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Good morning,

It has been 156 days since a man in Pennsylvania attempted to assassinate Donald Trump. In the One Click Survey, we ask if you're surprised by how much we still do not know.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Texas Electors Prepare to Cast Votes for Trump At 2 p.m. tomorrow, Texas' 40 presidential electors will gather on the floor of the Texas House to officially vote for Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. Ian Camacho explains the process [[link removed]].

Each state has electors in a number equivalent to its members in the U.S. House delegation plus two for the U.S. Senate. While some states apportion their electoral votes based on the candidates' percentages, Texas is winner-take-all.

“This is the election of my lifetime, and to actually be a part of the Electoral College and cast that vote, to be a part of the National Archives from now until the end of time, it’s quite the honor,” said Devvie Duke, the presidential elector for Congressional District 17. With Dustin Burrows Flailing, New Names Emerge in Speaker Battle Some members of the Texas House seeking to keep the Democrat power-sharing structure in place are pushing for a redo of the House Republican Caucus speaker nomination after losing the vote to State Rep. David Cook. Brandon Waltens names the names [[link removed]].

After incumbent House Speaker Dade Phelan dropped out of the race, Cook bested State Rep. Dustin Burrows in the GOP caucus vote. Shortly after, however, Burrows announced he was still running—with support from a large swath of Democrats and a minority of Republicans.

That hasn't sat well with grassroots activists or Republican officials. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Ag Commissioner Sid Miller, and even Donald Trump Jr. have all supported backing the Republican caucus speaker nominee.

With Burrows' candidacy flailing, the Democrat-appeasement wing of the GOP is looking for a replacement. Sources say the three names most often mentioned as potential candidates are Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City, Greg Bonnen of Friendswood, and Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi. According to Capitol sources, all three members are refusing to support the Republican nominee for speaker and are seeking Democrat backing for their potential bids.

Guillen and Hunter were both originally elected to the Texas House as Democrats before switching parties. Congressmen Press Children’s Hospital to Answer for Sex Change Program Emily Medeiros reports [[link removed]] two Republican lawmakers are demanding answers from Texas Children’s Hospital about its gender mutilation programs for minors.

U.S. Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) recently sent a letter [[link removed]] to the hospital's CEO, asking for all documents and communications relating to TCH’s decision to revive its gender mutilation procedures. They also want to know how and when the hospital identified the whistleblower who revealed its continued practices.

Texas Children’s Hospital has until December 27 to produce the documents.

Back in June, Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into TCH for Medicare fraud after a second whistleblower came forward to claim that an alarming number of “transgender” teenage patients were under the care of two doctors who had allegedly been billing the state Medicaid program. New Report Reveals ‘State Sponsored Child Abuse’ A shocking new report reveals a pattern of what the authors call “state-sponsored child abuse” within the Texas public school system. As Erin Anderson details [[link removed]], the report documents thousands of complaints of sexual and violent misconduct by teachers and other school employees and finds that a majority went uninvestigated by the state.

The parent advocacy group Texas Education 911 analyzed school employee misconduct reports submitted to the Texas Education Agency between September 2021 and July 2024.

The researchers found 6,888 reports of physical and sexual offenses by school employees perpetrated on students during that time period. A majority of those misconduct reports—61 percent—were not investigated by the TEA.

Back in September, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath testified during a Senate Education Committee hearing that his agency does not have sufficient “administrative resources” to review all the complaints.RELATED NEWS A teacher in Henderson Independent School District resigned after she was arrested and charged [[link removed]] with multiple sex crimes involving a male student. Kathryn Prior, a 35-year-old vocational agriculture education teacher at Henderson High School, reportedly confessed to police that she touched the student inappropriately while she was driving him home in her car.

Prior has been charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact and improper relationship between educator and student. She was also charged with possession of child pornography. Paxton Sues New York Doctor for Providing Abortion Pills to Texans Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued a New York doctor for giving abortion pills to Texas residents despite not being a licensed Texas physician. Will Biagini has the story [[link removed]].

Dr. Margaret Carpenter is a medical professional in New York who allegedly provided an abortion pill to a resident of Collin County. According to Paxton, the pill killed the unborn infant and resulted in “serious medical complications” for the mother—who needed medical attention after the pill was administered.

Texas law prohibits doctors from mailing abortion drugs. State law also prohibits anyone from treating Texans or prescribing drugs via telehealth without a Texas medical license. Conservative Leader Award 2024 Joey Miller of Gordon, Texas [[link removed]]

"Without a doubt, Joey Miller is one of the most effective conservative leaders in Texas. In just two short years, Joey took a fledgling organization—the Palo Pinto County Conservatives—that was founded in the fall of 2022 and turned it into a real force for conservative change in her home county." – Mike Olcott

The 2024 honorees announced so far...

⚔️ Brooks McKenzie [[link removed]]

⚔️ Tammy Warren [[link removed]]

⚔️ Jackie Wakin [[link removed]]

⚔️ Laura Giles [[link removed]]

⚔️ Jim McIngvale [[link removed]]

⚔️ Jennifer Thatcher [[link removed]]

⚔️ Steve Sullivan [[link removed]]

⚔️ Randy King [[link removed]]

The Conservative Leader Award began in 2014. On our website, you can meet the honorees from previous years [[link removed]].

Today In History

On Dec. 16, 1653, Oliver Cromwell was named the Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Quote-Unquote

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority."

– Lord Acton​

Number of the Day

29

The number of days until the 89th Session of the Texas Legislature convenes on Jan. 14, 2025.

[Source: Legislative Reference Library [[link removed]]]

One Click Survey

Are you surprised that we already know more about the man who murdered the health insurance CEO two weeks ago than we do about the would-be assassin of Donald Trump after five months?

Surprised [[link removed]]

... or ...

Not Surprised [[link removed]]

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

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

Attorney General [[link removed]]

Ken Paxton – R

(512) 463-2100

Comptroller [[link removed]]

Glenn Hegar – R

(512) 463-4600

Land Commissioner [[link removed]]

Dawn Buckingham – R

(512) 463-5001

Commissioner of Agriculture [[link removed]]

Sid Miller – R

(512) 463-7476

Railroad Commissioners [[link removed]]

Wayne Christian – R

Christi Craddick – R

Jim Wright – R

(512) 463-7158

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

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