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Good morning!

With the clock ticking down on the legislative session, readers sound off on the fate of conservative priorities in the Texas House. You'll find out what they had to say below.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

House, Senate Close In on Property Tax Relief Agreement

• It appears Texas lawmakers have struck a $6.5 billion deal on property tax relief, though critics say it doesn’t go far enough to return the state’s surplus to taxpayers. Brandon Waltens has the details. 
      
• On Monday, State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas) and State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) simultaneously announced a deal that ends weeks of negotiations over competing tax cut proposals.
      
• The compromise includes $3 billion in rate compression, $3 billion for an increase in the homestead exemption, and approximately $250 million for business property tax relief—essentially splitting the difference between the two chambers' original plans.
      
• "Compression" refers to the state paying local school districts to lower their tax levy. While compression must be renewed each legislative session, homestead exemptions are enshrined in the Texas Constitution.
      
• Homeowners currently get a $100,000 exemption on their property tax bill, which would rise to $140,000 under this compromise. A separate proposal under consideration could see senior citizens getting an additional $60,000 homestead exemption.
      
• Gov. Greg Abbott, in his State of the State address in February, initially called for $10 billion in property tax relief this session, making this compromise plan notably short of that benchmark.

Paxton Launches Investigation Into Austin ISD

• Attorney General Ken Paxton announced yesterday that his office has initiated legal proceedings against Austin Independent School District, accusing the district of violating state law by promoting Critical Race Theory in the classroom.
     
• Paxton’s office alleges there is an “unwritten policy” in the district of advancing CRT through curriculum and instruction, despite a state ban. 
      

• The investigation comes after state officials received information that Austin ISD employees had referenced materials related to the controversial, left-wing “1619 Project,” which has been explicitly prohibited in Texas' public school classrooms. 

       

• One employee also allegedly stated there were “ways to get around” the state ban on CRT, and that district leadership played an active role in shaping related policy decisions.

      
• "It’s outrageous that Austin ISD officials think they can ignore state law to put woke indoctrination in Texas classrooms." – Ken Paxton

OTHER EDUCATION NEWS

• Sydnie Henry reports that the case began when his wife reported to law enforcement officials disturbing communications on his phone involving several female middle school students.
     
• According to the Hays County District Attorney’s office, McLean had been grooming students, sending them nude photos of himself and attempting to coerce them into reciprocating.

State Senator Proposes Abolition of the Texas Lottery

• Luca Cacciatore reports that legislation put forward in the Senate by Republican Bob Hall of Edgewood would abolish the Texas Lottery itself, not just the commission that oversees it. Hall points to an increasing number of scandals involving the Lottery as a reason for eliminating it altogether.
        
• The legislation would create a new regulatory body to oversee charitable bingo in the state, which is currently handled by the lottery.
      
• Hall said the Texas Lottery was not merely “a case of bad actors outsmarting a well-meaning system.”
          
• Rob Kohler, a consultant with the Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission, described the lottery as a "tremendously ineffective tax."

Irving Voters Add Casino Opponents to City Council

• Irving voters elected two anti-casino city council candidates during Saturday’s local elections and sent a third casino gambling opponent to a June runoff. Erin Anderson has the story.
      
• Gambling was a hot topic during the election, after the Nevada-based Sands attempted—and failed—to secure council approval for zoning to construct a casino in the city. Currently, the company only operates casinos in China.
      
• A group called Lone Star Conservative Action Fund, which appears to have ties to Sands, spent nearly $100,000 in direct campaign expenditures on behalf of the two losing candidates and for a third who has been forced into a runoff.
      
• Early voting dates in the runoff election are Tuesday, May 27, through Tuesday, June 3. Election Day is Saturday, June 7.

Utility District Reports $8.2 Million in Fraudulent Transfers

• Nearly a month after the incident occurred, a Fort Bend County municipal utility district west of Houston has publicly confirmed more than $8.2 million in unauthorized transfers were made from its investment account. Joseph Trimmer has the background.
     
• The district, which provides water, sewage, and drainage services to over 2,000 homes and businesses, has said that it remains solvent and utility operations won't be impacted. The MUD's bookkeeper maintains two main accounts: a banking account for operating expenses and an interest-bearing investment account. Only the investment account was compromised.
      
• The funds were reportedly moved without board authorization on April 7, prompting immediate notification to law enforcement and district officials. So far, $3.4 million of the fraudulently transferred funds have been recovered.
       
• No suspects have been identified in the ongoing investigation.

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Quote-Unquote

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run, I feel his pleasure."

– Eric Liddell​

Y'All Answered

Conservative lawmakers have begun raising alarms that time is running out in the Texas House to pass reforms considered "priorities" by grassroots activists. The last day for the House to consider its own legislation is May 15.

Yesterday, we asked readers if they thought those priorities would pass out of the GOP-dominated House like they have the Senate. While 8.3 percent of readers believe House members will get the job done, 91.7 percent do not.

Here is a sampling of the responses we received after folks clicked their answer.

• “The House might be Republican-run, but they sure act like Dumorats! All talk and no action!” – Priscilla Love
      

• “Why would you expect the house to do anything right when they continue to elect the Speaker of the House the way they do?” – Carroll Knight
      

• “The Texas House will NOT get it done—not because they run out of time, but because most of them don't want to get it done.” – Fran Rhodes 
      

• "I don't know who the Texas House members are working for but, they clearly are NOT working for the people who put them in office!" – Tara Souther
     

• “Actually, they will pass a bunch of ‘show’ bills that pretend to address some priorities, but they will be so weak as to be of no good, possibly even making things worse. Then we’ll hear how this was the most conservative legislative session in history, and they’ll all get reelected next primary.” – Alan Higginbotham
      

• “We need Republicans with backbones and spines of steel to combat the cheating/lying Democrats and RINOS.  Save Texas!” – Kathy Parker
      

• “Conservative priorities will not get the attention they need until a conservative speaker of the House is in place.” – Owen Schierenbeck
      

• “It's awful to conclude the truth that the House's there to stop any meaningful legislation that is in favor of the Texas citizens.” – Rachel Salajean
      

• “Keep electing RINOs to be Speaker, this is what we (don't) get.” – Bruce Delater
     

• “Nothing will pass...it's all political theatre and nothing ‘conservative’ will be done.” – Jamie Mueller
      

• “Maybe they will pass a few more priorities than they did last session, but not all.” – Marta Hollowell
     

• “Too many RINOS!” – John Makow
      

• “Conservative priorities were never a priority in the House.  That's why Dustin Burrows was selected House Speaker…” – Chuck Breedlove
      

• “I always say, that when the Republicans have a chance to make things right, they never fail to screw it up.” – Madeline Bentivegna
      

• “Republican priorities will continue to die in the Texas House as long as Hugh Brady is pulling the Speaker's puppet strings.” – Chris Breaux
      

• “Not only do I believe the conservative priorities will not get passed in the Texas House, but I steadfastly believe it was set up to do just that.” – Kimery McKaskle
      

• “The House has proven over and over it's controlled by the Democrats.” – Michael Moon
      

• “There are no words to describe this session.” – Sheri Parker
      

• “The Texas House is in shambles. The ruling Republicans excel in empty rhetoric and false claims of being conservatives. The Democrats are Democrats doing what they do.” – Carl Prater
      

• “Sad to say, the rinocrats are completely dominating the Texas House this year and they are openly flaunting their hypocrisy!” – Deb Spencer
       

• “As long as members of the House elect weak conservatives as speaker, nothing will get done. The GOP majority is still a minority in the House.” – Tommy E. Parson

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