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Good morning,

Yesterday, we asked readers if they would support John Cornyn's reelection if the 2026 primary were held this week. Find the survey results—and a sampling of the responses—at the end of today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 

Abbott Targets Chinese Communist Party with Executive Order

• Gov. Greg Abbott announced a new executive order on Monday aimed at countering what he describes as harassment campaigns by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against Texans. As Brandon Waltens reports, the order focuses on a CCP effort to forcibly repatriate Chinese dissidents living abroad.
       
• China's government has established at least 102 illicit overseas “police service stations” worldwide, including six in the United States and one in Houston. These stations reportedly engage in unlawful campaigns of threats, harassment, and harm against U.S. citizens and lawful residents of Chinese origin or descent.
      
• Abbott said Texas will not tolerate such harassment, particularly against the state’s Chinese-American community.

Proposal Requires Federal Government to Pay Texas for Educating Illegal Aliens

• State Rep. Ben Bumgarner (R-Flower Mound) has authored proposed legislation that would require the federal government to pay Texas for educating illegal aliens, removing the burden from the state’s taxpayers. Addie Hovland has the story.
       
• Bumgarner would restrict Texas' government-run schools to citizens and lawfully present aliens. Illegal aliens would be allowed to attend only if the federal government pays for their education.
       
• The legislation would also require documentation of a student’s U.S. citizenship status at the time of enrollment.
       
• The Texas Legislature passed a law in 1972 allowing school districts to exclude illegal aliens. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that the law violated the 14th Amendment. 
      
• Gov. Greg Abbott has argued that the 40-year-old decision was made when the challenges of illegal immigration in Texas were vastly different from today.

RELATED NEWS

• State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) filed the measure. He wants the Texas DHS to coordinate efforts between local, state, and federal border security agencies while leading intelligence gathering and investigations into criminal actions at the border.
        
• “We must act decisively to safeguard our communities, protect our state, and ensure that criminal networks find no safe haven in Texas,” said Hall, adding that Texas cannot afford to wait on the federal government’s response.

UPDATE: A&M Faculty Defiant After Regents End 'Low Performing' Programs

• Members of the Texas A&M Faculty Senate have expressed defiance and shock after being held accountable by the university’s Board of Regents. Robert Montoya has the details.
      
• Earlier this month, the regents of the Texas A&M University System pushed back against “shared governance” with TAMU’s woke faculty. They voted unanimously to end 52 “low-performing” programs—including an LGBTQ minor.
        
• Faculty senates in Texas' colleges and universities have no particular standing in state law, nor are they authorized in statute to govern the institutions.
       
• Clint Magill, a professor in Plant Pathology and Microbiology at TAMU, described the regents' actions as driven by “arrogance.” 

Lethal Medical Negligence Misrepresented by Media

• In the run-up to the General Election, pro-abortion media outlets were peppering their web pages with stories of would-be mothers in Texas who died during pregnancy. But, as Daniel Greer reports, those stories were told in misleading ways to enrage readers about Texas’ pro-life laws.
       
• For example, Josseli Barnica was experiencing a miscarriage at 17 weeks when she went to the ER with complications. Doctors reportedly told her that they needed to wait until there was no heartbeat detected before intervening. Texas law does not mandate this course of action, and since Barnica’s life was in danger due to an increased chance of infection, they could and should have intervened immediately.
        
• Eventually, doctors did intervene. Then, they sent Barnica home even though she was bleeding intensely and exhibiting symptoms of an infection. She died of sepsis three days after being discharged from the hospital.
         
• Women and babies have been fashioned into a political football, not by pro-life advocates on the right, but by the left, the media, and some in the medical profession.

Texas State Board of Education to Consider New Educational Materials

• A meeting of the State Board of Education this week could have long-term ramifications both in the Lone Star State and nationally. Adam Cahn explains the SBOE will update educational standards for English, Math, and Spanish.
       
• This meeting has drawn special scrutiny because some of the English lessons in the new educational materials use the Bible as a source text. For example, the kindergarten curriculum discusses the Golden Rule and the story of the Good Samaritan. A poll by the Texas Public Policy Foundation earlier this year found that a majority of Texans support the use of historical religious texts in the K-12 curriculum.

