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Good morning,

A debacle over a resolution honoring the president of Planned Parenthood brought the Texas House to a standstill on Thursday. Some are suggesting that the Republican committee chairman responsible should lose his position. In today's One Click Survey, we want your opinion.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

But First ...

• You can watch The Advance live every Tuesday on 𝕏, YouTube, and Facebook.

Lottery Chief Resigns After Agency Defunded by Texas House

• Ryan Mindell has resigned as Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission, marking an unexpected turn in a closely watched struggle at the agency. Brandon Waltens has the latest details at a state agency lawmakers have called a money-laundering operation.

      
• Mindell, who has been the subject of intense scrutiny from lawmakers and the media, was spared from being fired by the Lottery Commission in early March. His resignation came just one day after a New York Times exposé on the commission and its significant role in the rigging of an April 2023 jackpot of $95 million that has been the subject of ongoing reporting and investigation.
     
• The integrity of Texas' lottery has been called into question. There are allegations that the commission staff allowed a small number of players, sometimes out-of-state or foreign entities, to all but guarantee a win by buying nearly every possible number combination.
     
• Funding for the Texas Lottery has been zeroed out in the House version of the state’s biennial budget.

Lawmakers Consider Over-the-Counter Access to Ivermectin

• A proposal to allow Texas pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a prescription was heard in the House Public Health Committee yesterday, with supporters saying it will empower patients and pharmacists.
      
• First developed in the 1970s as an anti-parasitic, ivermectin gained widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic after some doctors reported success using it off-label to treat the virus. Despite being approved for human use by the FDA in 1987, the drug became the subject of political and media pushback after federal agencies, including the FDA, discouraged its use against COVID.
       
• In discussing the legislation, State Rep. Joanne Shofner (R–Nacogdoches) noted that ivermectin remains widely used in developing nations, where it is often administered by non-medical staff with basic dosage training.
       
• The Texas Medical Association is opposed to the legislation. Arkansas, Tennessee, and Idaho have already passed laws allowing ivermectin to be dispensed over the counter without a prescription.

A&M ‘Queer Theory’ Class Promotes Radical Gender Ideology

• A Texas A&M class, titled "Queer Theory," is pushing radical gender ideology in the name of education, reports Will Biagini.
      
• According to the syllabus, the spring 2025 class instructs students how to “describe queer theory and its emergence,” and how to apply it “to various social issues and analyze how queer theory contributes to our understanding of society.” The class is taught by instructor Koyel Khan, who specializes in globalization, sex, gender, and race.
     
• For years, Texas A&M University has been a hotbed for radical gender ideology. But, recently, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has begun countering those moves. In February, the regents banned on-campus drag shows across all 11 system campuses, stating that drag performances are inconsistent with Aggie values and demean women.
       

• Texas A&M officials didn’t respond to a request for comment on the class.

Rep. Hickland Would Allow Phones at Polling Places

• Legislation proposed by State Rep. Hillary Hickland (R-Belton) would allow cell phones to be used throughout polling locations, except at actual voting booths. As Luca Cacciatore reports, state law currently prohibits the use of cell phones and other wireless devices “within 100 feet” of a voting station, which is defined as a voting booth or other place where voters mark ballots or indicate votes.
      
• In some cases, the 100-foot prohibition applies to long lines of would-be voters standing outside of polling locations for several hours.
     
• “The prohibition on phone use outside of the voting station is unnecessary and proves difficult and time-consuming for election workers to enforce,” Hickland told members of the House Elections Committee last week.

Harris County Appoints Interim Administrator

• Joseph Trimmer reports Harris County commissioners have appointed Jesse Dickerman as interim county administrator and budget officer in a 4-1 vote. 
      
• Dickerman will begin his new role May 1 and will retain the post while the county conducts a national search for a permanent replacement. He is taking over from the retiring Diana Ramirez, who has served as county administrator since April 2023 and will step down at the end of this month.

Federal Jury Delivers Guilty Verdict in Houston ISD Bribery Case

• A jury has found former Houston Independent School District Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby and HISD vendor Anthony Hutchison guilty on 33 federal charges after a sweeping corruption trial. Michael Wilson has the story.
      
• One district official testified that despite significantly higher costs, Busby regularly pressured him to select one of Hutchison’s companies, bypassing standard bid or rotation procedures in the process.
     
• “Busby and Hutchison defrauded the school district and the taxpayers of millions of dollars, doing so to line their own pockets. People need to have faith in their public institutions, and they can become understandably cynical when they hear of public servants stealing from school kids by taking bribes and over-billing.” – U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei

MORE EDUCATION NEWS

Judson ISD Coach Accused of Sexually Grooming Students via Social Media

Christopher Demetrius Irving, a coach at Veterans Memorial High School, is the latest San Antonio-area educator arrested for sex crimes against students.

Fort Bend ISD Teacher Arrested for ‘Improper Relationship’ With Student

Kara Hernandez, a now-former middle school teacher in Fort Bend Independent School District, has been arrested and charged with having an improper relationship with a student. She has also been charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact. 

Former Student Accuses Azle ISD Coach of Past ‘Improper Relationship’

Carlos Alberto Font Santiago, a Spanish teacher and softball coach at Azle High School, was arrested last week and charged with improper relationship between educator and student.

Mesquite ISD’s $600 Million Bond Would Cost $1.1 Billion With Interest

Property taxpayers in Mesquite are already on the hook for $979 million in bond debt principal and interest.

Hays CISD Is Asking Residents for Nearly $2 Billion in May Bond Election

School district officials claim the hefty price tag is aimed at accommodating the 1,000 kids per year they expect to gain over the next decade.

Today In History

On April 22, 1836, Mexico's president, Antonio López de Santa Anna, was captured the day after the Battle of San Jacinto. He was fleeing the region dressed in the uniform of a private.

Quote-Unquote

"Texas, to be respected must be polite. Santa Anna living, can be of incalculable benefit to Texas; Santa Anna dead, would just be another dead Mexican."

– Sam Houston​

One Click Survey

Last week saw the Texas House grind to a stop over a Democrat-authored resolution honoring the life of abortionist and union organizer Cecile Richards. Conservative lawmakers and prolife activists succeeded in having the package of resolutions that included Richards sent back to the House Local & Consent Calendars Committee, chaired by Republican Jared Patterson of Frisco. Some have suggested Patterson should be stripped of his committee chairmanship for allowing the debacle.

Do you think Patterson should be removed from the chairmanship for allowing the Democrats to move such a highly politicized resolution to the floor?

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