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New legislation in the Texas Senate would defund libraries that host drag events. Today's One Click Survey, which you'll find below, asks for your thoughts.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, March 3, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas A&M Regents Ban On-Campus Drag Shows

• On Friday, the Texas A&M System Board of Regents passed a resolution banning drag shows across all 11 system universities. As Valerie Muñoz reports, the regents ordered Chancellor John Sharp and Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III to cancel any upcoming drag show events.
      
• This includes Texas A&M College Station’s annual “Draggieland” show, scheduled for March 27 and hosted by the Queer Empowerment Council at Rudder Theatre. By the end of the day Friday, the event had been removed from the TAMU website.
     
• In 2023, West Texas A&M President Walter Wendler canceled a drag show on campus, arguing the performances are “derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent.”

Related News...

• In a letter sent to the state's universities, Republicans Brandon Creighton (Conroe) and Paul Bettencourt (Houston) wrote they have found numerous instances of noncompliance with the law.  The senators noted that recent reports by the universities, as required by the law, were insufficient.
        
• "This letter confirms the obvious that removal of DEI offices and activities in Higher Ed is the law of the land in Texas, and cannot be neglected in any manner." – Paul Bettencourt

Democrat House Chair Melts Down as Republican Lawmaker Confronts State Agency on DEI

• A routine budget hearing in the Texas House erupted into controversy after Democrat lawmakers reprimanded State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian). The problem? Harrison had dared to question a state agency’s adherence to Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive against leftwing "diversity, equity, and inclusion" practices. Brandon Waltens has the details.
      
• During a subcommittee hearing last week chaired by a Democrat, Harrison pressed representatives of the Texas Water Development Board on whether they are making hiring decisions based on race. TWDB Chairwoman L’Oreal Stepney initially claimed DEI hiring practices were not in place, but when confronted by Harrison with the wording in the strategic plan, she and other officials struggled to reconcile their remarks. 
     
• Deputy Executive Administrator Edna Jackson admitted that no law requires TWDB to ensure its workforce reflects societal diversity, further fueling concerns that DEI-based hiring had been occurring.
      
• The subcommittee chairman, Armando Walle (D-Houston), stepped in to admonish Harrison for his line of questioning followed by other Democrats. Later, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joined in the fray, supporting the work of Stepney and the TWDB.
        
• "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." – Brian Harrison

State Vendor IGT Violated Its Contract With the Texas Lottery Commission

• Although its contract with the Texas Lottery bars IGT Solutions Corporation from making political donations, a review of campaign finance records shows that IGT has sought to influence policymakers directly and indirectly. Daniel Greer has the story.
      
• This year, IGT was a title sponsor of Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State address. While this might not seem like a big deal, it represents a reversal from a past practice of avoiding the appearance of impropriety.
     
• In 2007, IGT sought approval for an exception to fund a concert act at then-Gov. Rick Perry’s inauguration party. At the time, the attorney general’s office, led by Abbott, ruled that footing the bill for a concert could violate the improper influence clause of IGT’s contract.
       
• According to Transparency USA, IGT has donated more than $280,000 across several political caucuses since 2015. The Texas Republican Caucus has been the largest benefactor, receiving $175,000.

Senate Records Reveal Lawmakers’ Taxpayer-Funded News Sources

• Newly obtained records from the Texas Senate show offices have spent nearly $40,000 of taxpayer money on subscriptions to news outlets, raising questions about the necessity and transparency of such expenditures.
      
• The records, covering January 2024 through February 2025, detail a total of $38,829.03 in taxpayer-funded news subscriptions purchased by Senate offices. Among the most frequently funded news outlets in the Senate are the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, the San Antonio Express-News, and the Quorum Report.
     
• Texas Scorecard recently reported on spending by members of the Texas House on media subscriptions.
      
• NOTE: Unlike other outlets, Texas Scorecard does not accept funding from any government entities or sources.

Barbers Hill ISD Teacher Re-Arrested for Sexual Assault of Student

• Erin Anderson reports that a former teacher for Barbers Hill Independent School District was arrested for a second time in two weeks on new charges related to her alleged sexual activities with a student.
      
• Molly Colleen Spears, 35, was re-arrested last week and charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
      
• Spears was a language arts teacher at Barbers Hill High School in 2023 when she was accused of having sex with a male student. A Chambers County grand jury indicted Spears in February 2024. For unexplained reasons, authorities waited a year to arrest Spears.
      
• The new charges are connected to the previous case, according to a statement released by the Mont Belvieu Police Department.

New York? It's Now Called a 'Texas Strip'

• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has a beef with the New York Strip.
     
• Going into the weekend, Patrick announced he is cooking up a new initiative to rename the popular steak to the “Texas Strip,” arguing that Texas—not New York—deserves recognition for its beef industry. 
     
• Patrick questioned why a cut of beef from Texas cattle should carry the name of a state primarily known for dairy cows. 
      
• “Just because a New York restaurant named Texas beef a New York Strip in the 19th century doesn’t mean we need to keep doing that.” — Dan Patrick

Today In History

On March 3, 1931, the "Star-Spangled Banner" officially became the national anthem of the United States.

Quote-Unquote

"Nothing is easier than spending the public money. It does not appear to belong to anybody. The temptation is overwhelming to bestow it on somebody."

– Calvin Coolidge​

One Click Survey

Legislation by State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R–Mineola) would cut off funding to libraries that facilitate "drag queen story hours," which Hughes says are a form of political activism rather than education.

What do you think? Should libraries that host "drag queen" events lose access to tax dollars?

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