Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Abbott Slams Proposal Giving Federal Government More Control Over National Guard

• Gov. Greg Abbott is blasting the Biden administration over a new proposal that would allow the United States Air Force to transfer Air National Guard units without gubernatorial approval. As Luca Cacciatore reports, 53 other governors of U.S states and territories have also condemned the move.

     
• The proposal, which requires congressional approval, specifically allows the Air Force to transfer the Air Guard units to the U.S. Space Force.
       
• Abbott described the proposal as undermining the state's responsiveness to "natural disasters, civil disturbances, cartel activity," and other crises.
      
• Yesterday, a bipartisan group of 56 members of the U.S. House and 29 members of the U.S. Senate issued a letter urging their fellow lawmakers to reject the proposal.

Ahead of Runoff, Frederick Frazier Lies About Paxton Impeachment

• Incumbent Republicans forced into runoffs have had to message against one of the biggest lines of attacks from their primary opponents—the fact that they all supported the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Some have tried to excuse their vote as “sending the issue” to the Senate for investigation. But, as Brandon Waltens reports, one embattled lawmaker is trying a different tact: lying about the process.
      
• During an interview with the Texas Municipal Police Association's podcast, Frazier falsely claimed that Paxton’s office refused to participate in the House Committee’s investigation before impeachment.
      

• That is, however, patently untrue, as Paxton’s office was never notified of the investigation. 
       

• “I was never afforded due process when Dade Phelan launched his secret impeachment plot. Numerous House members vocalized their opposition to this scheme because it was such an outrageous abuse of power, and Rep. Frazier knows this. Hopefully, the voters of his district will send him home,” said Paxton in a statement to Texas Scorecard.
      

• Frazier's comments come as he faces a turbulent runoff election against opponent Keresa Richardson. Frazier is notable for being dishonorably discharged from the Dallas Police Department after pleading guilty to criminal mischief involving an opponent’s campaign signs. 

GOP Runoff Candidates: On the Speaker

• With the primary runoff election just weeks away, Texas Scorecard reached out to all of the runoff candidates for state representative to ask what they are looking for in a speaker candidate. Amelia McKenzie reports on their responses... or, in some cases, lack thereof.
     
• The Texas House Speaker is elected by fellow members and wields considerable power as the arbitrator of committee assignments and order on the floor. Incumbent Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) placed second in his GOP primary and faces an uphill fight against conservative activist David Covey in the runoff.
      
• Incumbents, each of whom have received financial support from Phelan, did not respond to the inquiries. Several of the challengers mentioned the "Contract with Texas," promoted by conservatives to reform the speakership and other House rules.
       
• Katrina Pierson, who is challenging incumbent Justin Holland, responded simply:  “I’ve signed the Contract with Texas.”
       
• Check out the other responses in the article.

Runoff Preview: Yarbrough and Hagenbuch in SD30

• As the only GOP runoff for the Texas Senate, the open-seat race between local businessman Brent Hagenbuch and attorney Jace Yarbrough has drawn statewide attention. The incumbent, Drew Springer, chose not to seek reelection.
       
• Yarbrough has received endorsements from several statewide organizations, including Texas Right to Life, Grassroots America: We the People, and True Texas Project. Yarbrough is an Air Force veteran.
      
• Hagenbuch has received endorsements from Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the Texas Association of Business, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and former President Donald Trump. Hagenbuch is a U.S. Navy veteran.
       
• The Democrats also have a runoff between Michael Braxton and Dale Frey to determine their SD30 nominee.

Carroll ISD Rejects Biden's Title IX Rewrite

• Trustees for Carroll Independent School District voted unanimously for a resolution denouncing President Joe Biden’s rewrite of Title IX. Emily Medeiros has the story.
      
• "Title" IX refers to the federal civil rights law designed to prohibit sex-based discrimination in education. The Biden administration has rewritten the rules to require districts to include "gender identity" as a protected class. Schools would be forced to either let biological males share private spaces with females or lose federal funding.
       
• “What the Biden administration is doing is redefining XX and XY to whatever you want to identify as. That is a very, very dangerous precedent, and this school district and this board will fight to make sure that our daughters and our girls are protected from boys entering bathrooms, locker rooms, and eventually … girls’ sports. That’s not going to happen here. We’re taking a stance.” — Cameron Bryan, president of the CISD School Board

Spring ISD Teacher Charged with Improper Relationship with a Student

• A now-former Spring Independent School District teacher has been arrested and charged with having an improper relationship with a student.
       
• Valerie Lauren Mata, 26, was a theater teacher at Dekaney High School. She was investigated for a sexual relationship with a student that allegedly began during his sophomore year.
      
• Court records show that the student, now 18, told investigators that he and Mata had a physical relationship that involved acts taking place at the school. 
      
• It is a felony for teachers to engage in improper relationships with students, regardless of the student's age. Mata resigned in March.

Quote-Unquote

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

– Plato​

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