Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Ban Dying in House

• Without intervention from House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Gov. Greg Abbott, sources in the Texas Capitol say a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying is again going to die in the Texas House. Polling data has consistently shown that a majority of Texans, across party lines, support a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying.
      
• Legislation prohibiting government entities from using tax dollars to lobby the legislature has passed the Senate a half-dozen times, including three times this year—during the regular session and now both special sessions. It has never passed the House.
     
• Thwarting the effort this year has been State Rep. Ken King (R-Canadian), who Burrows appointed to helm the House Committee on State Affairs. Despite knowing King’s opposition to the reform, Burrows has continued to direct the legislation to King’s committee.
       
• More than 70 members of the House have signed on as coauthors to legislation banning taxpayer-funded lobbying.

Groups Sue Texas Over Ban on DEI, Gender Ideology in K-12 Schools

• A coalition of left-wing groups and individuals has filed a lawsuit against Texas over the implementation of the statewide ban on DEI-related curriculum and gender ideology in the K-12 schools. Travis Morgan breaks down the case.
      
• The lawsuit was filed in a Houston federal district court, with the American Civil Liberties Union taking the lead. They argue the new law violates the constitutional rights of teachers and students to engage in discussions "relating to race, gender identity, and sexual orientation" in the classroom.
       
• Maybe these so-called educators in the case will explain why they feel the compulsion to talk about their sexual kinks with other people's children...

Hundreds of New Laws Took Effect Yesterday

• Sydnie Henry reports that more than 800 new laws took effect in Texas yesterday, impacting public safety, education, and privacy. While the second special legislative session continues, most laws passed during this year’s regular session are now enforceable.
     

• School choice, bail reform, protecting Texas land from hostile foreign nations, ending DEI in K-12 schools, and stopping taxpayer-funded abortion travel were among some of the high-profile issues that lawmakers tackled earlier this year.

State Sen. Creighton Positioned to Become Texas Tech Chancellor

• State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) is expected to be named the sole finalist for the Texas Tech University System’s chancellorship. Adam Cahn has the details.
      
• Creighton is the primary author of a new law passed during the regular legislative session overhauling several aspects of university governance. Among other things, it abolished “shared governance” while granting new oversight powers to boards of regents.
      
• The chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents, Cody Campbell, said Creighton has been "a strong voice in the fight to get our colleges and universities back on track and clearly shares the values and the vision of the Texas Tech community."
     
• The Texas Tech University System is the parent organization of five institutions. Its board of regents is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate.
      
• Creighton was first elected to the Texas House in 2006 and then elected to the Senate in 2014. 

KIPP Academy Teacher Arrested for Indecency With Student

• A San Antonio KIPP charter school teacher, Priscilla Castro, has been arrested after a 15-year-old female student accused the educator of forcibly hugging and fondling her at the end of the last school year. Castro has been charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact. Erin Anderson has the story.
     
• KIPP Texas Public Schools announced that they have terminated Castro's employment; she had been working for them since 2022.
      
• San Antonio Police detectives are asking other potential victims to contact the department's special victims unit.

OTHER EDUCATION NEWS

• The alleged assaults occurred in 2019 while the victim was a student in the Lubbock Independent School District. Maxfield worked as a track coach and English teacher at Lubbock High School from 2007 until shortly after the allegations surfaced in 2024. 
      
• Maxfield is also being accused of having sex with a minor when he was working as a youth pastor in 2006. State records show he has held a Texas teaching certificate since 2007, but it is currently under review.  

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Quote-Unquote

"Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to purchase power."

– Benjamin Franklin​

Y'All Answered

In response to Democrats raising money to fund their quorum break last month, the Texas House will consider legislation today that would make it illegal for state politicians to solicit or accept money during special legislative sessions. This would mirror the prohibition that already exists for the regular legislative sessions.

We asked readers yesterday what they thought of this new restriction on legislators' fundraising activities. More than 94 percent agree with the prohibition, while 5.4 percent do not.

Here is a sampling of the responses I received from folks after they answered the survey.

• “Perhaps, if legislators did their job in regular session, they wouldn’t need to worry about fundraising in a special session.” – Barbara Nash

• “Legislators are there to do one thing during a special session, and that is to work on legislation. Anything else is illegal or unethical.” – John Raymond

• “While it seems that fundraising goes hand in hand with being a politician, our elected officials should actually focus on doing the jobs they were elected to do during special legislative sessions. Save the fundraising games for recess.” – Eleanor Bigbie

• “I think the whole rule is silly. If the worry is about quid pro quo, then donations must be disallowed altogether. Donating one day before or after the session gets around this silly rule, so it is pointless.” – Neville Newman

• “Texas legislators should stop being so vindictive toward women, minorities, and Democrats. The midterm gerrymandering is a disgrace for Texans and Democrats used the tool available to them. Leave them alone.” – Beverly Randolph

• “Yes, eliminate the ability to raise funds. Already way too much ‘influence peddling’ going on.” – Chuck Clutter

• “Sound and fury signifying nothing .... so they have to wait till the day after to get paid back for penalties, with other people's money.” – Melynda Caudle

• “Raising funds during any legislative session amounts to bribery.” – Lloyd Smith

• “We should be able to evaluate their performance before being asked to give money so that they can continue to "work" for us. Fundraising isn't working for your constituents.” – Tara Souther

• “It doesn't matter what rules the Democrats break if they are not held accountable for the rules they break.” – David Clark

• “As long as legislators can raise money during special sessions, there is little to no consequence for not doing their job during the regular session.” – Laura Morton

• “Fundraising should be banned during all sessions. They only work 140 days in regular session. If they did the work, they wouldn’t need special sessions. That leaves them 590 days to raise money when not in session. They should do it on their personal time, not at taxpayer expense.” – Steve Sullivan

• “It appears that lining your pockets supersedes serving the people of your city, county, state, country, this world! At this point, I’m not sure there is ‘an honest politician.’” – Dana Wright

• “The same reasons legislators may not raise funds during regular session apply equally to any session.” – Jim Pikl

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