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Good morning,

When the legislative session begins tomorrow, a faction of Republican House members is planning to oppose the GOP caucus nominee for speaker in favor of a lawmaker preferred by the Democrats. In the One Click Survey, we want to know what repercussions—if any—they should face if they do.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, January 13, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

BUT FIRST... EXPOSED

• Last week, we released season 9 of our serial podcast EXPOSED. In this season, Daniel Greer dives deep into the history, false promises, and corruption in the Texas Lottery. Along the way, the episodes explore how the Texas Lottery Commission allowed a foreign gambling syndicate to game the system and take one of the largest jackpots in state history.
      
• Find it on our website, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. All episodes are now live.

Dan Patrick: Texas House Being Run Like 'Personal Business' Benefiting Dade Phelan, Dustin Burrows  

• On Sunday evening, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unleashed a fiery critique on social media, accusing five key figures—including Dade Phelan, Dennis Bonnen, Greg Bonnen, and Dustin Burrows—of running the Texas House like a "personal business" through a revolving door of leadership positions and shared financial interests. At issue, as Brandon Waltens reports, is the business relationship the men have in what was a small bank in Brazoria County.
       
• Texas Scorecard first reported on the unusual relationship in March 2024 involving Heritage Bank, which Dennis Bonnen ran before and while serving as the House speaker. As he handed the speakership over to Phelan, he also sold the bank to Third Coast Bank—a sizeable portion of which was owned by Phelan's family.
       
• The relationships didn't stop there. State Rep. Cody Harris (R–Palestine) was hired as Vice President of Business Development in 2021, shortly after Phelan became Speaker. Other lawmakers, including State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock), were also found to own shares in the bank.
      
• While not accusing the men of committing any crimes, Patrick argued they have created a closed system that sidelines dissenting members and punishes those who refuse to comply. He likened the group to a “non-criminal version of the Goodfellas.”
       
• Speaker Phelan responded swiftly, calling Patrick’s allegations “ridiculous and completely disingenuous.” In his statement, Phelan denied owning shares in Third Coast Bank. Yet Phelan's financial disclosure statements, filed as recently as 2024, demonstrate he did own shares in the bank.
       
• “One way or another, Dade Phelan has been lying all along and continues to do so this evening, all in an attempt to help get Dustin Burrows elected Speaker. The ‘Goodfellas’ will do anything to hold power.” — Dan Patrick

Brandon Gill Introduces REMAIN In Mexico Act

• Newly minted U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-CD26) has introduced legislation that would codify into federal law some of the most effective immigration policies from President-elect Donald Trump’s first term. Will Biagini has the story.
       
• The proposal is titled the Return Excessive Migrants and Asylees to International Neighbors in Mexico (REMAIN) Act of 2025. The first Trump administration implemented a “Remain in Mexico” policy in January 2019, known officially as the Migrant Protection Protocols. That policy permitted the U.S. government to move foreign nationals who illegally crossed the southern border back into Mexico as they awaited immigration proceedings. 
     
• The new measure would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to reinstate that policy.

RELATED NEWS

• He was also reportedly carrying $4,000 in U.S. cash and 60,000 Mexican pesos. Following a search of his backpack, Border Patrol agents discovered that he was also transporting a drone.
      

• Praliev claimed to have previously worked for the Wagner Group, which is a Russian-backed paramilitary organization. He pled guilty to the crime of illegally entering the country. The U.S. magistrate overseeing the case sentenced him to time served and imposed a fine.

Biden’s Radical Title IX Rewrite Struck Down Nationwide

• A federal court in Kentucky drove a final nail in the coffin of the Biden administration’s attempt to inject radical “transgender” ideology into the nation’s schools. As Erin Anderson reports, the court rejected a rule that radically reinterpreted Title IX—a 1972 civil rights law enacted to protect women from sex-based discrimination in education.
        
• Biden’s interpretation of the law would have undermined protections for female students by forcing K-12 schools to allow boys into girls’ facilities and activities. The Final Rule was set to take effect in August 2024 but was put on hold by the court when a multi-state coalition sued U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in April.
      
• A federal court in Texas had previously struck down Title IX guidance documents issued before the adoption of the proposed Final Rule.

Club for Growth Promises To Hold Lawmakers Accountable on School Choice

• The Club for Growth's president, David McIntosh, said last week his organization will push hard for universal school choice and other conservative priorities in Texas this year.
      
• Club for Growth, a national organization focused on limited government and economic freedom, played a major role in shaping the political landscape in Texas last year. CFG spent nearly $9 million in 14 races during the Republican primary and runoff elections.
       
• Despite Texas being the largest Republican-controlled state, school choice legislation has faced significant challenges in recent years. McIntosh attributed these struggles to some Republicans who align with teacher’s unions and education bureaucracy groups for political safety.
     
• “We’ll be keeping track of how people vote, and any Republican that votes against it should expect us to support their primary challenger.” – David McIntosh

Lawmaker Proposes Strict In-Person Rules for Higher Education Governing Boards

• Legislation authored by State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) would require members of the governing boards of Texas’ higher education institutions to attend at least 75 percent of yearly meetings in person. Valerie Muñoz has the report.
        
• Under the proposal, if a board member attends less than 75 percent of the meetings, they must pay $1,000 to the higher-education institution they represent for the first violation. After the second violation, the board member would no longer be eligible for reappointment to the coordinating board or any other governing board.
        
• “Following the COVID pandemic, I heard from many constituents that members of their college or university governing boards would exclusively meet virtually instead of attending vital meetings in person,” said Kolkhorst. “The pandemic is over, and so should all the COVID policies that curtailed our individual rights.”

Harris County’s LGBT Commission to Host ‘Banned Book’ Fair

• The Harris County LGBTQTIA+ Commission is planning on hosting a “banned book” fair. Joseph Trimmer has the story. 
   
• Far-left activists have pushed the narrative that concerned citizens are seeking to “ban books” as parents protest the presence of sexually explicit materials in children’s libraries. These so-called “banned books” are actually available in nearly every bookstore and online, and children may even take them to school. The question has been whether or not taxpayers should buy these books.
     
• This is what LGBT activists have called “censorship.”
      
• The commission has yet to announce a date for the fair or if it will have an age limit.

Quote-Unquote

"When I feel the heat, I see the light." – Everett Dirksen​

Today In History

On January. 13, 1974, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was officially opened.

One Click Survey

When the 89th Session of the Texas Legislature convenes tomorrow at noon, members of the House will select a candidate for speaker. There is an official nominee from the GOP caucus, but some Republicans have said they will instead support someone favored by the Democrats.

Should Republicans who oppose the GOP caucus nominee be censured by the party and denied access to a place on the 2026 primary ballot?
 

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