Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Farm Bureau Relents on China... Forestry Association Doubles Down

• During a hearing at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, the president of the Texas Farm Bureau indicated his organization was reversing course on efforts to stop China, other hostile countries, and their agents from purchasing land in the Lone Star State. Brandon Waltens has the story.
       
• At issue has been legislation that passed the Texas Senate in 2023 but was killed by the House leadership. Opponents of the Senate's outright ban wanted merely to require "disclosure" to the seller about a buyer's ties to hostile governments. Sources in the Texas Capitol have said TFB lobbyists were opposing the measure behind closed doors.
      
• At a hearing last month, a Farm Bureau representative said his organization preferred that "disclosure" method because it did not interfere with anyone's "right" to sell their land to hostile foreign governments.
      
• Yesterday, indicating an abrupt change of direction, the president of the Texas Farm Bureau said they would "not oppose" such legislation in 2025.
      
• At the same hearing, though, the president of the Texas Forestry Association said his organization was urging lawmakers to focus only on stopping governments... and not restricting sales to companies or individuals. This came after a series of experts gave testimony highlighting how the Chinese Communist Party leverages its citizens to advance foreign objectives.

Dick Weekley's Machine Exposed, Ditched by Elon Musk 

• Dick Weekley, whose star used to be among the brightest in Texas politics, is rapidly fading. Over the past year, the kingmaker has racked up a slew of defeats—most notably his failed effort, through Texans for Lawsuit Reform, to get Attorney General Ken Paxton kicked from office.
       
• Now, writes Daniel Greer, the seasoned political pitchman has found himself and his crew of cronies on the outs with Elon Musk.
     
• In just over a month this summer, records show Weekley's crew spent more than $21 million of Musk's political money on canvassing, texting, and advertising services. In all, they reportedly registered only 4,000 voters and sent 8,500 voter registration forms. That’s an average acquisition cost-per-voter of $1,680 between the two Weekley groups.
       
• Musk started asking questions, which Weekley abhors, and soon the operation was removed from Musk's payroll. Greer examines how Weekley and his crew entered—and were exited from—the entrepreneur's orbit.

Illegal Aliens Smuggled Inside... Traffic Cones

• Following a high-speed chase in Webb County, Texas Department of Public Safety officers thwarted another human smuggling operation. As Will Biagini reports, 11 illegal aliens were found to be concealing themselves with traffic cones in the bed of a truck.
       
• The suspected smuggler, Israel Alexander Salas of Brownsville, was arrested by state troopers.
      
• Human smugglers in the state of Texas are developing new tactics for avoiding detection and subsequent capture by law enforcement. Earlier this year, a smuggler hid individuals inside the paneling of a horse trailer.
      
• Smugglers are also now stealing local license plates from similar vehicles when transporting illegal aliens from the border to major cities. Law enforcement professionals in the border region say the plates are often taken from cars matching those engaged in criminal activity under the theory that local license plates minimize suspicion.

Biden-Harris Education Department Pauses Investigation Into Carroll ISD

• After launching a federal civil rights investigation against Carroll Independent School District, Emily Medeiros reports the Department of Education has put the action on hold.
        
• In May, four former students filed complaints with the DOE’s Office of Civil Rights alleging that students at Carroll ISD are being discriminated against on the basis of their race and “LGBTQ+” identity. Their lawyers want all staff and students in the district to undergo mandatory "diversity training."
       
• Carroll ISD later issued a statement saying the federal agency had not provided written findings for school officials to review. A federal trial judge has now informed the school district that the administration is putting the matter on hold in light of other court actions involving the Department of Education.
      
• “During the 90-day timeframe the district was given to respond to OCR, we repeatedly requested them to provide their factual findings with us so that we could, in good faith, evaluate to determine the best course of action for our district and community. They refused in every instance.” – Cam Bryan, president of the Carroll ISD Board of Trustees

Harris County District Attorney Files Charges Against Election Official

• Outgoing Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced six felony charges against a former employee of the Harris County Elections Administrator’s Office. As Charles Blain reports, the charges are related to the county’s botched 2022 election, during which voters were disenfranchised by Election Day polling places running out of ballot paper.
      
• Darryl Blackburn allegedly worked full time at the county elections office—where he was tasked with allocating voting equipment and ballot paper to the polls—but was also working full time at another job in The Woodlands for 15 months. On Election Day 2022, Blackburn was reportedly at his other job and not at the Harris County Elections Office.
     
• Blackburn is facing five charges of tampering with evidence, each carrying up to two years in prison, and one charge of theft by a public servant, which carries up to 10 years in prison.

Republican Congresswoman Creates Working Group on Water Shortages

• U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz announced the formation of the South Texas Water Working Group, a collaborative effort aimed at addressing and resolving the water challenges faced by South Texas communities. Debra McClure has the details.
     
• In announcing the effort, De La Cruz noted that, under the terms of a 1944 treaty, Mexico owes South Texas 916,000-acre feet of water. She is also trying to withhold federal funds paid out to Mexico every year until the Mexican government fulfills its water obligations and complies with the treaty.

Celebrating the USA

• The leftist goons who have come to occupy the ivory towers of higher education give us all daily reasons to be frustrated, even angry, with the state of our colleges and universities. But, sometimes, you get a glimmer of hope.
   
• For example, at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, the freshmen orientation programs (known as Duck Camps) end with the students singing "Proud to be an American." 
   
• Enjoy your Wednesday!

Quote-Unquote

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."

– John Adams​

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