Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

– Sydnie Henry 

Texas Sues Biden Administration to Stop Redefinition of “Sex”

• Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against multiple agencies and individuals in the Biden administration in an effort to curb their ploy to redefine the word "sex" in the workplace. Will Biagini has the story. 
   

• In late April of this year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a guidance that would effectively redefine the meaning of "sex" in Title XII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
   

• This would effectively prohibit employers from regulating bathroom usage and dress codes based on biological sex and would instead require them to make accommodations based on "gender identity."
   

• "Yet again the Biden Administration is trying to circumvent the democratic process by issuing sweeping mandates from the desks of bureaucrats that would fundamentally reshape American law. Texas will not stand by while Biden ignores court orders forbidding such actions and will we hold the federal government accountable at every turn." - Ken Paxton

New Casino-Funded PAC Spends Big to Help Dade Phelan and Allies

• Campaign finance records reveal the Texas Defense PAC reported more than $3 million in spending and is wholly funded by Miriam Adelson, the owner of the Las Vegas Sands casino group. Brandon Waltens has the story.
   

• Earlier this month, the Texas Defense PAC was created and started advertising for embattled House incumbents including Dade Phelan, Justin Holland, John Kuempel, Frederick Frazier, as well as John McQueeney, who is running in an open race.
   

• McQueeney, who is running for the open seat being vacated by State Rep. Craig Goldman, was the biggest recipient of Texas Defense PAC’s funds, receiving nearly $1.3 million. The other four candidates received around half a million dollars each.

Kemp ISD Teacher Arrested for Injuring 6-year-old Child

• A teacher in Kaufman County has been arrested after injuring a child. Emily Medeiros has the story. 
   

• Melissa McDaniels, a special education teacher who worked in Kemp Independent School District, was arrested on a felony charge of injury to a child. 
   
• McDaniels was allegedly caught on surveillance video using force on a six-year-old student who has ADHD, resulting in the boy being slammed into the wall. She has resigned from her position at Kemp ISD.

Hood County Denounces Biden’s Title IX Changes

• The county’s resolution calls on local school districts to consider alternatives to accepting federal funds. Erin Anderson has the story.
   

• Local officials in Hood County are the latest to reject the Biden administration’s drastic rewrite of Title IX, which undermines the law’s protections for girls in schools by mandating compliance with radical gender ideology. If a school refuses to comply with the changes, the government threatens to withhold federal funding.
   

• The county’s resolution urges school districts within Hood County—Granbury, Tolar, and Lipan Independent School Districts—to join the commissioners’ court in denouncing the regulatory changes, which are set to take effect on August 1.
   
• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the changes last month. 

Federal Appeals Court Halts Palo Pinto County’s Rules Against Political Signage

• A federal appeals court halted a Texas county’s new rules restricting political signage just one day before early voting started for the May 28 primary runoff election. Luca Cacciatore has the story. 
   

• The ruling indicates that the county’s rules likely violate the First Amendment.
   

• Among the controversial changes were the prohibition of political signs when an election is not upcoming, the limitation of the signs to under 36 square feet, the restriction of candidates to six signs each, and a ban on the signs being displayed on permanent structures. 

Quote-Unquote

"Always stand on principle...even if you stand alone."

– John Adams​

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