Good morning,

Quorum-busting Democrats are expected to be levied fines when the chamber has enough members present to conduct such business. In today's One Click Survey, we want to know if readers think that is enough.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, August 18, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Second Special Session Starts Without a House Quorum ... Yet

• A second special session of the Texas Legislature began at noon on Friday after the first was thwarted by House Democrats breaking quorum over congressional redistricting. Now, reports Brandon Waltens, they are expected to return to work today. 
    
• Gov. Greg Abbott has kept the agenda largely unchanged from the first special session. While a quorum was still not present in the House, the Senate was able to go to work advancing legislation through its committee process.
     
• Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) said he has asked the chairman of the House Committee on Administration to begin calculating the fines and fees that will be levied against the Democrat quorum-busters.
      
• Burrows also announced friday that legislation designating ivermectin for over-the-counter sales was being given priority status in the House. The legislation, authored by State Rep. Joanne Shofner (R-Nacogdoches), is supported by a majority of House members.

RELATED NEWS

Texas Education Agency Releases School Accountability Ratings

• After more than two years marked by court battles, Sydnie Henry reports Texas families and educators now have access to up-to-date public school accountability ratings for 2024 and 2025.
     
• Following a decisive court ruling that ended legal challenges from school districts protesting a new grading formula, the Texas Education Agency has released the data. Among other things, the 2025 ratings find 24 percent of districts and 31 percent of campuses improved their letter grades compared to 2024, while just 15 percent of campuses experienced a decline.
        
• The public can view the detailed 2025 and newly released 2024 ratings at TXschools.gov.

Audio Captures Gambling Exec Boasting About Rigged Texas Jackpot

• Newly surfaced audio of Greg Potts, chief operating officer of Lottery.com, suggests the company was intimately involved in the controversial April 2023 Lotto Texas event, which guaranteed a $95 million jackpot win for a single buyer. As Daniel Greer reports, the audio bolsters Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s claim that the 2023 lottery event was one of the largest scandals in the game’s history and raises the specter of recurrence.
     
• The recorded call, reviewed by Texas Scorecard, outlines the operation’s inner workings and contradicts the company's representations to state lawmakers. (The audio is available in the article.)
     
• In the call, Potts expressed excitement about the “QR code process” used to facilitate the $95 million win by purchasing—with the help of the Lottery Commission—nearly all of the number combinations. That appears to contradict Pott’s testimony to the Senate earlier this year, when he said he was uncertain if QR codes were used.
      
• The company executive also explains in the recording that “the Texas Lottery helped us even get this thing done,” a claim supported by records showing the commission’s rapid approval of extra terminals and technical support for the operation. The Texas Lottery Commission is being shut down, and game operations are being transferred to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Regents for UNT, Texas Tech Re-Constitute Faculty Senates

• In separate actions late last week, the boards of regents for the Texas Tech and University of North Texas systems voted to curtail the power of faculty senates in accordance with a new state law. Adam Cahn has the story from Tech, while Robert Montoya focused on UNT.
       

• The new law was born out of growing frustration from revelations that taxpayer-financed institutions of higher education had shifted into hotbeds of left-wing indoctrination.

Harris County Budget Deficit Hits $200 Million

• Despite bringing in more revenue, Harris County commissioners are bracing for a projected budget deficit in the new fiscal year ranging from $200 million to $270 million. Joseph Trimmer has the details.
   
• Two of the county's three Democrat commissioners have claimed operational efficiencies can bridge the gap, calling service cuts or tax hikes “false narratives.” The county's lone Republican, Tom Ramsey, has advocated for the county to spend only on legally required budget items. He notes that since 2019, Harris County has seen tax revenues climb by $750 million.
     
• The proposed general fund budget for FY 2025-26 reflects increased expenditures driven by indigent defense, employee raises, and rising healthcare costs.

Prosecutors: County Judge Used Campaign Funds for Personal Bills

• Fort Bend County Judge KP George is facing new scrutiny over allegations that he improperly used campaign funds for personal expenses. Michael Wilson reports the claims emerged last week in a court filing responding to George’s attempt to have an indictment dismissed.
      
• Among other things, prosecutors allege that George used campaign funds to pay his property taxes and make a down payment on a new house.

Quote-Unquote

"The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other."

– Ronald Reagan​

One Click Survey

House Speaker Dustin Burrows said on Friday that he expects quorum-busting Democrats will return to the Capitol today so work can begin on the special session agenda. He has instructed the chairman of the House Committee on Administration to calculate the fines that will be levied against the quorum busters.

Will you be satisfied if Democrats are only fined, or should they face other penalties?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!

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