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Good morning,

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan [[link removed]]

New Poll Finds Close Senate Race, Majority Oppose Data Centers Brandon Waltens reports [[link removed]] on the findings of a new University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll regarding the race for U.S. Senate and the construction of data centers.

The survey finds Republican Ken Paxton leading Democrat James Talarico by just one percentage point, 43 percent to 42 percent. Among other things, it finds GOP voters have largely consolidated behind Paxton after he defeated incumbent John Cornyn in the May runoff.

In the high-profile races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, the Republicans are all leading their Democrat opponents by between 5 and 7 percent.

The poll found significant opposition to data center construction, with 56 percent of Texans against the construction of a data center in their community. Only 29 percent expressed support.

RELATED ELECTION NEWS

On Podcast, Talarico Called Himself a ‘Christian Who Hates Christianity’ [[link removed]] Texas Supreme Court Dismisses Lawsuit Over SpaceX Beach Closures A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of public beach closures during SpaceX flights has been dismissed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Travis Morgan reports [[link removed]] that the court determined only governmental actors can bring such suits, not private entities.

A coalition of left-wing groups, upset that beaches have been closed during SpaceX launch windows, had filed suit under the 2009 Open Beaches Amendment to the Texas Constitution. Legislation passed in 2013 had defined "space flight activities" as a legitimate reason for limiting access to beaches by counties near a launch site on launch dates.

Since then, Boca Chica Beach in Cameron County has reportedly been closed for up to 450 hours per year (roughly 19 days out of 365) to allow SpaceX to conduct launch activities.

The Texas Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the lawsuit, finding that the state and local governments shoulder the enforcement duty of the Open Beaches Amendment and not private legal action. The justices did not address the extent to which government entities can close access to Texas' beaches in the interest of public safety. No Jail Time for Teacher Guilty of Child Sex Crimes An Amarillo teacher pleaded guilty this week to molesting middle school girls and, in doing so, cut a deal with Potter County prosecutors for no jail time. Erin Anderson has the story [[link removed]].

Clark Wayne Inskeep was a teacher at an Amarillo Independent School District middle school when he was arrested and charged with five counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. Just days before a scheduled jury trial, Inskeep pleaded guilty to five lesser charges of indecent assault. He escapes jail time and will not have to register as a sex offender.

He has held a Texas teaching certificate since 1998, which is valid for life. His certification is currently under review by the Texas Education Agency, but it remains valid for him to teach right now.

RELATED EDUCATION NEWS

East Texas Teacher Jailed for Raping Student in Truck [[link removed]] Congressional Republicans Investigate Travis County DA Over Immigration Policies Congressional Republicans have launched an investigation [[link removed]] into Travis County District Attorney José Garza’s handling of immigration-related cases, accusing his office of adopting policies that undermine public safety by shielding illegal aliens from immigration enforcement.

In a letter obtained by Texas Scorecard, U.S. Reps Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Tom McClintock (R-California), and Chip Roy (R-Texas) are demanding—on behalf of the House Judiciary Committee—records from Garza’s office related to interactions with federal immigration authorities and treatment of non-citizen defendants. They want the documents by July 7.

According to the lawmakers, Garza had pledged to “protect immigrant communities” and create policies that consider the immigration consequences of criminal charges and convictions. The committee is seeking a broad range of records dating back to January 2021, including communications with immigration officials, policies related to the prosecution of non-U.S. citizens, training materials concerning immigration consequences, and communications with local law enforcement agencies regarding immigration enforcement.

"Under District Attorney José Garza, Austin has been failed by pro-criminal policies that weaken accountability and prioritize lawbreakers over public safety. This dereliction of duty has raised serious questions about whether repeat offenders, including criminal aliens, are being adequately prosecuted and whether the safety of law-abiding Austin residents is being put first." – Chip Roy [[link removed]]

You can also get the Texas Minute as a podcast. The audio version is available on Apple [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], iHeartRadio [[link removed]], Amazon Music [[link removed]], and YouTube Music [[link removed]], while the video is available on YouTube [[link removed]]. Both are available on the Texas Scorecard app [[link removed]].

Support Texas Scorecard 🔒 [[link removed]] Today in History

On June 24, 1997, nearly 50 years after an alleged incident in Roswell, New Mexico, the U.S. Air Force issued a report disputing claims that an alien spacecraft crashed on a nearby ranch.

Number of the Day

46,878

The estimated (human) population of Roswell, New Mexico, as of July 1, 2025.

[Source: U.S. Census Bureau [[link removed]]]

Quote-Unquote

"Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world."

– Ronald Reagan​

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