Good morning,

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out Sara Gonzales' show "Come and Take It." You'll find a link to her show and the others offered by Texas Scorecard at the bottom of today's edition of the Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 
Thursday, July 17, 2025

AG Investigates Snack Company for Deceptive Practices 

• Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Mars Inc. for deceptive and illegal practices. McKael Kirwin has the details.
    
• In 2016, Mars announced the company would “remove all artificial colors from its human food portfolio globally,” even while asserting that “[a]rtificial colors pose no known risks to human health or safety.” Five years later, the company reversed course, stating that it was keeping artificial dyes in its U.S. products because of “consumer preferences.”
     
• As a result, Mars products sold in Europe—like Skittles—are markedly different from those sold in the United States. In Europe, Mars removed all artificial colors.
      

• The attorney general’s investigation centers on the adverse health risks associated with artificial colors. “It’s clear that the movement to remove artificial colorings from our food supply is making incredible progress, and it’s time for Mars to follow the lead of other companies like Nestle and Hershey by removing synthetic dyes from its products,” said Paxton.

New Execution Date Set for Child Killer After House Lawmakers’ Delay Attempt

• After some lawmakers delayed his execution last year, a new date has been set for convicted child murderer Robert Roberson. Brandon Waltens reports that a state district judge has scheduled Roberson’s execution for October 16, following a request by the Texas attorney general’s office.
      
• Roberson was convicted in 2003 for the brutal killing of his two-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in Palestine, Texas. He was set to be executed last year. However, just moments before the sentence was to be carried out, the Texas Supreme Court issued a temporary stay after the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee—then led by Democrat State Rep. Joe Moody—subpoenaed Roberson to testify before the committee after his scheduled execution.
       
• That maneuver was criticized by many as a violation of the separation of powers and was ultimately struck down by the Texas Supreme Court. Attorney General Ken Paxton described the lawmakers' move as an inappropriate attempt to interfere with justice on behalf of a convicted killer. Paxton laid out graphic details from the original case, citing trial evidence and testimony that Roberson repeatedly abused Nikki and ultimately killed her by inflicting massive blunt force trauma to her head.
       
• While anti-death penalty activists have continued to assert Roberson's innocence, Paxton’s office has warned that allowing political interference at the final stage of a capital case sets a dangerous precedent. 

New York Clerk Refuses To Enforce Texas’ Penalty Against Abortionist

• A New York county clerk has refused to uphold a Texas judge’s ruling requiring a New York-based doctor to pay civil penalties for prescribing abortion-inducing drugs to a woman residing in Texas. Addie Hovland and Adam Cahn have the story.
      

• The refusal comes after a Collin County judge ordered Dr. Margaret Carpenter to pay $100,000 in civil penalties after prescribing the drugs to a woman from Dallas. Carpenter had prescribed drugs that consequently caused the death of an unborn infant and complications for the mother requiring medical intervention.
     

• Carpenter is a licensed abortionist in New York and co-founder of Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, which assists women in obtaining abortion-inducing drugs via telemedicine, regardless of state abortion laws. New York law shields medical providers from legal consequences imposed by other states where certain practices—primarily abortion and gender-mutilating procedures—are prohibited and punishable by law. New York is one of eight states that have such laws.

Texas City ISD Teacher Arrested for Online Solicitation of a Minor

• A high school teacher and coach at Texas City Independent School District was arrested this week on charges of online solicitation of a minor. John Taylor has been a high school math teacher and a coach for boys’ and girls’ powerlifting.
      
• Reportedly, Taylor believed he was in communication with a 15-year-old girl and planned a sexual encounter with her. However, he was actually speaking to an undercover detective from the Harris County Constable’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. 
      
• According to Texas City ISD officials, Taylor has been placed on administrative leave and will not be permitted to return to any of the district’s campuses. He has also been barred from participation in all school-related activities. The district announced plans to begin the contract termination process at the August school board meeting. 

OTHER EDUCATION NEWS

• Following a closed-door hearing this week, the school trustees unanimously determined that administrators’ actions against Wendy Harding were justified. Harding alleges she was removed from the school's substitute teacher list as retaliation for raising concerns about her son’s schooling and asking to have him moved to a new classroom.

Toth Challenges Crenshaw for Congressional Seat

• Republican State Rep. Steve Toth has launched a primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw for Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, even though—as Joseph Trimmer reports—the district may change before the March 2026 election.
   
• Toth, a five-term lawmaker who currently represents a part of Montgomery County, has historically been aligned with the most conservative faction of the Texas House. He has accused Crenshaw of enriching himself while betraying GOP values.
       
• "While Dan Crenshaw votes with Democrats and threatens conservatives, he’s also somehow gotten rich off his government salary," said Toth. "I had no idea he’s actually a better trader than Warren Buffett. But not quite as good as Hillary Clinton."
           
• Crenshaw accused his challenger of "slandering me with lies," adding that Toth is "one of the least effective members of the State House."
       
• When the Texas Legislature convenes in a special session next week, congressional districting is at the top of the agenda. While Democrat-held seats are the target, adjacent districts—like the 2nd—are likely to be impacted. 

Quote-Unquote

"Three groups spend other people's money: children, thieves, politicians. All three need supervision."

– Dick Armey​

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