Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, July 23, 2025.

– Sydnie Henry 

Ban on THC Revived in Texas Senate After Abbott Veto

• A proposal to crack down on the sale of THC products in Texas has been revived in the Texas Senate—with supporters arguing it’s a necessary step to stop what they call a shadow recreational marijuana market and opponents warning it will shutter small businesses across the state. Brandon Waltens has the story. 
   
• Senate Bill 5 by State Sen. Charles Perry (R–Lubbock) would ban the production, sale, and possession of consumable marijuana products that contain any cannabinoids other than Cannabidiol (CBD) or (CBG). Substances marketed as delta-8, delta-9, delta-10, THCA, and THC-O would be outlawed.
   
• During a committee hearing on the bill yesterday, Perry made it clear that the legislation is intended to remove most THC from stores.
   
• Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne, testifying on behalf of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas, said the current hemp market amounts to a recreational drug pipeline.
   
• The State Affairs Committee unanimously approved the measure. A vote on the bill is expected soon in the Senate. 

Texas State University Course Promoted LGBT Ideology

• A summer course at Texas State University promoted LGBT ideas concerning gender and sexuality within families. Robert Montoya has the details. 
   
• Family Diversity is an online course that ran from May 27 to June 24. It featured lessons on gay marriage, “transgender” children, and adoption by same-sex couples. The course also included readings that openly endorsed and supported LGBT parenting.
   
• This class was offered by the Texas State University School of Family and Consumer Sciences. 

San Antonio Teacher Accused of Upskirting 7-Year-Old Student

• Jubilee Lake View University Prep teacher Augustine Rendon was charged with invasive visual recording of a girl’s private areas. Erin Anderson has the story. 
   
• Rendon’s alleged victim reportedly told her mother that the teacher called her up to his desk during class, moved his cell phone to his lap with the camera lens facing up, and took photos underneath her skirt.
   
• Jubilee officials said in a media statement that Rendon was immediately removed when the allegations arose and no longer works at the school. No other Jubilee students were identified as victims.

In Related News...

• A maintenance worker in Gainesville Independent School District was jailed after getting caught in an underage sex solicitation sting.
   
• Hunter Clayton Jordan was arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor. He showed up to meet the minor driving a Gainesville ISD vehicle. 
   

• In a statement to Gainesville ISD families and staff, Superintendent DesMontes Stewart announced that a maintenance department employee was arrested and had since been fired. 

UT Regents Name Permanent Finalists for Chancellor, UT-Austin President

• University of Texas System Regents named Jim Davis the sole finalist for permanent president of UT-Austin and John Zerwas the sole finalist for permanent chancellor of the UT System. Adam Cahn has the update. 
   
• Both men had already been appointed to their respective positions on an interim basis. The Monday announcement triggered a 21-day “finalist period,” typically considered a formality, before regents can officially appoint a candidate to the open position. 
   
• By beginning the clock on this 21-pay period in late July, regents made both appointments eligible for consideration at their August 21 meeting.
   
• Davis had previously served in a variety of on-campus positions and also worked in the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Zerwas is a former Republican state representative who joined the UT System in 2019 as executive vice chancellor for health affairs. 

Texas Republicans Ready to Redistrict Congressional Seats

• Lawmakers in the Texas House and Senate are preparing to redraw the state’s congressional district boundaries during a special legislative session, despite Democrats accusing Republicans of trying to “rig” the maps with the mid-census redistricting.
   
• Republicans hold 25 of Texas’ 38 congressional House seats, while Democrats hold 12 seats with another traditionally Democrat seat currently vacant. President Trump is asking for five more Republican districts in the new map. 
   
• Gov. Greg Abbott added congressional redistricting to the special session agenda after receiving a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division urging Texas to rectify outdated “race-based” considerations used to create certain racially gerrymandered districts or face legal action.
   
• A 2024 federal court ruling in a Galveston County redistricting case established that districts based on “coalitions” of minority groups are not protected by the Voting Rights Act.
   
• Both the Texas House and Senate have appointed special committees for redistricting, but the Texas House Democrat Caucus has already said “all options” are on the table to thwart the plan—including breaking the two-thirds quorum (100 of the 150 House members) required for the Legislature to conduct business. Democrats hold 62 House seats.

Quote-Unquote

"There are people who think that plunder loses all its immorality as soon as it becomes legal."

– Frédéric Bastiat​

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