From Michael Quinn Sullivan <[email protected]>
Subject Texas Minute: 8/1/2024
Date August 1, 2024 10:48 AM
  Links have been removed from this email. Learn more in the FAQ.
  Links have been removed from this email. Learn more in the FAQ.
ACCOUNT [[link removed]]

READ ONLINE [link removed]

Good morning,

This is the Texas Minute for Thursday, August 1, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Cruz Files Measure to Safeguard Schools from Foreign Adversaries U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has introduced the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act. As Debra McClure reports [[link removed]], the legislation is designed to provide transparency for parents about the influence of foreign funding in schools.

The Chinese Communist Party and other foreign governments have developed financial connections to U.S. schools and universities, including Texas A&M and the University of Texas. The CCP funds “Confucius Classrooms” to spread their influence among U.S. high school students.

The measure has already passed the U.S. House.

"The Chinese Communist Party expends vast resources to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think. The CCP continues to target American educational institutions, as do other foreign adversaries." – Ted Cruz [[link removed]] School Board Members Encouraged to Weaponize Pay Increases School board members were recently told to utilize teacher pay as a way to apply political pressure on the state legislature over the issue of school choice. Will Biagini has the details [[link removed]].

At a conference hosted by the Texas Association of School Boards, the CEO of the educational consulting company Moak Casey reportedly told school board members to withhold teachers’ pay increases this year. The purpose was to mislead teachers about the reasons as a way to pressure lawmakers to advance an anti-school choice agenda.

A school board member from Dripping Springs reported the incident [[link removed]] to the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Rob McClellan described the speech by Moak Casey CEO Buck Gilcrease as "encouraging us to utilize compensation as a weapon to try to change the way our teachers would vote."

When confronted, a TASB spokesman tried to distance the organization from the presentation even though Moak Casey remains one of TASB’s top vendors. Democrat Front Group Secures Taxpayers Funds for 'Voter Registration' New records reveal that Civic Government Solutions, whose founder has repeatedly claimed that it’s nonpartisan, is a front group for the Democrat voter registration organization Civitech. Ian Camacho explains [[link removed]] how the organization is receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from local governments.

A review of records finds Civitech's leadership demonstrates overtly pro-Democrat, anti-Republican biases. Civitech has direct control over CGS.

Meanwhile, CGS has been given taxpayer-funded grants from Travis, Harris, Bexar, and Dallas counties—all Democrat strongholds—for "voter outreach services." What Happens to the $1.4 Billion Settlement with Meta? Now that Meta (the corporate owner of Facebook) has agreed to pay Texas $1.4 billion for violating users' privacy rights, Texans have wondered where those dollars will go. Brandon Waltens has the answer [[link removed]].

The settlement, the largest ever obtained by a single state, concerns the unauthorized collection of biometric data from users.

According to the Office of the Attorney General, the vast majority will go to the state general revenue fund. That means it will be up to the state legislature to decide next spring how the money will be spent.

Andrew McVeigh, the president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, wants the money used for property tax relief [[link removed]]. "The funds from this settlement should be treated the same as all surplus state revenue should be treated: returned to the taxpayer to help relieve them of their property tax burden."

COURT: Texas Can Keep Border Buoys in Place The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has overruled a lower court's order and said Texas’ buoy barriers in the Rio Grande can remain in place [[link removed]]. The water barricades—meant to repel illegal and sometimes dangerous water crossings—were being challenged by the Biden/Harris administration.

"The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in Texas’s favor, finding that the federal district court abused its discretion when it ordered Texas to remove the buoys floating in the Rio Grande that prevent aliens from attempting a dangerous river crossing to enter America illegally." – Ken Paxton [[link removed]]

With this decision from the Fifth Circuit, the buoy barriers can remain in place despite opposition from the Biden/Harris administration.

RELATED NEWS

An unnamed fugitive from Peru is currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after entering the country illegally through Eagle Pass and being released into the country. As Holly Tkach reports [[link removed]], the Peruvian fugitive had actually been apprehended several times in the past. Quote-Unquote

"We must all either wear out or rust out, every one of us. My choice is to wear out."

– Theodore Roosevelt​

Today in History

On Aug. 1, 1961, the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park opened in Arlington.

Number of the Day

67

Number of days until Oct. 7, 2024, which is the last day to register to vote ahead of the General Election.

[Source: Texas Secretary of State [[link removed]]]

🔒 Donate to Texas Scorecard 🔒 [[link removed]] Update Your Subscription & Information [[link removed]]

John xxxxxx



[email protected]

Directory of Your Current U.S. & Texas Lawmakers [[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

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

Update your address ( )

Main (512) 463-9007

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

Update your address ()

Congressional Switchboard (202) 225-3121

Texas Senate [[link removed]], District

Update your address ()

Capitol Switchboard (512) 463-4630

Texas House [[link removed]], District

Update your address ()

Capitol Switchboard (512) 463-4630

Speaker of the Texas House [[link removed]]

Dade Phelan (R)

(512) 463-1000

Something not right?

Make sure we have your address right [[link removed]]!

Request A Speaker [[link removed]] A product of Texas Scorecard

www.TexasScorecard.com

(888) 410-1836

PO Box 248, Leander, TX 78646

Presented by Texas Scorecard, the Texas Minute is a quick look at the first news of the Lone Star State so citizens can be well informed and effectively engaged. It is available weekday mornings in your inbox!

This message was originally sent to:

John xxxxxx |

Be sure to put “ [[link removed]]” on your safe-senders whitelist.

If you ever stop receiving our emails, it might be because someone to whom you forwarded the email unintentionally removed you from the list. No worries; it is easy enough to reactivate your subscription immediately by visiting:

[link removed]

Before you click the link below... If someone forwarded this email to you, please don’t! Clicking the link will end the subscription of [email protected].
Unsubscribe [link removed]
Screenshot of the email generated on import

Message Analysis