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Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas House Faces Pileup of Legislation After Slow Start

• As the Texas House races toward its Thursday night deadline to pass House bills, lawmakers are now confronted with a predictably massive backlog—one largely of their own making. Brandon Waltens explains how we got here.
   
• With a calendar now packed with more than 400 pieces of legislation, the odds are high that many measures, including key conservative priorities, will not make it across the finish line.
     
• The logjam follows months of slow movement. Despite convening on January 14, the House did not pass its first set of bills until April 1. Even then, the calendar consisted of only four bills and two resolutions, none of which were considered major legislation. In contrast, the Senate passed its first bill, a school choice measure later signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, back on February 5.
      
• Early in the session, the House took frequent long weekends and delayed committee activity, a pace that has come back to haunt the chamber as the deadline looms. Now, Democrats have begun using a delaying tactic known as "chubbing"—a process whereby lawmakers intentionally prolong debate or discussion on bills to further slow the legislative process and prevent other bills from being considered before the deadline.

Plan To Protect Kids From Sexual Content in Public Libraries Passes House

• Erin Anderson reports that a parent-backed plan to keep children from accessing adult content in public libraries passed the Texas House with bipartisan support, but time is running short for senators to approve the Republican priority.
     
• The legislation requires municipal public libraries to move sexually explicit content out of sections for minors and verify that only adults check out the materials. Librarians would be required to conduct annual reviews of all new materials added to sections for minors, as well as review specific materials upon request.
      

• Public libraries that fail to comply would be ineligible for state library grants and could face penalties of up to $10,000 per violation if prosecuted by the attorney general.
       

• “Our libraries should be a safe place for our families where parents can feel comfortable letting their children explore age-appropriate literature,” said the legislation's author, State Rep. Daniel Alders (R-Tyler). “This bill simply ensures that our taxpayer-funded libraries are fostering such learning environments.”

OTHER HOUSE NEWS

Lawmakers Pass Self-Defense, Second Amendment Measures

Taken together, the proposals would bolster lawful use of force or deadly force, ban gun buyback programs, and permit licensed handgun carrying at certain polling locations. Luca Cacciatore has the details​​​​​​​.

ICE Arrests 422 in Houston Sweep, Including Murder and Arson Suspects

• More than 400 illegal aliens were arrested in the Houston area by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of a targeted enforcement operation aimed at aliens with serious criminal histories. As Joseph Trimmer notes, the Trump administration has prioritized the removal of illegal aliens with serious criminal backgrounds.
     
• Of the 422 taken into custody, ICE reported that 262 have prior criminal convictions and 126 face other immigration violations. Those convictions include murder and arson.
      
• Earlier this year, a similar operation in Houston led to 646 arrests, including 543 illegals with criminal convictions and seven known gang members.
     
• Houston has one of the largest illegal alien populations in the U.S., estimated at over half a million people.

Highest Criminal Court Considers a Dog's Nose in the Window

• Can a police dog stick its head through an open car window? Travis Morgan reports that issue has been elevated to Texas’ highest court for criminal cases as a constitutional rights issue.
      
• The State argues a police dog can sniff inside a vehicle during an exterior search, while the Defense calls it a violation of the Fourth Amendment. That protects Americans from unreasonable searches and seizures.
      
• James-Varnell Organ was arrested in Waller County after Jaks—a narcotics detection dog—jumped up on the man's vehicle, stuck his nose through an open window, and then alerted officers to the presence of drugs. Organ was found to be in illegal possession of Etizolam, a Schedule I controlled substance.
      
• Only an exterior search of a vehicle is permitted without a warrant, consent, or probable cause. Organ’s defense counsel has argued that since Jaks had not alerted to the presence of contraband before entering the window, the search was unconstitutional. The prosecution argues that because Jaks did not touch the interior when he poked his head through the window,  there was no trespass.
      
• The trial and appellate courts ruled in favor of Organ. Regardless of how the Court of Criminal Appeals rules, the decision will impact on how Texans and police interact during traffic stops.

Quote-Unquote

"The government should not be a master over the people, but a servant to the people."

– David Burnet​

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