Good morning,

With so much talk of “giants” threatening our way of life, I spent some time this week thinking about the Valley of Elah, where history’s most famous giant was slain.

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Friday, January 22, 2021
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UPFRONT: Yesterday’s Texas Minute included an error from a referenced news story. It was wrongly stated that Collin County was a client of a lobbyist. In fact, the client is Collin County's Municipal District # 1, an independent entity separate from the county. Collin County Judge Chris Hill has been a strong opponent of tax-funded lobbying, and a champion for pro-taxpayer reforms. (The article was fixed.)

• Should passage of Republican priorities be the best measure of success for the Republican-controlled state Legislature? The vice-chair of the state GOP isn’t so sure. Brandon Waltens has the details.
   
• On Thursday, Republican Party of Texas Vice Chair Cat Parks released a statement taking aim at the party’s focus on the eight legislative priorities, which were voted on by delegates to the 2020 Texas GOP convention.
   
• “Passage of Texas GOP Legislative Priorities should not be the sole indicator of a successful legislative session. If Texas legislators pass fifty bills related to Republican Party of Texas Platform planks, and only pass one bill from the Texas GOP Legislative Priorities, did we fail as a Party? While current Texas GOP messaging says yes, Texas Republican voters indicate otherwise,” said Parks.
   
• Parks was clearly taking direct aim at the Texas GOP chairman, Lt. Col. Allen West, and the state party’s 62-member executive committee. They have elevated passage of the priorities set in place by delegates to the party’s biennial convention.
   
• The GOP’s priorities include election integrity reform, passage of constitutional carry, abolishing abortion, and ending taxpayer-funded lobbying.
   
• Why is Vice-Chair Parks helping do-nothing establishment Republicans redefine the word “priority” and lower expectations? Maybe, instead, the GOP-controlled legislature should raise expectations and then exceed them. Citizens want the Lone Star State to shine brightly as a conservative beacon.

• After calling for unity in his inaugural address, President Joe Biden quickly signed a flurry of executive orders – many of which reversed President Trump’s policies. While all 17 of Biden’s Day One executive actions are consequential, Michael Swirsky reports on four that will immediately impact Texas.
   
• Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already pledged to confront the new administration’s “many unconstitutional and illegal actions.” Jacob Asmussen has the details.
   
• Among other actions, Biden stopped federal funding for the border wall construction, dragged the United States back into the controversial Paris climate accord, and canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline. Biden has promised to remove Trump’s increased protections for preborn babies, and force citizens to pay for abortions with tax dollars.

• Following through on a campaign promise, State Rep. Kyle Biedermann (R–Fredericksburg) has filed legislation instituting “constitutional carry” throughout Texas. Joshua Pierce reports House Bill 1238 would allow anyone who can legally possess a firearm to carry it without a special permit. 
    
• “Forcing our citizens to ask the government for permission to exercise [their Second Amendment] right reduces its status to a privilege, and then making us pay for it adds insult to injury,” said Biedermann, referring to the licensing fee.
   
• “It is past time for the Texas Legislature to recognize that requiring a permit does not make us safer—it only makes victims more vulnerable.” – Rachel Malone, Gun Owners of America
   
• Constitutional carry has long been a legislative priority of the Republican Party of Texas. Similar legislation has not yet been filed in the Texas Senate.

Friday Reflection

In recent days my thoughts have returned to standing in a dry creek bed in the Valley of Elah, kneeling in the dirt to pick up smooth rocks. What brought that memory to mind has been hearing so many friends expressing their fear of giants stalking the land. But these smooth rocks and pebbles are a reminder that we don’t have to be afraid.

The Valley of Elah is where David killed the Philistine giant Goliath. It’s one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament... but not the antiseptic version most Sunday School classes stick to. You know, where David used his slingshot to pop Goliath in the head and everyone went home happy singing a Disney song.

Not exactly. When David’s rock knocked Goliath down, the young shepherd boy ran to the body and promptly beheaded it. But the story doesn’t end there. The Philistine army, shocked by the death of their unconquerable warrior, turned tail and ran. Rather than call it a day, the Israelites pursued and killed the Philistines, leaving bodies “strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.” 

Then, the victorious Israelites came back and plundered the Philistine’s camp.

Remember, none of the mighty warriors in the Israelite army wanted to confront Goliath. They shirked from the fight in fear.

Very often the giants we face – in life, in politics, in business – seem impossible to defeat. We worry about being de-platformed by tech giants, or whatever. We think ourselves into believing that we cannot take on entrenched politicians and their cronies in the media.

And, yet, history is replete with impossible giants being vanquished by those viewed as inconsequential in the eyes of the world. Of course, let us remember David didn’t go onto the battlefield alone – he was literally fighting alongside God.

As a quick aside, we must – like David – be sure we’re fighting the fights to which God has called us, not simply those that are politically expedient or feel good in the moment.

Like David, we must faithfully confront the giants in our path. And we must be willing to get our hands dirty in the process. In so doing, we’ll inspire others around us to join in the fight.

Lastly, we must be faithfully committed to the work of winning. Too often we accept half-victories that end up as little more than a prelude to our own defeat. The Israelites didn’t walk away after Goliath was vanquished; they pursued their enemies. In the same way, we must be committed to getting the job done and done completely.

Let’s go slay some giants! We cannot count on kings to do our work for us. It’s up to us, as a self-governing people, to faithfully get the job done.