Good morning,

Is Greg Abbott doing a good job as Texas’ governor? That is the focus of today’s One Click Survey; I’ll let you know tomorrow what your fellow readers think.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

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“The state of our state is brimming with promise.” – Gov. Greg Abbott

Normally delivered in the Texas Capitol to a joint session of the House and Senate, Brandon Waltens reports [[link removed]] this year’s State of the State Address was much different. The governor spoke on primetime television from an empty studio owned by a fiber optics business based in Lockhart.

Constitutionally, the Legislature is prohibited from passing legislation during the first 60 days of the session. An exception is made, however, for the governor’s emergency items. During his address [[link removed]], Gov. Abbott issued five emergencies for legislative action. Those include:

1) Expanding rural broadband access;

2) Prevent local defunding of police;

3) Bail reform;

4) Election integrity; and,

5) Liability protection from COVID-related lawsuits.

The governor described his first emergency item – rural broadband access – as something that is “not a luxury. It is an essential tool that must be available for all Texas.”

Also discussed by Gov. Abbott, during his address [[link removed]] – but notably not given emergency status – was a prohibition on abortions based on race, sex, or disability, making Texas a “Second Amendment Sanctuary,” and legislation to prohibit local governments from closing churches. As Texans’ property tax bills consume more of their income, Robert Montoya reports [[link removed]] that there seem to be no bills filed yet that would provide meaningful property tax relief—just more attempts to control the growth of the problem.

“Slowing the rate of tax increases only kicks the can down the road and allows lawmakers to falsely claim they are helping homeowners.” – Tim Hardin, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has been named chairman of Climate Mayors of America, a leftist organization that seeks to cripple the nation’s oil and gas industry. Joshua Pierce reports [[link removed]] Turner has a history of backing expensive “climate change” programs.

This comes despite Houston being known as the “energy capital of the nation” and Turner (a Democrat) having been backed by local Republican business leaders.

“Cities are powerful drivers in the race against climate change.” – Sylvester Turner Education reporter Tera Collum continues her series [[link removed]] looking at the responses classroom teachers gave during a year-long survey about the state of Texas schools. She examines specifically the role an ever-growing class of administrators has in making it difficult for teachers to teach.

In the survey conducted by Teachers for Texas, teachers voiced their concerns about district and campus administration more than any other category.

When incompetent administrators keep teachers from teaching, students cannot learn... and the taxpayers’ money is wasted. You’ve no doubt noticed their names in the Texas Minute and bylines at Texas Scorecard, but Jacob Asmussen has prepared [[link removed]] a formal introduction of our Spring 2021 Journalism Fellows.

They are: Joshua Pierce, Iris Poole, Ariana Silva, and Michael Swirsky.

All four fellows are based for the semester in our Central Texas headquarters, assisting Brandon Waltens and Jeramy Kitchen in covering the 87th Session of the Texas Legislature. In case you missed it... the Transportation Safety Administration has now been authorized [[link removed]] to detain or fine anyone who tries to go through airport security with a bare face. No, Congress didn’t authorize this; it’s an executive order from President Biden.

I feel like we have fully entered the post-“consent of the governed” phase [[link removed]] of our national decline.

Texas Scorecard operates only through the generous support of thousands of Texans committed to keeping the independent spirit of 1836 alive. Would you make a secure contribution [[link removed]] today of $18.36?

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[link removed] ONE CLICK SURVEY

Are you satisfied with the job performance of Gov. Greg Abbott?

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... or ...

Dissatisfied [[link removed]] Number of the Day

118

Number of days remaining in the 87th Session of the Texas Legislature. The Texas House and Senate are both adjourned until Tuesday, Feb.9.

[Source: Calendar; Texas House [[link removed]] and Senate [[link removed]]]

Today In History

On Feb. 2, 1848, the Mexican-American War came to a formal end with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The U.S. victory resulted in 525,000 square miles of territory to be added to the nation.

Quote-Unquote

“Texas will again lift it's head and stand among the nations. It ought to do so, for no country upon the globe can compare with it in natural advantages.”

– Sam Houston​

Your Texas Directory

​U.S. Senator

John Cornyn - R

(202) 224-2934

U.S. Senator

Ted Cruz - R

(202) 224-5922

Governor of Texas

Greg Abbott - R

(512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor

Dan Patrick - R

(512) 463-0001

Attorney General

Ken Paxton – R

(512) 463-2100

Comptroller

Glen Hegar – R

(512) 463-4600

Land Commissioner

George Bush – R

(512) 463-5001

Commissioner of Agriculture

Sid Miller – R

(512) 463-7476

Railroad Commissioners

Wayne Christian – R

Christy Craddick – R

Jim Wright – R

(512) 463-7158

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PO Box 12862, Odessa TX 79768 Produced by Michael Quinn Sullivan and Brandon Waltens, the Texas Minute is a quick look at the news and info of the day we find interesting, and hope you do as well. It is delivered weekday mornings (though we'll take the occasional break for holidays and whatnot).

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