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Hostile foreign governments have been aggressively purchasing land in Texas and around the country. Today, we want to know what you think about that.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, July 29, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Patrick Says Phelan Intends to Block School Choice... Again According to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) intends to kill school choice legislation again in the next session if he stays in charge of the lower chamber. Brandon Waltens has the details [[link removed]].

Patrick said Phelan has refused to sign on to a budget priorities statement because it included school choice. That position puts Phelan at odds with both the Republican Party of Texas—which has long had it as a priority—and voters at large.

While Phelan barely won re-election to his seat in the House, State Reps. Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) and Shelby Slawson (R-Stephenville) have announced bids to challenge him.

RELATED ANALYSIS

Like Joe Biden left to wander the White House until his term expires, Dade Phelan is nominally the third most powerful man in Texas… but he’s being effectively shunted aside [[link removed]]. Phelan’s abysmal record of the Texas House under his mismanagement resulted in a political disaster; more incumbent Republicans lost their primary re-election campaigns than any time in modern history.

Increasingly, Phelan is being pushed out of the picture [[link removed]] by Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as they make plans for the 2025 legislative session. If the governor and lieutenant governor seem done with the House speaker, it is because they know the chamber is, too. Border Patrol Expands Operations Targeting Transnational Criminal Organizations U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced new efforts to its ongoing enforcement operations against transnational criminal organizations. Debra McClure reports [[link removed]] two initiatives will target the southwest border from El Paso to San Diego.

Operation Plaza Spike aims to disrupt the cartel operations in “plazas,” cartel territories south of the United States. Meanwhile, Apollo X is designed to find and seize fentanyl, uncover supply chains, and determine where the contraband is coming from and where it’s headed.

The timing of these new CBP efforts follows criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies, including the extreme views on immigration from the Democrats' presumptive presidential nominee and Biden's "border czar," Kamala Harris. TxDOT’s $1.7 Billion Toll Road Buyout May Keep Tolls in Place The Texas Department of Transportation is contemplating the purchase of a Houston-area toll road [[link removed]] from a private developer. Even though the lanes would be bought with tax dollars, it is uncertain if the tolls will stay in place.

The toll lanes on Highway 288 were part of a public-private partnership agreement with Blueridge Transportation Group that was originally set to last 50 years. The proposal would involve the state terminating the existing agreement in October and spending nearly $1.7 billion to acquire the already-built toll lanes.

The Texas Transportation Commission, which oversees TxDOT, voted in March to move forward with the buyout, though questions lingered about whether the state would stop the collection of tolls on the stretch of highway.

"Under no circumstances should the Department expend public money to buy out a toll road and then continue to charge tolls." – Terri Hall [[link removed]] of Texans for Toll-Free Highways

The commission will meet tomorrow in Austin to further discuss the issue. Bail Bond Ring Busted in Harris County A Harris County bail bond scheme has resulted in 53 people indicted and 37 taken into custody for participating in wire fraud related to the use of falsified documents. Charles Blain has the story [[link removed]].

AABL Bonds, the company at the center of the scheme, has bonded out numerous high-profile defendants over the years. They are now accused of falsifying documents used to provide bail bonds to criminal defendants and their families who otherwise would not qualify.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

RELATED NEWS

Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Friday that he will appoint Thomas Muñoz [[link removed]], the acting director of the Office of Emergency Management, as the 37th Chief of the Houston Fire Department. Muñoz must still be confirmed by the city council. Texarkana Teacher Gets 25 Years for Exploiting Students A former educator will serve 25 years in federal prison for crimes he committed while working as a band teacher at Texas High School in Texarkana Independent School District. Erin Anderson reports [[link removed]] the man admitted to exploiting several minors who were his students.

Brandon Neil Sams began working as a color guard instructor at Texas High School during the 2019-20 school year. He used social media and messaging apps to communicate with underage students and gave his victims gifts—including cell phones, clothes, and prepaid credit cards—to persuade them to do what he wanted.

“The sentence he received today should serve as a warning to all child predators: we will find you, and you will face justice.” – U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs [[link removed]] Today In History

On July 29, 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Number of the Day

5.4 Million

Acres of agricultural land in Texas owned by foreign interests as of December 31, 2022.

[Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture]

Quote-Unquote

"Buy land, they're not making it anymore."

– Mark Twain​

ONE CLICK SURVEY

Hostile foreign governments, especially the Chinese Communist Party, have stepped up efforts to buy land in Texas and around the nation. Experts have pointed to the security and economic threats posed by allowing those sales to take place.

The Texas Senate passed legislation in 2023 that would have banned such purchases in Texas, but the measure was killed by House Speaker Dade Phelan's leadership team without a vote in the chamber. While more than 95 percent of Republican primary voters approved a ballot resolution banning those sales, there are those— like the Texas Farm Bureau [[link removed]]—arguing there should be no restriction on who land owners can sell out to.

Should China, Iran, and other hostile foreign governments or their agents be allowed to purchase Texas land and mineral rights?

Yes, let them buy what they want. [[link removed]]

... or ...

No, block those sales to protect Texas. [[link removed]]

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!

Directory of Your Current U.S. & Texas Officials [[link removed]]

This information is automatically inserted based on the mailing address you provide to us. If you'd like to update your contact information, please visit our subscriber portal [[link removed]].

​ U.S. Senator [[link removed]]

John Cornyn - R

(202) 224-2934

U.S. Senator [[link removed]]

Ted Cruz - R

(202) 224-5922

Governor of Texas [[link removed]]

Greg Abbott - R

(512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor [[link removed]]

Dan Patrick - R

(512) 463-0001

Attorney General [[link removed]]

Ken Paxton – R

(512) 463-2100

Comptroller [[link removed]]

Glenn Hegar – R

(512) 463-4600

Land Commissioner [[link removed]]

Dawn Buckingham – R

(512) 463-5001

Commissioner of Agriculture [[link removed]]

Sid Miller – R

(512) 463-7476

Railroad Commissioners [[link removed]]

Wayne Christian – R

Christi Craddick – R

Jim Wright – R

(512) 463-7158

State Board of Education [[link removed]], District

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Main (512) 463-9007

U.S. House [[link removed]], District

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Congressional Switchboard (202) 225-3121

Texas Senate [[link removed]], District

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Capitol Switchboard (512) 463-4630

Texas House [[link removed]], District

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Capitol Switchboard (512) 463-4630

Speaker of the Texas House​​​​​​​ [[link removed]]

Dade Phelan (R)

(512) 463-1000

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