Good morning,

College football kicks off in earnest this coming weekend for most of Texas' Division I schools. Setting aside politics, policy, and governance, today's One Click Survey asks which—if any—college team you're cheering for.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, August 26, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Phelan Taps Taxpayer-funded Lobbyist as New Chief of Staff

• Embattled House Speaker Dade Phelan has announced that he is appointing a taxpayer-funded casino lobbyist as his new chief of staff. Brandon Waltens reports the hire is meant to bring Republicans back into Phelan's camp.
         
• Mike Toomey is a longtime fixture in the Austin establishment, having previously worked as chief of staff for two governors, Bill Clements and Rick Perry.
       
• According to Transparency USA, Mike Toomey has earned between $3.4 and $6.7 million lobbying members in the current legislative period. His clients include Harris County and the City of San Antonio, as well as the Las Vegas Sands Corporation.
      
• Phelan narrowly won re-election in the May primary runoff and faces two announced challengers to the speakership: Republicans Tom Oliverson of Cypress and Shelby Slawson of Stephenville.
      
• While Phelan will remain Speaker of the House until the next session begins in January, sources within the Capitol are doubtful he has enough support in the GOP caucus—even if he has all the Democrats with him—to return to the office.

DPS Chief Announces Retirement Amidst Investigation

• As an investigation heats up on outside groups apparently being allowed to register noncitizens to vote outside Department of Public Safety offices, the agency's chief has announced his retirement. Sydnie Henry and Daniel Greer have the story.
   
• Steve McCraw announced he will retire at the end of the year, even as his agency is facing questions from the Office of the Attorney General about these voter registration schemes. McCraw started as a state trooper in the late 1970s before spending 20 years at the FBI. He took over as the head of DPS in 2009. 
     
• While it isn’t clear what McCraw knew and when, there has reportedly been unrest within DPS over the voter registration activities by outside groups on DPS property.

Senate Race Between Allred and Cruz Remains Tight

• A new survey of likely Texas voters has found that incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is leading his Democrat challenger, Colin Allred, by 2.1 percent. Will Biagini reports the survey was conducted by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.
       
• Allred leads Cruz among women, 49 percent to 42. Meanwhile, Cruz leads Allred among men, 52 percent to 39.
     
• In the race for the White House, Donald Trump is leading Kamala Harris—49.5 percent to 44.6.
      

• Cruz said allegations were "deeply concerning" that nonprofit groups had been registering noncitizens to vote outside the offices of the Department of Public Safety.

Round Rock Teacher Arrested for Crimes Against Children

• A teacher in Round Rock Independent School District was arrested for crimes involving children, including indecency and pornography charges. 
   
• Domingo Perez Jr. was a science teacher at a district high school. When officials were told about the investigation in July, he was placed on administrative leave. 
     
• Perez is facing charges of indecency with a child by sexual contact and possession of 50 or more images or videos of child pornography. It has been alleged that the indecency charge is related to an incident involving a Round Rock ISD student.

Harris County Faces Lawsuits Over Jail

• Two new lawsuits have been filed against Harris County for the abuse or deaths of eight people in the Harris County Jail, reports Charles Blain. The cases are being brought by civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, known for representing the families of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.
       
• In recent years, the Harris County jail has come under fire from inmates, families, and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. 
     
• The TCJS has repeatedly reprimanded the Harris County Jail for failing to make timely rounds to inmates, not providing appropriate medical care, and not staffing enough guards, among other things. TCJS has also repeatedly forced Harris County to pay to transfer inmates to other facilities because of overcrowding.

Former Council Member Sues Austin Over Abortion Travel Subsidies

• Former city councilmember Don Zimmerman has filed a lawsuit to halt subsidies in the City of Austin’s recently passed budget that would assist in out-of-state travel for women seeking abortions. As Adam Cahn notes, the city council allocated a half-million dollars to provide “logistical support” for such travel.

Quote-Unquote

"I begin to think, that a calm is not desirable in any situation in life... Man was made for action."

– Abigail Adams

Today In History

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was formally certified as part of the U.S. Constitution by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby. The amendment guaranteed women the right to vote. It had been put forward by Congress on June 4, 1919, receiving ratification of three-fourths of the states on August 18, 1920.

ONE CLICK SURVEY

Setting aside politics, policy, and activism, the college football season is getting into full swing this coming weekend.

Which Texas college team are you pulling for?

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