Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Thursday, October 17, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Statewide Ban on Paid Vote Harvesting Remains in Effect for November Election

• A state ban on paid vote harvesting will remain in effect for the November 2024 General Election after a federal appellate court blocked a lower court judge’s ruling. Erin Anderson has the details.
      
• At issue is a comprehensive 2021 election integrity law that, among other things, criminalized paid vote harvesting—a business that often crosses into illegal influence and fraud. Leftwing advocacy groups and an activist federal district judge have sought to block enforcement of the law's various sections.
       
• The appellate court ruling this week allows the Office of the Attorney General to continue conducting investigations into paid vote harvesting while the underlying litigation proceeds. Writing for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice James Ho took issue with the lower court judge's ruling coming so close to the election despite the law being on the books for three years.

TxTag Phasing Out... But Will Texas Drivers Benefit?

• The TxTag system for toll roads is ending after years of drivers facing persistent billing issues. But as Brandon Waltens reports, the transfer of the tolling system to a new agency is sparking fresh concerns from transportation watchdogs.
      
• As an automatic toll road payment system, TxTag has operated statewide but primarily in Central Texas, as Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston have their own regional toll collection systems. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, TxTag users will be transitioned in November to the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA); however, they can continue to use their current TxTag stickers.
       
• HCTRA has been embroiled in its own controversies over aggressive billing practices. Terri Hall, president of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, has expressed concerns that transitioning TxTag drivers to HCTRA will significantly increase drivers' costs.
       
• Opponents of the transition also note that HCTRA is operated by Harris County, which has frequently clashed with the state government on issues ranging from election integrity to universal basic income.

Texas Prisons Ban the Explicit Content Schools Keep on the Shelves

• The Texas Department of Criminal Justice bans sexually explicit books from state prisons, but some public school libraries enable children to access those same titles. Emily Medeiros has the report.
       
• According to TDCJ’s policy, inmates are not allowed to obtain magazines or books that contain sexually explicit images. Yet, many Texas schools allow those titles to be accessible to children without their parents' consent.
        
• Bonnie Wallace, who has traveled across Texas protesting explicit materials for children and asking school districts to protect those entrusted to their care, told Texas Scorecard that she finds it disheartening that prisoners are better protected than children.

Lawmakers Pushed to Address Risks of Cyber Attacks

• Members of the Texas House heard yesterday about the threat of cyber attacks from foreign adversaries. Luca Cacciatore reports on the testimony given during a meeting of the Select Committee on Securing Texas From Hostile Foreign Organizations.
      
• Lawmakers were warned some of the largest threats posed by foreign adversaries in Texas on the ground are sometimes more subtle than direct. For example, hackers could undermine traffic systems near military bases and ports as a way to subvert public confidence.
      
• One expert recommended that the state consider counter-drone capabilities for law enforcement and critical infrastructure. Lawmakers were also encouraged to either limit or prohibit the use of technology manufactured by foreign adversaries.
       
• Addressing concerns over Texas’ infrastructure vulnerability is slated to be a top concern heading into the 89th Legislative session on January 14, 2025. Specifically, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has made shoring up the embattled electrical grid system a top priority of the Senate.

Suspended Superintendent Sues Grand Prairie ISD for Racial Bias

• Embattled Superintendent Jorge Arredondo is fighting back against Grand Prairie Independent School District’s plans to terminate his employment after just a few months on the job, alleging he is the target of racial discrimination by certain trustees.
      
• Arredondo filed a lawsuit against the district this week, claiming he was wrongfully placed on administrative leave and targeted for termination without being told the reasons—an alleged violation of his contract.
      
• GPISD trustees were set to vote on terminating Arredondo at their school board meeting today, but a judge has issued a restraining order to block that action.
       
• Arredondo started as superintendent of the district on July 1  with a three-year contract paying $317,000 annually but was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 4. During a special meeting on October 2, trustees voted 4-2 to “move forward” against Arredondo, citing “violations” of a board policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against district employees.

🎧 TEXAS TOMORROW: Crime Labs

• In this week's episode of Texas Tomorrow, Charles Blain explains the role of the local crime lab and the impact backlogs there can have on the criminal justice system.
      
• Catch Texas Tomorrow on YouTube, your favorite podcasting app, or the Texas Scorecard website.

Quote-Unquote

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."

– Pericles​

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