Good morning,

Donations from a Democrat haunt Dade Phelan... Biden's "unconstitutional" gun rule... Granbury's sign shenanigans... and more.

Buckle up for today's Texas Minute!

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Thursday, May 2, 2024 

New Poll: Trump and Cruz in Lead

• A new poll released Wednesday finds former President Donald Trump and current U.S. Senator Ted Cruz leading their respective races among Texas’ likely voters. Emily Medeiros reports Trump holds a nine-point lead over Joe Biden in a poll conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project.
        
• Meanwhile, Cruz is shown to be leading Colin Allred 46 percent to 33 percent.
      
• The poll found Gov. Greg Abbott enjoys a 55 percent approval rating, with 37 percent of voters disapproving of his work. Conversely, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan received only a 27 percent approval rating from voters.
      
• Border security tops the concerns of Texas voters, followed by the economy and inflation.

RELATED NEWS

Texas, Kansas Lead Lawsuits Against ‘Unconstitutional’ Rule

• Republican attorneys general in multiple states, including Texas and Kansas, are suing to stop the Biden administration from imposing new restrictions on the rights of gun owners. Erin Anderson has the story.

       
• A new rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would have the effect of criminalizing law-abiding Americans for making private gun purchases and sales.
   
• The attorneys general argue that the rule is unconstitutional because it is vague, violates the Second Amendment, and circumvents Congress.
      
• “The war on Second Amendment rights must be stopped. My message to Biden is ‘Come and Take It,’” said Texas' Ken Paxton at a press conference on Wednesday.
      
• Among the states joining Texas and Kansas in suing the Biden administration are Iowa, Montana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming, as well as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Utah. The multi-state coalition of plaintiffs also includes Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Tennessee Firearms Association, and Virginia Citizens Defense League.

Democrat at Center of Case Stripping AG’s Election Fraud Enforcement Found to be a Dade Phelan Donor

• As House Speaker Dade Phelan faces criticism for his empowerment of Democrats in the legislature, his campaign is also benefiting from a Democrat official whom the Attorney General attempted to prosecute for campaign finance violations. Brandon Waltens has the details.
       
• Campaign finance reports reveal Phelan’s campaign received $1,000 from Zena Stephens, the Democrat sheriff of Jefferson County. Making the contribution even more notable is that Stephens was at the center of the court decision that ultimately stripped the Office of the Attorney General of its power to prosecute election fraud.
       
• In 2018, Attorney General Ken Paxton attempted to prosecute Stephens for campaign finance violations. Paxton initiated the prosecution after local prosecutors turned down the case. Among other things, Stephens was accused of accepting cash contributions of more than $100, which is prohibited under the Election Code.
      
• By an 8-1 decision late in 2021, the all-Republican Court of Criminal Appeals—Texas’ highest court on criminal matters—ruled that the state law granting the attorney general the power to unilaterally prosecute election cases was unconstitutional. This has left prosecution of election fraud cases in the hands of local prosecutors—many of whom refuse to prosecute such cases.
      
• With three members of the court up for election this year, all were defeated in the GOP primary by Paxton-endorsed challengers. Of course, Phelan finds himself in a runoff election for his House seat. His opponent, David Covey, has been endorsed by Mr. Paxton.

Border Patrol Apprehends Three Convicted Offenders in South Texas

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents apprehended three men with felony criminal records for crimes involving children. Luca Cacciatore reports the apprehensions were made in Eagle Pass, Rio Grande City, and Cotulla.
          
• Selene Rodriguez of the Texas Public Policy Foundation said that while it is good individuals were caught, she is “fearful of the thousands of criminals that are tucked away in every state in our nation due to lawless catch and release policies and a federal government that refuses to secure our border.”

Granbury Has a Sign Problem... Which Could Be a Sign

• Escalating sign shenanigans are the latest hassle for a group campaigning against Granbury Independent School District’s May 4 bond election.

     
• Because of their opposition to Granbury ISD’s $161 million school bond, the organizers of the campaign branded “If You Know, You No” have been targeted for weeks by local officials.
       
• City officials confiscated the anti-bond signs at one point, with residents reporting the signs were even being taken from private property without permission.
     
• Meanwhile, a pro-bond advocate was caught stealing a sign that had been outfitted with an electronic tracker. Yes, seriously...
       
• The alleged thief was identified as Jim Lilly, who works at a local bank with pro-bond Granbury ISD Trustee Mike Moore and recorded a bond-boosting video posted by the Granbury Chamber of Commerce. Lilly now faces Class B theft charges.
       
• Election Day, which cannot come soon enough, is Saturday, May 4.

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– Winston Churchill​

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