Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

– Sydnie Henry 

Katy ISD Teacher Arrested on 9 Counts of Possession of Child Pornography

• Tompkins High School teacher James Paul Stone has been arrested on nine counts of possession of child pornography. 
   

• According to the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable’s office, thousands of images of child pornography were recovered from Stone’s residence, including several images that Stone admitted to producing himself. 
   
• Stone taught social studies, while his wife is the principal at Katy ISD’s Taylor High School. 
   
• A letter to parents from Tompkins High School said Stone will not return to the school and the district is cooperating fully with law enforcement.

Senate Education Hearing Focuses on Anti-Israel Protests & DEI Ban 

• The hearing, chaired by Sen. Brandon Creighton, focused largely on the climate on college campuses, dealing with the rise of antisemitic protests and the new state law banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion departments in Texas’ public universities. Brandon Waltens has the story. 
   
• "DEI ideology mirrors old Marxist talking points, dividing the world into oppressed and the oppressors." - Brandon Creighton.
   
• Creighton suggested that DEI programs have led to a campus culture that encourages out-of-control encampments and riots on campuses, pointing toward a University of Houston training that described "religious privilege" to students.
   
• Chancellors from the state’s public university systems were invited to testify on the progress of eliminating their DEI departments.
   
• J.B. Milliken, the chancellor of the University of Texas, told senators he estimated that over $25 million was being saved or reallocated after closing 21 DEI offices, eliminating 311 full and part-time positions that performed DEI duties, and canceling 681 DEI contracts, programs, and training.  No, duh!?!

Silver Bullet Bus Tour to Travel the State Ahead of Runoff Elections

• Gun Owners of America is gearing up to hit the road, hosting eight rallies in three days for a series of their endorsed candidates in the upcoming runoff elections.
   
• The Silver Bullet Bus Tour, which kicks off in Burleson this morning, will travel through the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex before heading to southeast Texas and finishing in the San Antonio area.
   
• Our own Brandon Waltens will be joining every stop, to get live updates follow him on X @bwaltens. 

Houston Mayor Rolls Out $6.7 Billion Budget 

• Houston Mayor John Whitmire rolled out his first city budget this week, calling it a bridge to 2026 and promising it will not raise taxes or reduce services. Charles Blain has the story. 
   
• While Whitmire initially called for all departments to identify across-the-board budget cuts, he did not go with those, instead finding $11 million in other departmental reductions. 
   
• The budget did not include new fees or higher taxes, but the accompanying budget letter indicated that both could still be on the table down the road.
   
• Budget workshops begin this week and the city council must approve a budget before July 1, the start of Fiscal Year 2025. 

INVESTIGATION: Texans for Lawsuit Reform 

• In part one of Texas Scorecard's latest investigative series, a longtime supporter of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the most powerful lobbying group in Texas, explains how the group 'Lost Their Way.'
   
• Daniel Greer examines in part two how TLR exerts control over an increasingly conservative state.
   
• Part three—launching at noon today—will consider TLR's role in the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. 

Quote-Unquote

"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

– Benjamin Franklin​

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