Good morning, 

Yesterday I asked y’all to let me know what you thought of corporate welfare... and – wow – y’all responded!

But first, here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Wednesday, April 14, 2021
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• For the first time in our state’s history, “constitutional carry” – legislation to remove the requirement for law-abiding citizens to hold a gun permit from the state – will be voted on in the Texas House. Brandon Waltens reports debate and a vote is scheduled for Thursday on House Bill 1927 by Matt Schaefer (R–Tyler).
   
• Scheduling the debate comes despite protests from a small contingent of license to carry instructors on Tuesday, who argued the move would put Texans at risk. Note: they have a financial stake in the state continuing to issue permits requiring their services.
   
• Wallace Dunn, president of the Texas Handgun Association, disagreed with this small faction, saying that while he firmly believes in “firearms training. [It] should not be a condition to exercising a constitutional right. I am embarrassed that twenty other states have passed constitutional carry and we have not.”
      
• While similar legislation has been filed in the State Senate by Drew Springer (R–Muenster), Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and his leadership team have not scheduled the bill for a committee hearing.

• From mask mandates to business closures to choosing who can freely travel or operate their businesses, there has been no shortage of public outcry in the wake of Texas’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Jeramy Kitchen reports, the Texas Senate yesterday passed a measure explicitly reining in the governor’s authority during a pandemic.
      
• Legislation by Brian Birdwell (R–Granbury) was adopted by the Senate clarifying that only the Legislature has the authority to suspend or make law in declared times of emergency – not the governor. A separate measure, also by Birdwell, proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution allowing a sitting legislator the ability to sue the governor in the Supreme Court of Texas at a time of a disaster if the governor fails to convene the Legislature after a qualifying disaster or emergency declaration.
      
• While the Senate responded proactively to the concerns expressed by Texans throughout the pandemic, it should be noted the Texas House leadership took a markedly different path. State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock) proposed legislation that would essentially enshrine into law the powers Gov. Abbott seized for himself in 2020.
      
• Fortunately, Burrows’ legislation seems to have stalled out thanks to a loud outpouring of opposition from Texans who don’t think a governor should be allowed to act like a king.

• Both chambers of the Texas Legislature are holding hearings this week on various measures aimed at banning gender modification on minors. Joshua Pierce has the details. 
   
• In discussing his proposed ban, State Sen. Bob Hall (R–Edgewood) pointed out that current laws do not let those under 18 smoke, drink, or even get tattoos – but do allow them to undergo these life-altering surgeries.
   
• Jill Glover, a Texas GOP official with a master’s degree in psychology, detailed for senators her work as a counselor for both children and adults. She blamed the current push for child gender modification on “social contagion,” with the political fad rising from surgeons looking for profit and leftist LGBTQ advocates.
     
• On the other hand, there was testimony from Indigo Giles who testified against the bill, saying she realized she was non-binary at the age of 14 and argued that her body didn’t match her feelings. After receiving surgery, she said she was in tears with happiness at her “true” self.
   
• The House Committee on Public Health will have hearings on the issue later today.

• Amid growing community debate, the Round Rock Independent School District—a suburb of Austin—will meet later this week to consider modifying or removing its mask policy. (The City of Round Rock has already announced it will end its mask mandate on April 22.)
   
• Jacob Asmussen reports more than 90 school districts across the state have removed mask requirements, leaving the decision up to the individual students and families. The Texas Education Agency allows school districts, specifically school boards, the power to “modify or eliminate” recommended mask protocols.

Y’All Answered

• Yesterday we asked if out-of-state companies should be given Texas taxpayers’ money for the purpose of expanding or re-locating their operations in the Lone Star State. Of our survey respondents, 93.3 percent said “no” to handing out our tax money to out-of-state businesses, leaving 6.7 percent favoring the practice.
   
• “The state should be governed in such a way that outside businesses are drawn to the state by our tax practices and our workforce. The race to the bottom to subsidize business is an unnecessary burden on the taxpayers.” – Rod Dixon
   
• “If government has enough money to give to out of state businesses and then give them tax breaks worth millions every year, why can't they give me a few dollars tax break on property taxes?” – Steve Sullivan
   
• “I am never thrilled by the idea of backroom deals funneling my tax dollars into wasteful projects which never return even a quarter of what is promised. ... However, I can see some possible benefits to limited incentives being used to bring some carefully selected companies to Texas. So, my answer is Yes/No/Maybe/It Depends.” – John Bolgiano
   
• “NO, NO, NO.  The Texas Liberals are trying to turn Texas BLUE by importing all of these DAMN Yankees.” – Eleanor Edmundson

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