... The Texas Minute ...

Read this in a browser. [link removed]

Good morning,

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Trump Urges Swift Passage of 'One Big, Beautiful Congressional Map' President Donald Trump is backing Texas Republicans’ effort to redraw the state’s congressional lines, praising the legislature for advancing maps designed to give the GOP a stronger hand in Washington. Brandon Waltens has the details [[link removed]].

The proposed congressional map—not the other conservative items on the special session agenda—drove Democrats to obstruct legislative business for two weeks. Now that House Democrats have returned from their out-of-state quorum break, both chambers are moving quickly to adopt the maps and other legislation.

The proposed new lines, which give the GOP an edge in five additional congressional districts, have cleared committees in both chambers. The House’s version has been placed on today's calendar.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the new lines as "ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL CONGRESSIONAL MAP." He reminded supporters that he “WON BIG three times” in Texas, including with 6.4 million votes in 2024. Activist Teachers Plot To Defy Texas’ New Ten Commandments Law Some teachers are vowing to ignore a new law requiring public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments [[link removed]]. The new law is also the subject of a federal lawsuit from the ACLU and several families claiming it violates the U.S. Constitution.

On the Reddit community Texas Teachers, with more than 17,000 members, dozens of educators are boasting that they will not follow the law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this summer. The new law requires every classroom in public elementary and secondary schools to display a framed copy or durable poster of the Ten Commandments in a “conspicuous place.”

Schools are not required to purchase the posters, though they may do so with district funds. Instead, the law requires that schools accept and display any donated copy that meets certain requirements. Yet some teachers say they plan to trash the Ten Commandments rather than display them.

Teachers also linked their refusal to broader ideological agendas. Several said they would defend LGBT “Pride,” while others shared frustrations about losing DEI materials.

Supporters of the legislation say the Ten Commandments reflect the nation’s heritage and moral foundation. Texas A&M Seeks to Hide Records on Abortion Research Project Texas A&M University is attempting to conceal records related to an abortion research project led by one of its professors. Robert Montoya reports on an ongoing investigation [[link removed]].

Earlier this month, Texas Scorecard sent Texas A&M a request for records related to a research project that examines the relationship between abortion facility access and various economic and educational outcomes. Rather than making the documents available, Texas A&M is asking the Texas attorney general’s office to keep them hidden.

Dr. Daniel Marthey of Texas A&M's School of Public Health is leading the research project. This summer, he presented the project to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Education Research Advisory Board. In that presentation, Marthey said his objective is to help develop policies that mitigate the impact of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. That is the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Both A&M and the Higher Education Coordinating Board are refusing to turn over records related to Marthey's presentation.OTHER HIGHER ED NEWS Adam Cahn reports [[link removed]] that a three-judge panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that West Texas A&M University cannot enforce a policy prohibiting on-campus drag performances while a trial on the merits of the case proceeds. The case was filed by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education on behalf of a student group, Spectrum WT, which had planned to host a series of drag performances as part of a fundraiser for the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project has been accused of grooming minors into gender confusion.

"Drag shows are derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent." – West Texas A&M President Walter Wendler [[link removed]] Houston Man Caught Smuggling Dozens of Illegals Across Texas Border As Michael Wilson reports [[link removed]], a Houston man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than three dozen illegal aliens into the United States.

Kenneth Gamboa has been charged with human smuggling after allegedly attempting to transport the individuals in a concealed compartment of a box truck. The discovery was made during a stop earlier this month at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Jim Hogg County.

Among the 40 people found inside the vehicle, 26 had previously been removed from the United States.

If convicted, Gamboa faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. FDA Granted Emergency Powers To Combat New World Screwworm Threat After continual warnings regarding the threat of the re-emerging New World screwworm near Texas’ southern border, Addie Hovland reports [[link removed]] that federal officials have taken additional steps to combat the flesh-eating pest.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been given authority to issue “Emergency Use Authorizations” for animal drugs that will help treat and prevent infestations of the New World screwworm. Because there are currently no FDA-approved drugs to combat the invasive parasite, HHS considers this step a crucial action in combating the threat posed to U.S. food security and the country’s animal population.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller praised the move [[link removed]], describing it as a "swift response" that will "combat this harmful pest and save animals’ lives." Support Texas Scorecard

At Texas Scorecard, we don’t take government grants or corporate sponsorships, and we don’t put the content you need behind a paywall. Unlike other media outlets, 100 percent of our support comes from our readers!

$18.36 [[link removed]] Other 🔒 [[link removed]] Today in History

On August 20, 1866, more than a year after the last land battle of the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson declared that the "insurrection in the State of Texas has been completely and everywhere suppressed and ended."

Number of the Day

24,000

The approximate number of Texans killed in the Civil War.

[Source: Texas Almanac [[link removed]]]

Update Your Subscription & Information [[link removed]]

John xxxxxx



[email protected]

Directory of Your Current U.S. & Texas Lawmakers [[link removed]]

This information is automatically inserted based on the mailing address you provide to us. If you'd like to update your contact information, please visit our subscriber portal [[link removed]].

U.S. Senator [[link removed]]

John Cornyn (R)

(202) 224-2934

U.S. Senator [[link removed]]

Ted Cruz (R)

(202) 224-5922

Governor of Texas [[link removed]]

Greg Abbott (R)

(512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor [[link removed]]

Dan Patrick (R)

(512) 463-0001

State Board of Education [[link removed]], District

Update your address ( )

Main (512) 463-9007

U.S. House [[link removed]], District

Update your address ()

Congressional Switchboard (202) 225-3121

Texas Senate [[link removed]], District

Update your address ()

Capitol Switchboard (512) 463-4630

Texas House [[link removed]], District

Update your address ()

Capitol Switchboard (512) 463-4630​​​​​​​

Speaker of the Texas House​​​​​​​ [[link removed]]

Dustin Burrows (R)

(512) 463-1000

📧 [[link removed]] If someone forwarded the Texas Minute to you, and you like what you see, it is easy to get on the list yourself [[link removed]]!

A product of Texas Scorecard

www.TexasScorecard.com

(888) 410-1836

PO Box 248, Leander, TX 78646

Presented by Texas Scorecard, the Texas Minute is a quick look at the first news of the Lone Star State so citizens can be well informed and effectively engaged. It is available weekday mornings in your inbox!

This message was originally sent to:

John xxxxxx |

Be sure to put “ [[link removed]]” on your safe-senders whitelist.

If you ever stop receiving our emails, it might be because someone to whom you forwarded the email unintentionally removed you from the list. No worries; it is easy enough to reactivate your subscription immediately by visiting:

[link removed]

Before you click the link below... If someone forwarded this email to you, please don’t! Clicking the link will end the subscription of [email protected].
Unsubscribe [link removed]