Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday March 28, 2024.

– Brandon Waltens 

Senate to Oversee Universities’ Implementation of DEI Ban

• The chair of the Senate’s Education Committee has outlined the process of how higher education institutions are to expel Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives in letters to the chancellors of Texas’ state-funded universities. Will Biagini has the story. 
   

• The letters from State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe) announced an upcoming oversight hearing to review the implementation process of Senate Bill 17—which prohibits institutions of higher education from establishing a DEI office, using DEI criteria in their hiring practices, or requiring employees or prospective employees to attend DEI training.
   

• The law went into effect in January. Now, the University of North Texas System, the Texas A&M University System, the University of Texas System, the University of Houston System, the Texas Tech University System, and the Texas State University System are all being checked for compliance.
   

• The Senate Committee on Education is planning a hearing for May where system administrators will present their progress on DEI elimination.
   
• “When Texas taxpayer dollars are used to fund offices, departments, or employee positions dedicated to promoting DEI initiatives, rather than basing decisions on merit, that is not only inappropriate, it is inconsistent with state law." – Sen. Brandon Creighton

Cruz Leads Democrat Challenger Among Texas Voters

• A new poll of Texas voters shows that Republican Ted Cruz is leading his Democrat challenger, Colin Allred, in the race for the U.S. Senate seat. 
   

• Emily Medeiros reports the poll conducted by Marist College has Cruz currently leading Allred by six percentage points among Texas’ registered voters. Among independent voters, Cruz leads Allred by eight percentage points. 
   

• Additionally, 45 percent of Texas residents have a favorable opinion of Cruz, while a majority of residents—53 percent—have either never heard of Allred or are unsure how to rate him.
   

• After winning the Republican nomination, Cruz’s campaign announced a new coalition called “Democrats for Cruz” in an effort to get Democrats to cross party lines and re-elect him into office.
   

• The coalition is comprised of local sheriffs, former and current elected officials, students, and more who have voted Democrat in the past but feel the party is no longer working in their best interest.
   

• Meanwhile, Allred has claimed he will be the senator to bring Texans together but has come under fire for far-left comments about the border wall and the Second Amendment. 

RNC Committeewoman Candidates Share Vision for Republican Party

• With the biennial Republican Party of Texas convention less than two months away, Erin Anderson reports on the two women campaigning to represent the state within the Republican National Committee.
   

• Debbie Georgatos and Kit Whitehill, the two declared candidates in the race for RNC committeewoman, each shared her vision for leading the party at a forum Monday night hosted by the Dallas County Council of Republican Women.
   

• Debbie Georgatos is the host of the conservative talk show America, Can We Talk? and is also an author and public speaker on the importance of participating in politics to preserve freedom. She’s been active in grassroots Republican politics since moving to Texas in 2000, serving as president of Park Cities Republican Women and vice chair of the Dallas County GOP.
   

• Kit Whitehill is a longtime Republican activist at the local and state level. She founded the Coppell Republican Women’s Club, served as secretary of the Dallas County GOP, and is the immediate past president of the Texas Federation of Republican Women.
   

• Georgatos told forum attendees she is running “to help save America” and will “bring new energy and passion with substance and depth on the issues.”
   

• Whitehill said she is running to continue helping Republicans attract more voters and elect more officeholders.
   

• Delegates attending the 2024 RPT convention in May will elect an RNC committeewoman and an RNC committeeman, along with state party leaders. The Republican Party of Texas convention will be held May 23-25 in San Antonio.

Fort Worth Drag Show Open to Minors

• A Fort Worth venue hosting a slew of drag shows open to minors hosted its weekly show where performers were seen dancing sexually and wearing provocative clothing. 
   

• The bar and restaurant named Red Goose Saloon sits in downtown Fort Worth’s Sundance Square and frequently hosts drag shows. Its current show, “Moondance Drag Brunch,” will be hosted every Sunday until May 1.
   

• According to the event’s organizers, the drag show is recommended for audiences 16 years of age or older. However, the Red Goose Saloon posted on social media that parents can bring children under 16 to the show and told a concerned individual to not “police other people’s decisions.”
   

• Now, new video footage from inside the venue shows the performers dancing sexually and wearing lingerie while asking for cash tips from the audience.
   

• The Dallas Express reported Sunday that venue staff did not ask attendees to produce identification at the door and that the venue was mostly empty, with only 11 people showing up. From the video footage, no minors could be seen attending the show. 
   

• During the 88th Legislative Session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 12, which would prohibit sexually oriented performances in front of minors. However, after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the measure into law, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas sued the state to halt it from taking effect. 
   

• The next show at the Red Goose Saloon is set to take place on Easter Sunday. 

Commentary: Primary Provides Bold School Choice Opportunity

• Texas can pass bold school choice legislation when the next legislative session starts in January 2025. Vance Ginn writes this could finally happen because of the recent election wins in the House primaries, efforts led by Gov. Greg Abbott.  

Quote-Unquote

"Do right and risk the consequences."

– Sam Houston​

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