and its firefighters is set to end, pending a judge's final approval. Charles Blain reports the city is expected to pay $656.5 million in settling the dispute.
      
• Taking into account previous agreements and this latest resolution, over the next five years Houston firefighters will have seen their pay increased by up to 39 percent.

Democrat Could Face Charges After Being Caught in Polling Place

• Bell County Commissioner Louie Minor may be facing criminal charges after the Democrat was caught inside multiple polling locations during the March primary elections. Erin Anderson reports state law prohibits "bystanders" in polling places while voting activities are being conducted.
       
• Evidence was submitted late last week to the Bell County Attorney documenting Minor’s apparently unlawful presence inside six polling sites “for purposes other than voting.”
        
• Reportedly, Minor was entering polling sites offering his "assistance."

Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi Not Seeking Re-election

• Matt Rinaldi will not seek re-election to the chairmanship of the Republican Party of Texas when delegates meet for the biennial convention in May. He has instead endorsed former Collin County GOP Chair Abraham George for the position.

      

• Rinaldi became chairman in 2021 after being elected by the State Republican Executive Committee to fill the remainder of former Chair Allen West’s term. He was then re-elected at the 2022 Texas GOP Convention without opposition.

     
• Several candidates had previously announced their intention to seek the post, including current Texas GOP Vice Chair Dana Myers, Smith County GOP Chairman David Stein, businessman Ben Armenta, and activist Weston Martinez.

Today In History

On March 18, 1766, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act less than a year after putting it into effect and following months of protests. On the same day, Parliament passed a resolution asserting it had "total legislative power" over the colonies.

Quote-Unquote

“You must not deprive the colonies of their right to make laws for themselves. Parliament should only make laws necessary for the empire as a whole.”

– Thomas Hutchinson
Royal Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay​

ONE CLICK SURVEY

Increasingly, public schools in Texas allow resources and instruction time to be spent indoctrinating children into radical sex and gender ideologies. With pornographic books in the libraries, LGBTQ parades through the hallways, and cross-dressing teachers in the classrooms, no one should be surprised that government schools are producing worsening academic results.

Should school districts that allow, or even encourage, this behavior lose state funding?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!