Good morning!

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Tuesday, January 26, 2021
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• In a year-long survey of public school teachers, the nonprofit organization Teachers for Texas asked: “What issues are keeping you from truly being at peace as a teacher?” 

• Poor administration, excessive testing, the STAAR test, and blatant violations of the law were just a few of the many issues about which teachers voiced concern. Texas Scorecard will be addressing each of those issues in a new series Collum is launching on public education in the Lone Star State.

• Speaking of education, school choice is one of the eight legislative priorities for the Republican Party of Texas. Iris Poole examines the chances for the party’s long-sought education proposal.
      
• “If you block a bill from a vote on school choice, you are blocking the future of that child.” – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, in 2017
   
• Public school enrollment significantly declined last year. In August 2020, RealClear Opinion Research found support for school choice averaging 77 percent between registered Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

• In Texas Scorecard’s continuing series looking at the top-paid lobbyists whispering in legislators’ ears, Ariana Silva introduces Todd Smith who also works as a campaign consultant.  
     
• According to a review of public documents by TransparencyUSA, about three percent of Smith’s lobbying income was generated by taxpayer-funded entities. Most of his revenue, it appears, comes from representing conservative organizations, industrial groups, and other entities. 
      
• Outside of lobbying, Smith is also known for being the longtime political consultant for Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

• Texas Scorecard only exists thanks to the generous support of patriots from around the Lone Star State. Make a special donation today, or set-up a recurring gift, to ensure that citizens are informed and equipped in the fight for self-governace.

• “Every now and then, something happens that was not supposed to happen. A fluke so out of the blue and so brilliant, it is impossible to hide. An event that forced powerful people into the open in a way they desperately wanted to avoid.” – Jon Francis
     
• In a new commentary, Cisco businessman Jon Francis explains how senior House members “in the Texas Capitol were embarrassed and infuriated by a newly sworn-in freshman representative who had been on the job for just a few days, named Rep. Bryan Slaton.” According to Francis, Slaton called lawmakers’ bluff: asking if ending abortion was more important than renaming bridges. “It proved to be too much.”

• More than 1,500 inmates could be released onto the streets if Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez (D) has his way in federal court. The move has drawn condemnation from State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) and other lawmakers.
      
• As reported by The Texan’s Holly Hansen, the county jail population now surpasses 9,000 inmates and the sheriff says he is unable to effectively implement a quarantine for the Chinese coronavirus. 
      
• Last year Harris County released some 4,000 inmates because of pandemic concerns.

• The Texas Scorecard team is growing!
       
• Please join me in welcoming Jeramy Kitchen to the team as our new Capitol Correspondent. He most recently served as the director of legislative affairs at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Jeramy has worked for several members of the Texas House and is a graduate of Texas Tech. He served as an intelligence analyst in the US Army and Texas National Guard, and has two daughters.

Learn more about the members of Texas’ congressional delegation, state senators, and state representatives by visiting the Texas Directory. There you’ll find contact information, campaign finance history, and more.

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