Good morning!

Here is today’s Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Thursday, September 10, 2020
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• As parents and children attempt to navigate onerous back-to-school guidelines for public schools across the state, the Texas Home School Coalition reports a nearly 400 percent increase in families deciding to withdraw from public schools and begin homeschooling. Brandon Waltens has the story.
   
• In August 2019, THSC reports that it processed withdrawals for 1,044 families. In August 2020, that number skyrocketed to 4,055 withdrawals. (August’s increase follows another record-setting month in July, which THSC says saw a 1,500 percent increase over 2019.)
   
• “With the landslide of families moving to homeschooling, it is clear that many families don’t feel comfortable sending their children back to public school in the current environment,” said Stephen Howsley, a public policy analyst for THSC, in an interview with Texas Scorecard.

• A federal court has dismissed another attempt by Democrat-aligned groups to change Texas voting procedures for the 2020 presidential election via lawsuits while using fear of the Chinese coronavirus as an excuse to bypass the legislature. Check out Erin Anderson’s article for the details.
   
• U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam concluded the courts lack the jurisdiction to “micromanage” state election processes. 
   
• “I commend today’s decision for properly recognizing the Texas Legislature’s control over election law,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “Law established by the Legislature must be followed consistently. Upending the procedures established by state and local leaders would have sown chaos and threatened to disenfranchise lawful voters.”

• After specifically prohibiting in-person worship services in April, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley is now trying to claim he did no such thing... except there is the pesky problem of a video the county produced on April 11. In it, Whitley explicitly says – with words popping up on the screen to match – that there were to be “no in-person church services.” Robert Montoya has the details.
   
• Whitley’s denial came this week when confronted by citizens expressing frustration with the county’s heavy-handed approach to the Chinese coronavirus. Grassroots activist Devin Pipes mentioned the county’s in-person worship ban as an example of the county commissioners’ over-reach.
   
• The original Tarrant County order was issued in contradiction to guidance issued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
   
• Whitley and county officials later deleted the video and re-released an edited version changing the language.
   
• But the Internet never forgets, Mr. Whitley...

• While some taxing entities are devising ways to raise tax burdens on citizens who are already struggling under the economic fallout from the Chinese coronavirus, Montgomery County is doing the opposite. Earlier this week Montgomery County commissioners voted to approve a tax rate lower than the “no new revenue” rate – meaning citizens will pay less in county taxes.
     
• The victory came as taxpayers placed increased pressure on county commissioners not to raise taxes, especially under the current circumstances.
      
• “When I ran for County Judge one of the pillars of my campaign was ensuring we were lowering the tax rate to account for higher appraisals. This is called the no new revenue rate. Any rate above this is a tax increase. Any rate below will be a tax cut... This is the second year in a row the court has approved a tax rate at or below the no new revenue rate.” – Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough

• Yesterday we asked – in the seventh month of the “pandemic” emergency – if Gov. Greg Abbott should bring the Texas Legislature into a special session. 
   
• Of Texas Minute readers, 97.1 percent want legislators called into a special session, while 2.9 percent are comfortable with Gov. Abbott continuing to use emergency powers to issue mandates as law. 

Here is a sampling of the feedback...

• “There needs to be a change in the law prohibiting the governor from continuous declarations of emergency. After the first thirty days the legislature should determine whether an extension is necessary, and even then, any laws or mandates created would have to be vetted through the legislature.” – Philip J.
     
• “Executive Orders are the governor’s power to clarify something to the Executive branch.  The Governor does not have the authority to make royal decrees for the public to wear a mask.  He is REQUIRED to call the Legislature into session to pass a ‘law.’  Without this he has become a dictator. Pandemic or not.” – Greg R.
   
• “Yes, the Legislature was practically worthless during the last session, but even a bad Legislature is preferable to a tyrant.” – Rex R.
   
• “At what point do we conclude that Abbott and his cohorts have determined that they will rule Texas indefinitely?” – Bill W.
   
• “Just think, if in March, he called a Legislative session instead of assuming authoritarian powers.  He would now be the model of the moral way to govern and would probably be very popular nationwide.” – Karl S.
   
• “So many of our representatives and senators sit idly by, in effect, applauding the governor as he destroys our liberties.” – Roger T.
   
• “Even if a person doesn't ‘believe’ in covering their virus holes, if they can't get on board with doing it out of common courtesy - similar to wearing pants in public even if it's really hot out and it would be more comfortable to go pants-less, then those people are really on the extreme fringe of society, and don't represent a majority of rational constituents.” – Cynthia W.

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