Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, July 15, 2024.

– Sydnie Henry

Trump Shot in Assassination Attempt: Texans React

• At a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear, with a bullet narrowly missing his head. Texas lawmakers quickly reacted in support. 
   
• "The world is evil. Praise God that President Trump was able to walk away on his own. Praying for complete healing." - Attorney General Ken Paxton
   
• "Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed. In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win. I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin." - Donald Trump
   

• The shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. 

Federal Government to Take Private Land in Texas

• As part of the since-rebranded "30×30" initiative, the Biden administration is attempting to take hundreds of thousands of acres of Texas land. Will Biagini has the story. 
   
• Under the guise of "land protection," the federal government aims to acquire 700,000 acres of private land in the Southern High Plains region—which sits along the Texas-New Mexico border. 
   

• This is part of the federal government’s efforts to expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge—which feeds into the broader aim of the Biden administration: fulfilling the 30×30 initiative. 
   

• Through the 30×30 initiative, the Biden administration decided that 30 percent of the nation’s land and waters must be under federal control and management by 2030. President Biden launched the agenda via executive order on January 27, 2021. 
   

• "After listing two species as endangered in the region they are now providing the solution for landowners to deal with the coming land use restrictions – sell the land to the Federal government or sell a conservation easement forever committing that land to the Refuge. Removing 700,000 private acres will permanently erode agriculture production, oil and gas development, and the local economy." - American Stewards of Liberty Executive Director Margaret Byfield

New Victim Revealed in Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Lorena ISD

• A third victim has come forward in a lawsuit over a teacher’s sexual abuse of pre-K students at Lorena Primary School, further implicating the school’s embattled principal. Erin Anderson has the background. 
   

• The newly discovered information was revealed in an amended complaint filed June 26 by the parents of a previously known victim identified as Jane Doe. The amendment alleges Principal April Jewell was told about the teacher’s earlier sexual misconduct with the third victim, identified as Student B, but failed to act, allowing the teacher to victimize Jane.
   

• The lawsuit alleges Jewell and other district administrators failed to protect the students, who were 4 and 5 years old at the time of the abuse, despite warnings about Nicolas Crenshaw’s inappropriate behavior with the girls.

Lt. Gov. Patrick Promises Senate Will Get Answers From CenterPoint

• As more than a million Texans were left without power for days after Hurricane Beryl, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick highlighted questions for electricity distributor CenterPoint that he and the Senate want answered. Holly Tkach has the story. 
   
• Patrick pointed out that CenterPoint public communications have failed to instill confidence and that their customer phone lines are ineffective and should be prepared for any storm.
   

• Some of the questions from Patrick include: Did they cut corners before the storm? Are they cutting corners now? Were they prepared for the storm hitting Houston? Did they take the storm seriously? Are Houston and surrounding areas still IMPORTANT to CenterPoint? 
   

• "Right now, our focus is on restoring power to our customers," a CenterPoint spokesperson told Texas Scorecard. "We would be happy to continue the conversation once we have completed restoration efforts."

Carroll ISD Secures Preliminary Injunction on Biden Administration’s Title IX Rewrite

• A federal judge has granted Carroll Independent School District’s request for a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration’s Title IX rewrite. Emily Medeiros has the details. 
   
• Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of Carroll ISD against the administration, claiming that the rule will injure the school district and "impose immediate and long-lasting harm on Carroll ISD as well as its staff and students and their parents."
   

• In April, the Biden administration released a nearly 1,500-page rewrite of Title IX—which is the federal civil rights law designed to prohibit sex-based discrimination in education. The new version would include "gender identity" as a protected class. It would also force schools to permit biological males to use female spaces. If a school refuses to comply, federal funding would be withheld.
   

• The ruling effectively means Carroll ISD will not be forced to enact the changes that the Biden administration would have required. 
   

• "This is a major victory for our daughters and female students in Carroll ISD and may be extended to school districts across the country." - Carroll ISD Board President Cam Bryan. 

Texas Congressmen Introduce Justice for Jocelyn Act to Strengthen Detention of Illegal Aliens

• The Jocelyn Act would restrict the release of illegal aliens into the country under the Alternatives to Detention program. Debra McClure has the report. 
   

• U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's proposed legislation would require that every available ICE detention bed be used before releasing an illegal alien as part of ATD. If no beds are available, the Department of Homeland Security must "exhaust all reasonable efforts to keep an alien in custody."
   

• The Jocelyn Act is named after 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray from Houston, who was assaulted and murdered by two illegal aliens from Venezuela in June. Both illegal aliens crossed into the U.S. through El Paso. After apprehension by the U.S. Border Patrol, they were released into the United States as part of the ATD program.
   

• At the time of Jocelyn’s assault and murder, one illegal alien suspect wore a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement GPS monitor. The other was permitted to remove his monitor after 21 days. The new legislation would also require GPS monitoring of individuals "for the duration of immigration proceedings" and force judges to remove any alien who has violated a release order.

In Related News...

Attorneys Argue Palo Pinto County’s Political Signage Restrictions Went Too Far

• The legal team for two grassroots organizations in North Texas told the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that Palo Pinto County’s "content-based restrictions" on political signage have gone too far. Luca Cacciatore has the details. 
   

• Attorney Tony McDonald, who argued on behalf of Palo Pinto County Conservatives, Grassroots Mineral Wells, and their leader, contended that the county’s new electioneering regulations could violate the First Amendment by excluding political speech.
   

• Among the regulations are the prohibition of political signs when an election is not upcoming, the limitation of signs to under 36 square feet, and the restriction of candidates to six signs each. The county also disallowed political signs from being displayed on permanent structures and prohibited so-called electioneering by canvassers on sidewalks or driveways outside designated areas.
   

• "It's important that we protect citizens' rights to speak to their neighbors about local policy and elections." - Tony McDonald.
   

• A decision from the court is expected in the coming months. 

Quote-Unquote

"I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary."

– Elon Musk​

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