Good morning, 

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Thursday, August 22, 2019
Update your email preferences.

• “Red-flag” laws allowing police to seize citizens’ firearms without due-process based on little more than hearsay are among the ideas politicians are pursuing in the wake of the El Paso shooting. On this week’s edition of Texas Scorecard Radio, Tony McDonald interviews Teresa Beckmeyer of Gun Owners of America about those proposals, background checks, and Second Amendment Sanctuary Cities.
     
• Even if Texas Scorecard Radio isn’t broadcast in your area, you can catch every edition on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.
      

   

• The Denton County GOP’s Executive Committee passed a resolution last week calling for the “immediate resignation of Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Chairman Dustin Burrows” in the wake of the quid pro quo scandal the two lawmakers created. Robert Montoya has the details.
      
• Same thing happened in Montgomery County. Reagan Reed reports the Montgomery County Republican Party’s Executive Committee passed a resolution calling for Bonnen’s “immediate resignation.”​ The resolution was presented by Senate District 4 State Repubublican Executive Committeewoman Allison Winter.
         
• Meanwhile, the chair of the Frisco Tea Party, Toni Fabry, and her husband have penned a commentary calling on House Speaker Dennis Bonnen to resign.
       
• “Speaker Bonnen’s corrupting influence cannot be allowed to continue and fester, damaging the integrity of the Legislature and the reputation of the Republican Party of Texas and besmirching the honor of the citizens of Texas.” – Toni and Tom Fabry, Frisco Tea Party
        
• Austin City Council members have proposed using up to $150,000 of taxpayers’ money toward underwriting abortions. Jacob Asmussen reports the funding would cover associated costs such as rides to and from an abortion facility, lodging, and – ironically – childcare.
      
• Texas Right to Life refers to Austin as “a sanctuary for the abortion industry.”

• More and more cities are rushing to hike property taxes in advance of new restrictions affecting how much taxpayers can be gouged by local government. Robert Montoya reports the city councils of Dallas and Denton are the latest to make life more expensive for their residents.
      
• Meanwhile Thomas Warren reports Amarillo College is raising taxes as a result of a bond package approved by voters earlier this year.
     
• In a new commentary, Jeff Sorocak writes gross mismanagement of over-collected tax dollars should be troubling for every resident in Fort Bend County.