Good morning,

Yesterday, we asked readers what they thought about a proposal that would allow the World Health Organization "unprecedented" control of the states... including Texas. Find out below what they had to say.

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Dade Phelan Scores Pyrrhic Victory

• By a razor-thin margin, Dade Phelan will keep his seat in the Texas House, surviving an electoral wave that claimed a number of his allies across the state. Brandon Waltens has the details from Southeast Texas.
     
• Phelan’s narrow victory over former Orange County GOP Chair David Covey marks an improbable feat, becoming the only speaker to survive a runoff election in Texas.
       
• Covey acknowledged the landslide victories across the state for other conservative challengers. “Because we have tied up the speaker's resources, we are winning races all around the state tonight.”
       
• Covey also asserted that Phelan only won with the help of Democrats. In the March primary, nine percent of voters in the race had Democrat voting history.
             
• The only other incumbent House member to win last night was Gary VanDeaver of New Boston, who fended off a challenge from Chris Spencer in House District 1.

Historic Routing of Establishment Incumbents Continued

• In race after race, voters unseated incumbents loyal to House Speaker Dade Phelan on Tuesday night. At issue in many of those races were the incumbents' votes to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton and their opposition to school choice.
       
• In Arlington, Phelan chairwoman Stephanie Klick was retired by voters in favor of David Lowe.
     
• Incumbent Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Sanger) was handily defeated by conservative challenger Andy Hopper. 
        
• Disgraced Rep. Frederick Frazier (R-McKinney) lost in a landslide to Keresa Richardson.
       
• Voters benched Rep. Justin Holland (R-Heath) in favor of former Trump advisor Katrina Pierson.
       
• Helen Kerwin overwhelmed Rep. DeWayne Burns (R-Cleburne).
      
• Voters fired Rep. John Kuempel of Seguin in favor of former lawmaker Alan Schoolcraft.

Beware of Politicians’ Phony ‘Reforms’

• More than two dozen men and women who will be serving in the Texas House in 2025 have signed the "Contract With Texas," which would bring comprehensive reforms to the lower chamber's operations. It was a big hit with delegates to the Texas GOP's San Antonio convention last week.
      
• Since it is highly unlikely incumbent Speaker Dade Phelan will hold that leadership position in January, some lawmakers are worried real reforms might take root. 
      
• As a result, some members of the Phelan-aligned Texas Freedom Caucus (which has been disavowed by the national Freedom Caucus network) are reportedly preparing a watered-down version themselves. Those who have seen a draft say it would continue the lobby-endorsed practice of power-sharing with the Democrats.
       
• "What do you call a leader with no followers? Just a guy taking a walk." – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller on Dade Phelan's reelection

SBOE Incumbents Hold on to Seats

• The two incumbent members of the State Board of Education who were being challenged from the right held on to their seats in the GOP runoff last night, reports Sydnie Henry.
      

• Tom Maynard from Central Texas and Pam Little from the Metroplex both won re-election to the 15-member board that oversees curriculum and teacher certification in the state’s government-run schools.

Harris County Sheriff’s Chief of Staff Arrested

• The Chief of Staff for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office was recently arrested for violating a protection order in Montgomery County. Charles Blain has the report.

     
• Jason Spencer was sitting in his car outside the home of his ex-wife in direct violation of the order and was arrested by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Earlier in May, news came out that Spencer was released on bond after an alleged assault on his teenage son during an argument last year.
       
• He has been at the HCSO since 2017.

Gonzales Keeps Seat, Goldman Secures GOP Nomination

• U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales and former Texas House GOP Caucus Chairman Craig Goldman were victorious in their respective races to represent Texas in the United States House of Representatives. Luca Cacciatore has the breakdown.
       
• Gonzales fended off a challenge from Second Amendment activist Brandon Herrera. Goldman beat businessman John O'Shea in the open-seat race.

Congressmen Say Collin Allred Wanted Mask Mandates in FAA Bill

• Following President Joe Biden’s signing of the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, two Texas lawmakers are calling out U.S. Rep. Colin Allred for pushing fringe priorities that they say do not benefit to Texas. As Emily Medeiros reports, the legislation was authored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
   
• Texas Republicans Troy Nehls and Brian Babin claim Democrat Allred was more concerned with including mask mandates than fighting for Texans.
   
• Allred is the Democrat's nominee to challenge Cruz for his seat in the Senate.

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Quote-Unquote

"The free world must embrace its national foundations. It must not attempt to erase them or replace them."

– Donald Trump

Y'All Answered

The Biden administration is considering a proposed "Pandemic Agreement" from the World Health Organization that would give the international entity the authority to dictate policy to the states in the event of another "pandemic." Gov. Greg Abbott and 23 other Republican governors are opposing it.

Yesterday, we asked readers if WHO should be given more power over federal and state policies during a medical emergency. Overwhelmingly, readers oppose the agreement (98.67%) compared to those who approve of it (1.33%).

Here is a sampling of the responses we received from readers after they voted in the survey. (Not a single proponent of the WHO agreement wrote in...)

• “The WHO shouldn't be responsible for running a Lemonade Stand!” – Gerry Cocco
      

• “We absolutely do not need globalists telling us what to do.” – Cindy Armstrong
      

• “Texas and America must never compromise our sovereignty.” – Duaine Goulding
      

• “What idiot in their right mind would even let this be considered — oh right, we’re talking Joe Biden, the poster boy for an idiot not in his right mind.” – Ed Scruggs
     

• “The WHO? Great rock n roll band. Love 'em. The World Health Organization? Tyrannical liars. Hard pass.” – David Bergthold
       

• “We should never give up our God-given rights to anyone that cannot be held accountable to We, the People.” – Sheila Fox Tanksley
      

• “I, for the most part, do not trust my own government, let alone some other ‘world’ organization run by people with who-knows-what motives. Remember, Fauci lied, and people died. He and WHO should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.” – Garry Ludwig
      

• “No, no, no, no… to the World Health Organization.” – Nancy Wood
      

• “We need to create a border wall to keep WHO out of Texas and the U.S. All part of the New World (Dis)Order.” – Mark Bigley
      

• “The WHO is certain to declare a ‘climate emergency’ that exists in their fevered minds and will impose draconian measures totally out of sync with our Constitution.” – Micheal Nash
      

• “The US should remove itself from the WHO and WEF immediately. These organizations are trying to take away our sovereignty.” – Margie McAllister
      

• “No, we should not give up our sovereignty to unelected, unqualified, and un-American socialists/Marxists that don’t have a clue what ‘freedom’ and natural-born American citizenry means. We will not comply!” – Ruben Salinas
      

• “We need to kick the UN out of America, and especially out of Texas! WHO needs to go home…. Texans are very capable of handling our own health issues and strategies!” – Brenda Schwartz
       

• “If agreed to, EVERYTHING will be a crisis!” – Bob Davis
      

• “We saw how the WHO handled the last medical crisis, not to mention they were caught with their hand in the cookie jar in Wuhan where the pandemic originated. We should never trust their judgment when it comes to medical management.” – Susan Valliant
      

• “No entity outside our country should have any authority over anything!” – Monnie Pennington
     

• “Get the UN out of the US, and the US out of the UN.” – Chris Breaux
       

• “The WHO was involved with the Wuhan lab coverup fiasco, and we are considering giving them this kind of power... ARE WE CRAZY?” – Charles Koenig III
      

• “True Texans will not comply.” – Randy Miller
      

• “Remember Covid? Need I say more?!” – Kathy Freedlun

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