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Good morning,

With the New Year comes a GOP-run Congress and the second Trump administration. In the final One Click Survey of the year, we want to know if you think Texas can abandon its border security efforts in 2025. Sound off below.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, Dec. 30, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

DEI Training Required for Licensed Counselors in Texas

• Since late 2022, Gov. Greg Abbott's appointees have been imposing training in the leftwing dogma known as "diversity, equity, and inclusion" as a requirement for being a licensed counselor. Will Biagini has the details.
      
• Former Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi highlighted the requirements on social media platform 𝕏, questioning whether or not Abbott was even aware of their existence. The rule had been posted by the Office of the Governor's Regulatory Compliance Division.
     
• The rule requires licensed professional counselors to complete at least three hours of cultural diversity or competency and is reflected in rule §681.140 of the Texas Administrative Code. Gov. Abbott's office did not respond to requests for comment.
       
• Several lawmakers have filed legislation to institute a statewide ban on DEI offices in government entities, aiming to end the ideology’s influence.

Gov. Abbott Urged to Fast-track Legislation Protecting Children

• Ahead of the 2025 legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott is being urged to set as a priority legislation protecting children from sexualization. Erin Anderson has the story.
       
• Llano County parent and conservative activist Bonnie Wallace is gathering signatures on a letter asking Abbott to designate “Stop Sexualizing Texas Kids” as an “emergency” item. Constitutionally, lawmakers cannot act on proposed legislation during the first 60 days of a session unless the topic is designated an emergency by the governor.
         
• Wallace’s letter identifies several “loopholes” currently in the state’s indecency laws, including in the definition of harmful materials and the affirmative defenses to displaying, distributing, or selling them.
        
• “Pornographic content is like poison to the mind,” said Wallace. “Any amount of poison should be rejected so we can protect our Texas children.”
       
• Wallace told Texas Scorecard that thousands of people from 218 of Texas' 240 counties have already signed the letter. Individuals wishing to do so must add their names before January 2.

2024 Marked by Turmoil at the Border

• Throughout 2024, illegal immigration continued to impose human and financial costs caused by the outgoing Biden administration's open border policies. 
   
• The year began with the Biden administration ordering federal agents to tear down state-erected border barriers, though Texas' right to construct such fences on state property was later upheld.
     
• Illegal aliens were responsible for rampant crime and property damage throughout Texas in 2024. The brutal murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston by two illegal aliens from Venezuela put a tragic face to the issue.
       
• Despite promises of federal help to come, Texas lawmakers are continuing to prepare measures to further secure the state's border with Mexico. State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) has filed legislation to create an agency specifically charged with immigration enforcement and intercepting smuggling operations.

Election Security Advocates Want More Action in 2025

• Election security is expected to receive attention from lawmakers in the Texas Capitol when the 140-day legislative session kicks off in January. Emily Medeiros reports that school officials' shenanigans in the 2024 primaries will figure prominently in those discussions.  
     
• For example, two administrators in the Denton Independent School District—Jesus and Lindsay Lujan, a married couple—were accused of using the district’s email system to send messages to their staff, incentivizing them to vote in the Republican primary against school choice supporters. In August, the two admitted they were guilty but faced no criminal penalties.
     
• Attorney General Ken Paxton launched investigations into electioneering by the school districts in Frisco, Hutto, Denison, Castleberry, Huffman, and Aledo.
      
• Confusion was sown ahead of the November election when the Secretary of State's office first issued, then retracted, guidance allowing non-citizen IDs to be used for voting. Meanwhile, a federal judge has blocked the enforcement of Texas' ban on paid ballot harvesting.

A Rough Year for Casino Gambling Interests in Texas

• At the start of 2024, casino gambling interests that pushed for the legalization of destination gambling in 2023 had every reason to be optimistic about their possibilities. Now, reports Daniel Greer, their efforts are in shambles.
      
• Las Vegas Sands, a company that exclusively operates casinos outside the United States, primarily in China, led the effort. They contributed nearly $2 million to House members closely aligned with Speaker Dade Phelan. An affiliated group, the Texas Defense PAC, spent almost $9 million in support of Phelan and his allies. Many of those incumbents lost their primaries, and this fall, Phelan dropped out of the race for reelection as House speaker. 
     
• Shortly after the November election, Gov. Greg Abbott announced several measures to counter China’s influence in Texas. At the same time, Sands announced a $15 million donation to establish the Chinese Appreciation Institute at the University of Nevada.

Meet the Freshmen

Wes Virdell (R-Brady)

• Though Wes Virdell will be sworn in as a House member next month, he’s no stranger to Texas politics as the former state director for Gun Owners of America. In an interview with Brandon Waltens, Virdell described how frustration with the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and his broader dissatisfaction with the state’s political culture drove his candidacy.
     
• Virdell challenged incumbent State Rep. Andrew Murr, who oversaw the impeachment effort. Rather than face Virdell in a primary, Murr opted to retire following reports of unfavorable polling in the West Texas district.
     
• Virdell believes fixing the culture in the Texas House is critical, emphasizing that Republican legislators must recognize their majority status and ensure their party controls committee chairmanships.
      
• “The culture right now is broken,” Virdell said. “We have people who go to Austin and lose their way. It’s easy to see how people become corrupted. You get treated differently as a state representative, and it creates a false ego or confidence. People forget they need to stand up for things and can easily lose sight of their mission.”

Quote-Unquote

"A nation can only be free, happy, and great in proportion to the virtue and intelligence of the people."

– Stephen F. Austin​

One Click Survey

Now that Republicans will control both chambers of the U.S. Congress and Donald Trump is moving back into the White House, should Texas abandon its border security efforts in anticipation of the federal government stepping up?
  

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