Houston ISD Considers Selling Property to Cover Costs

• Michael Wilson reports that trustees in the Houston Independent School District are considering selling 19 properties to bridge fiscal gaps.
   
• This comes after 58 percent of voters rejected a massive debt proposal on the November ballot that would have cost taxpayers $9 billion, including interest and principal.

Quote-Unquote

"I would give no thought of what the world might say of me, if I could only transmit to posterity the reputation of an honest man."

– Sam Houston​

Y'All Answered

Last week, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn lost his bid to be the chamber's majority leader. The next day, he announced his intention to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026. We asked readers if they would support him if the Texas GOP Primary Election were held today.

Just over 5 percent of readers would support Cornyn, while 94.4 percent would not.

Here is a sampling of the replies we received...

• “Cornyn is about to enter the two-year segment of his term when he acts conservatively.  As soon as he's re-elected, he returns to his RINORAD roots.” – William Vanderbrink
      

• “What part of ‘Drain the swamp,’ does he not understand?” – Elissa Harrell
       

• “John Cornyn is no longer aligned with my conservative beliefs and views. I still can’t believe he made it to the second round of voting in the Senate leadership election.” – Gene Klutts
       

• “John Cornyn has been in office a long time with little to show for it. He flips back and forth on issues depending on what looks best for him.” – Beverly Simmang
       

• “John Cornyn has worked hard to enhance the legal and political environment in Texas, as well as the entire United States. For those who may not remember, he has served as Attorney General of the State of Texas, and as a member of the Texas Supreme Court, as well as his current position as one of the most influential members of the United States Senate. He is quiet and personable, but he 'speaks softly and carries a big stick.' He deserves our continuing support.” – Rick Salwen
       

• “Texas deserves better than Cornyn.” – David Peters
        

• “Everyone, please, WE all need to show up and vote in the primary.  Cornyn needs to go.” – Jeanne Huryn
        

• “John Cornyn has proven himself a RINO and needs to be put to pasture.  His Senate buddies know it, and that’s why he lost.” – Steve Sullivan
      

• “I would vote for Sen. Cornyn if he’s the ONLY viable Republican choice in 2026. I don’t know if I would give money to his campaign. His move to the left after being chosen to serve in a leadership position in the Senate has been a great disappointment.” – Linda Simcox
       

• “Texas needs a Senator with some fire in his belly to carry our torch...  With Cornyn, I can’t even find any smoke.” – Robert Bruce
       

• “Since he ignored our boos at the Republican convention, let him hear our boos at the polls.” – Herbert Richards
      

• “The problem with Cornyn comes from the GOP open primaries. Without the Democrat support in the primaries, Cornyn would not be a senator from Texas.” – Jane Knappes
      

• “Cornyn is not a trustworthy Republican, but a wish-washy swamp rat that needs to be replaced.” – Del Fogg
     

• “We need to pray for a conservative candidate to run against Cornyn.  No more RINOs!” – Susan Perry
      

• “John Cornyn has done a fantastic job serving the best interests of Mitch McConnell and the business-as-usual establishment but has taken Texas citizens for granted.” – Roy Willis
      

• “Praying someone who is actually a conservative steps up to primary Cornyn.” – Patricia Forsythe
      

• “Congress was not intended to be a retirement home. Term limits should be passed!” – Dancis Napier
      

• “John Cornyn could serve as the poster child for why term limits should be mandated.” – Mike Kosa
       

• “This man has sold out Texas and this country more ways than I can even remember.” – Margie McAllister
       

• “Texas needs a change from John Cornyn. He is never on the forefront of conservative issues.” – Gene Glass
       

• “He has lost touch with the ideals and beliefs of the majority of Texans and does not promote the GOP platform in Washington. Cornyn gives lip service to every issue and seeks ways to be ‘bipartisan’–which in Washington means you agree with the Democratic stand on most issues.” – Glenna Speed
       

• “The politician’s refrain, ‘Re-elect me once, I’ll continue to serve you; re-elect me twice, I’ll be your master.’ Except that John Cornyn never served Texas. From the get-go, he showed himself to be a self-serving, swamp-dwelling, deep-state loyalist.” – Jack Boteler

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