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Good morning,
This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
– Michael Quinn Sullivan [[link removed]]
--" width="434" src=" Artist-Turned-Candidate’s Art Studio Hosts ‘All Ages’ LGBT Events A candidate for the Texas House says she is seeking office “as an artist first,” bringing to the race a background rooted in art education and the operation of a studio. As Brandon Waltens reports [[link removed]], that art studio has also served as a hub for radical LGBT activism targeting children.
Democrat Amelia Rabroker is looking to unseat Hillary Hickland (R-Belton) in the November General Election.
Rabroker owns The Art Space of Central Texas in Harker Heights. The studio has hosted pottery classes, empowerment workshops, Reiki classes, chakra workshops, and other “metaphysical gatherings.” She has also played host to multiple LGBT-themed events using the "all-ages" phrasing common for those targeting children.
Rabroker did not respond to requests for comment about her studio and activism.MORE ELECTION NEWS Can Your HOA Ban Political Yard Signs? [[link removed]] While many HOA residents assume their association can prohibit campaign signs altogether, state law says otherwise. --" width="434" src=" Lawmakers Review Voter Registration System Texas election officials and policy experts urged lawmakers this week to modernize the state’s election system, citing persistent issues with voter registration software, outdated registration procedures, and rapidly evolving artificial intelligence technology. Mary Berg details the House Elections Committee hearing [[link removed]].
Among other things, lawmakers discussed voter roll maintenance, including the identification of potential non-citizen registrations. Of more than 18 million voter records reviewed, the Secretary of State's office said about 2,700 were flagged as potential non-citizens. Another 111,000 deceased individuals were also found to be on the rolls.
"I think it’s really important that we’re making sure that those people are not on the list," said Christine Wellborn [[link removed]], director of the Texas Election Coalition.
Death is the quickest way to turn a Texas Republican into a Democrat.
--" width="434" src=" New Lawsuit Challenges Texas THC Regulations A new federal lawsuit is seeking to block Texas’ regulations on hemp-derived THC, which took effect last week. As Travis Morgan explains [[link removed]], the plaintiffs claim the state regulations are preempted by the 2018 Farm Bill, in which Congress legalized hemp by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act.
Intoxicating hemp-derived THC was not mentioned in either the 2018 federal law or a follow-on 2019 state law, but technological developments have made it possible to create products containing a high concentration of manufactured THC from hemp that is more than enough to create the “high” experienced by smoking marijuana. Traditional marijuana remains illegal in the state of Texas.
The plaintiffs, a coalition of hemp businesses and consumers, contend the regulations are vague and represent an unconstitutional burden on interstate commerce. It is worth noting that the 2018 Farm Bill contains a “NO PREEMPTION” clause, which preserves states’ power to adopt “more stringent” regulations on hemp production.
As part of the lawsuit, the plaintiffs want an injunction blocking Texas from enforcing the regulations as the court considers the challenge.OTHER LEGAL NEWS Judge Considers Dismissal in Case of Granbury City Council Candidate’s Arrest [[link removed]] The city has repeatedly failed to hand over all evidence requested by and necessary for Eva Royer’s defense. The judge has called the city's behavior “embarrassing.” --" width="434" src=" Natural Gas-Powered Data Center Planned for West Texas PowerPlay AI and Sharon AI have announced plans for a 400-megawatt natural gas-powered AI data center in Abilene, with the project targeting initial power delivery in 2028. Hunter Burney has the story [[link removed]].
The data center is designed to rely on its own natural gas power rather than tapping into the state's power grid.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently directed state regulators to audit all data centers currently requesting grid interconnection before approving additional projects. --" width="434" src=" Deported Honduran Man Sues Houston Over ICE-Related Traffic Stop Michael Wilson reports [[link removed]] that a Honduran national who was deported from the United States following a traffic stop has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the City of Houston. Erick Ruiz Lopez alleges police officers unlawfully extended his detention so federal immigration agents could take him into custody.
Lopez was pulled over for a traffic violation on June 17. He was deported back to Honduras on June 27. His lawsuit claims Houston police violated Lopez’s constitutional rights by prolonging the traffic stop.
HPD has been operating under a policy allowing its officers to wait a “reasonable” amount of time for ICE agents to arrive when they encounter someone with a civil immigration warrant. --" width="434" src=" Support Texas Scorecard
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Give $18.36 [[link removed]] Other Amount 🔒 [[link removed]] --" width="434" src=" Number of the Day
6.4 Million
The estimated number of Texans who live in a neighborhood with a homeowners' association.
Source: Newsweek [[link removed]]
--" width="434" src=" Today In History
On August 5, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Revenue Act creating the nation's first income tax. It was imposed as a way to raise cash to fund the Civil War. Originally a flat three percent tax, it was replaced a year later with a progressive tax based on income levels. The tax scheme imposed to fund the Civil War was repealed in 1872.
--" width="434" src=" Quote-Unquote
"I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." – Winston Churchill
--" width="434" src=" Directory of Texas' State & Federal Officials [[link removed]]
Contact information, biographies, and campaign finances.
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