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This is Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Tech Support If you use "Malwarebytes," don't miss the note under the Quote of the Day. Texas GOP Wants Abbott to Call Special Session on Priorities With unfinished Republican priorities still lingering after the close of the regular legislative session, the Republican Party of Texas is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to convene a special session addressing several key issues. As Brandon Waltens reports [[link removed]], at the top of the party's list is the elimination of property taxes.

The State Republican Executive Committee also wants lawmakers to pass a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying and complete the work of overhauling the state's broken bail system.

On property taxes, the GOP is calling for any state budget surplus to be directed toward the compression of school district maintenance and operations (M&O) taxes—ultimately leading to their elimination. It also supports a further-expanded homestead exemption and a complete overhaul of the appraisal system to base values on the purchase price of a property.

The full resolution passed the SREC by a vote of 64-0 and now awaits a response from Gov. Abbott, who is the only official with the power to call lawmakers back to Austin. Paxton Opens Investigation Into Allegations of Noncitizens Voting Alleged noncitizens, who were identified earlier this month as having voted in Texas, are now being investigated by Attorney General Ken Paxton. Erin Anderson has the story [[link removed]].

Now that President Donald Trump has given the states free access to the federal immigration and citizenship database, Secretary of State Jane Nelson has already identified 33 individuals who are alleged to have illegally voted in Texas during the 2024 General Election.

As required by state law, Nelson reported the potential criminal violations to the AG’s office, which has the authority to investigate them. Noncitizen voting is a state and federal crime and is a deportable offense.

"Noncitizens must not be allowed to influence American elections, and I will use the full weight of my office to investigate all voter fraud." – Ken Paxton [[link removed]] Session Review Election Security Efforts Met Resistance in the Texas House Even though the 89th Legislative Session saw passage of several measures aligned with the Republican Party of Texas’ aim to bolster election security, some activists continue calling for additional safeguards. Ryan Dy-Liacco reviews the issue [[link removed]].

Notably, lawmakers passed a constitutional amendment for voter approval that would clarify that only citizens are allowed to vote in Texas elections.

On the other hand, a series of election security measures were left undone. Most frustrating, for many activists, was the failure of the Texas House to go along with a Senate measure restoring the attorney general’s authority to prosecute election crimes. Video: Children Attend Dallas Drag Show Exclusive video footage obtained by Sara Gonzales and the Texas Family Project reveals that children were targeted and subjected to highly sexualized content at two drag show events in North Texas. Addie Hovland reports [[link removed]] on the videos, which you can see in the latest edition of Gonzales' show, " Come & Take It. [[link removed]]") The events were organized by Dallas Pride and Pride Arlington. Clips captured at the event also show LGBT-themed apparel, including caps emblazoned with vulgar slurs and t-shirts meant to appeal to young children. Left-Wing Groups Fight Against Termination of In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens Two weeks after in-state tuition for illegal aliens in Texas ended, a coalition of college students and a pro-illegal immigration group is fighting to bring it back. Robert Montoya has the details [[link removed]].

Background: The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on June 4 against Texas because it has allowed illegal aliens to use in-state tuition, a discount on higher education reserved for Texas residents, in violation of federal law. The case was settled the same day it was filed, with the state agreeing to end the 24-year-old program.

Now, a group of higher education students in Texas who are not legally in the country filed a motion to intervene—despite the case having already been settled.

Ironically, the plaintiffs admit in their filings that the program has served as a magnet for illegal aliens to come and stay in Texas. Education Agency Calls New Test Results for Grades 3-8 ‘Encouraging’ Newly released results of academic performance assessments for Texas elementary and middle school students are “encouraging,” according to the state agency that oversees public education— even though a quarter to a third of the students failed [[link removed]] to even approach grade level in reading and math.

Those results, released on Tuesday [[link removed]], find the percentage of students meeting grade-level expectations surpassing pre-pandemic performance levels.

In reading, 49 to 57 percent of students met grade level. The situation is worse in math and science, where less than half of the students have met grade-level expectations. Today in History

On June 18, 1812, the War of 1812 began as President James Madison signed the declaration that had been sent to him the previous day by Congress. The American victory on Lake Champlain brought the war to an official end in late 1814. Due to the poor communications of the day, the last battle—the Battle of New Orleans—was fought in early January 1815, with American forces under Andrew Jackson decimating the British.

Number of the Day

15,000

The approximate number of Americans who died in the War of 1812.

[Source: American Battlefield Trust [[link removed]]]

Quote-Unquote

"Of all the enemies of public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other." – James Madison​

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