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Good morning!

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, April 23, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

House Leadership Yanks Abortion Abolition Bill Hours Before Hearing

• Legislation filed by State Rep. Brent Money (R-Greenville) to remove legal protections for mothers who carry out self-managed abortions was abruptly pulled from a scheduled committee hearing, just one day before it was set to be heard. Brandon Waltens details the controversy surrounding the action.
      
• The legislation was scheduled for a hearing yesterday in the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, but was removed from the hearing agenda late Monday night. Money said that the committee's chairman, John Smithee (R-Amarillo), told him the decision was made by Speaker Dustin Burrows' office, while the speaker's office told Money the decision was Smithee's.
      
• The decision drew immediate praise from Planned Parenthood Texas, which claimed credit for the reversal. The pro-abortion group said it sent more than 200 emails into the Capitol as part of their effort to cancel the hearing.
      
• The legislation also faced some opposition within the pro-life movement, with some criticizing the bill for subjecting women who obtain abortions to the death penalty. Money has said the legislation was not about creating new penalties but about applying the law equally.

New Chairman Pledges Texas Tech 'Never Will Be' Woke

• As the new chair of Texas Tech’s Board of Regents, Cody Campbell is eyeing reform and growth for the Lubbock-based university system. Robert Montoya has the story.
      
• The Texas Tech University System is the parent body of multiple universities, including Midwestern State University, Angelo State University, and the flagship Texas Tech University.
     
• Even as institutions of higher education around the nation have doubled down as leftwing indoctrination centers, Campbell wants the home of the Red Raiders to be different.
     
• “Texas Tech graduates are well known as having grit, toughness, and incredible work ethic,” said Campbell. “Texas Tech has been outspoken in expressing that we are absolutely not ‘woke’ and we never will be."
      
• All of Texas' institutions need more regents like Cody Campbell.

Activist Wants Increased Parental Oversight in School Libraries

• Legislation currently awaiting a hearing in the Texas House would increase parental involvement and state oversight in determining the appropriateness of library materials available to students in public schools. As Sydnie Henry reports, looming legislative deadlines have a key activist calling for action.
      
• Passed in 2023, the READER Act mandated the exclusion of sexually explicit books from school libraries and required districts to adhere to new collection development standards. However, a key provision of that legislation, which required vendors to rate their books before selling to school districts, is currently on hold in the courts. 
      
• Legislation filed by State Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) would strengthen the current protections and streamline the complaint process for families.
     
• Tom Maynard, a Republican member of the State Board of Education, said that if the new legislation passes, his agency could begin rulemaking to set up book review procedures this summer.

Houston Mayor’s GOP Outreach Sparks Democrat Party Revolt

• A group of Harris County Democrats is pushing to formally admonish Houston Mayor John Whitmire for his plans to attend an event for Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Joseph Trimmer has the details. 
       
• At the heart of the dispute is Whitmire’s willingness to reach across the aisle, a quality that has earned him both praise and sharp criticism since taking office. The proposed resolution, which still has to clear the party’s resolutions committee before facing a full vote, carries no legal weight but would publicly chastise the mayor. 
       
• Some 30 precinct chairs in Harris County claim Whitmire's record is “indistinguishable from that of a MAGA mayor” and accuse him of abandoning their progressive principles.
      
• Whitmire’s office told Texas Scorecard that the mayor has a long history of working across the aisle. 

Houston City Council Adopts New Rules for Short-Term Rentals

• Michael Wilson reports that a new ordinance setting registration, safety, and tax requirements for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and VRBO properties, has been adopted by the Houston City Council.
     
• Hotels, bed and breakfasts, and group homes are excluded from the rules established by the council's action.
     
• Beginning August 1, those wishing to list properties as "short-term rentals" in Houston will need to register on a city website for $275 per property. The city will also maintain online a comprehensive list and map of the registered short-term rentals.

Y'All Answered

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 pro-life 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.

When we asked readers if they thought Patterson should be removed from the chairmanship for allowing the Democrats to move such a highly politicized resolution to the floor. In response, 87.9 percent of readers said he should be removed, while 12.1 percent do not agree.

Here is a sampling of the replies ...

• “Give and accept no quarter, we must get these RINOs out by any means necessary.” – Barbara Bussey
      

• “We don't really have time to waste on these idiotic items. Calendar the meat and deep-six the candy.” – Arthur Potter
      

• “My fear is that the Democrats will get another Anti-conservative seated as the replacement.” – Thomas Bazan
      

• “If my head or another body part had been put on a platter anytime I made an error in judgment in my long life, I’d have ceased to exist a long time ago. Hopefully, the chairman will learn from this particular mistake.” – Linda Simcox
      

• “It's way past time we not allow these politicians to walk all over us.” – Ladelle Cook
      

• “There needs to be consequences for Jared Patterson. I would expect this kind of nonsense from a democrat … not a ‘republican.’” – Annye King
      

• “This blatant hypocrisy shouldn’t just cost him his chair. It should get him EXPELLED from the Texas GOP!” – Mike Phillips
      

• “My question is, why is the House wasting time on these memorials and honorariums when they have more important priorities to get to?” – Marta Hollowell
      

• “Anyone who promotes the founder of an organized murder company is evil and should not be in authority in Texas, or anywhere else.” – Kathy Parker
      

• “Patterson has turned out to be a disappointing replacement for Pat Fallon in his Denton County district. Yes, he should be removed; but it will not happen with too many representatives lacking the backbone to vote against the Speaker and Democrats empowering House Rules.” – Richard Steenson
      

• “I’m very disappointed in our Texas house.” – Frances Davis
      

• “Anyone who thinks an abortionist should be honored is obviously not in their right mind, and should not be allowed to be in a leadership role.” – Bruce Betley

Quote-Unquote

"Now we sit through Shakespeare in order to recognize the quotations."

– Orson Welles​

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