Good morning,

Local officials along the border say they are losing resources necessary for prosecuting illegal aliens. In today's One Click Survey, we want to know what you think of the current border situation.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, September 29, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

BUT FIRST...

• Join Brandon Waltens and me live on The Advance at noon today as we discuss what we see making news in the week ahead. Catch the show on YouTube, Facebook, and 𝕏. 

Texas Tech Memo Mandates Faculty Uphold Biological Reality

• A memo was issued last week by the Texas Tech University System’s chancellor mandating that the faculty adhere to laws recognizing only two biological sexes. Robert Montoya has the story. 
   
• Chancellor Tedd Mitchell's memo to the presidents of the system’s institutions noted that state and federal law recognize male and female as the only two human sexes. He noted that "faculty must comply with these laws in the instruction of students."
     
• Left-wing advocacy groups framed Mitchell’s memo as banning LGBT ideology system-wide, though university officials reject that characterization. A spokesperson told Texas Scorecard that all system faculty are being asked "to review course materials, curricula, syllabi and other instructional documents to make timely modifications as needed to ensure compliance with all applicable laws."
      
• Tech's chancellor seems to be trying to prevent a repeat of what happened at Texas A&M earlier this semester. Now former President Mark Welsh was criticized for his handling of a children’s literature course that instructed students in introducing LGBT materials to children as young as three. Welsh was forced to resign on September 19.

UT Regents Set to Review LGBT Courses

• Adam Cahn reports that the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Texas at Austin pushes LGBT ideology. The department is housed within the College of Liberal Arts.
         
• Readings in the 31 courses offered by the department this semester include “Aye, and Gomorrah…,” “Sex in Public,” “Unhappy Queers,” and “Homonationalism in Queer Times.”
        
• Legislation passed earlier this year gives university boards of regents increased jurisdiction over academic minors and certificates. According to a university spokesman, the “courses in this area of study” will be reviewed as part of an audit.

Indian Tribe Building Casino Offsite of Main Reservation

• The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe has announced it is building a new casino resort on land owned by the tribe, but not located on, or contiguous with, its reservation. As Paige Feild reports, the tribe is taking advantage of federal rules changed by the Biden administration and opposed by state and local authorities.
       
• The tribe's new casino will be northeast of Houston on land purchased by the tribe. The Alabama-Coushatta currently operates a casino on its reservation featuring Class II machines that resemble slot machines.
     
• When asked for comment, the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton did not directly address the legality of the Alabama-Coushatta plans, saying it "will investigate and work to stop any illegal gambling operation." During his time as attorney general, now-U.S. Sen. John Cornyn took the Alabama-Coushatta and Tigua tribes to court when they worked to establish casinos in Texas in contravention of state law.
     
• All this comes as online gambling, relabeled as “prediction markets,” has proliferated. Multiple states are suing one of the main vendors, Kalshi, for illegally operating in their jurisdictions. While online betting is also illegal in the Lone Star State, the Texas attorney general has taken no action against the company.

Moms Concerned About 'Moldy' Middle School

• Officials in Plano Independent School District are finally addressing the issue of mold in a local school after students, parents, and teachers complained. Erin Anderson has the details.
     
• The principal of Murphy Middle School notified parents that the district had hired an outside inspector to look for mold. The inspector's report concluded that air quality inside the school was “well within acceptable range and presents no health concerns.” 
     
• Parents who raised concerns were not allowed to photograph problem areas and do not believe the problems have actually been resolved. A third-party review found the initial inspector's report incomplete, concluding that additional testing is warranted.

Today In History

On Sept. 29, 1907, Gene Autry was born in Tioga, Texas. A popular country-western singer, Autry appeared in nearly 100 films—often as a singing cowboy. He died in 1998.

Quote-Unquote

"A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation." – Ronald Reagan​

One Click Survey

Significant state resources once directed at border enforcement are now being redirected elsewhere, leaving county law enforcement officials in a lurch for the prosecution of illegal aliens captured as part of Operation Lone Star.

Have politicians and state officials “moved on” too fast from the situation at the border? 

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

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