Good morning,

It’s already a three-way race for the Republican nomination for Texas Attorney General, which is the basis for our One Click Survey.

First, here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Tuesday, June 15, 2021
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Critical Race Theory… It’s Real. It’s Here.

• Fort Worth Independent School District officials are not even attempting to hide their use of “critical race theory.” As Tera Collum reports, CRT has already become embedded in the very fabric of the district.
        

• “It is a waste of time and counterproductive for our students and teachers,” said Carlos Turicos, a 2020 FWISD graduate. “Why are we so fixated on color when the character of the person is what is important?”

• With less than one week left until the June 20 deadline for Gov. Greg Abbott to sign bills into law, legislation originally intended to prohibit critical race theory is still awaiting his consideration. Brandon Waltens explains that while the bill prohibits teaching that one race or sex is inherently superior to another, some additions to the bill have raised concerns amongst conservatives.
      
• When it was passed out of the House in early May, the legislation was watered down with Democrat amendments. For example, one amendment required the teaching of “the history of white supremacy.” Another amendment added the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the life and work of Cesar Chavez. 
       

• When the bill passed the Texas Senate, however, the controversial Democrat amendments were stripped away. Yeah!
     

• EXCEPT… when it returned to the House, Democrat State Rep. James Talarico (Round Rock) called a point of order on the bill, arguing the Senate’s changes were not germane to the bill. The bill was then sent back to the Senate, where they withdrew their changes, and sent the watered-down House version to the governor.
     

• And that’s how it currently sits.

Gubernatorial Deadlines

• Has your favorite piece of legislation not yet been signed by the governor? Sunday, June 20th marks the last day the Governor can consider bills passed in the 87th Legislative Session. Jeramy Kitchen explains Texas governors have three choices: sign a bill, veto it, or let it become law without a signature.
       
• Absent a veto, legislation that passes both chambers of the legislature becomes law.

Wall Building

• State Rep. Bryan Slaton (R-Royse City) is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to add border security legislation to a special legislative session.
      
• “Texas must finally stand up and protect our citizens, our sovereignty, and the sovereignty of our sister states. Governor Abbott last week underscored the need for Texas to begin this process, including by building a wall. I totally agree. That is why I am urging Governor Abbott to immediately call a special session and make border security legislation a top priority. The people of Texas are rightly calling for action, and the People’s house must fulfill their demand.” – Bryan Slaton

Lumbering Bureaucracy Gets Reformed

• Legislation passed this spring seeks to overcome the bureaucracy responsible for regulating foster care in the Lone Star State. Among other things, a bill authored by State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R–Brenham) will bring more direct oversight of the Legislature into the crisis-plagued foster care system.
       
• In a conversation with Brandon Waltens, Brandon Logan of One Accord Texas said Kolkhorst’s legislation uses the real-world experiences from the slow implementation of “community-based care” programs to improve the way local nonprofits and government entities caring for children are treated by a “lumbering” bureaucracy.

• By refining the state’s child welfare laws into the community-based care model, it is Logan’s hope the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services will recede into one of oversight and accountability rather than the direct provision of services.

Executive Powers Unchallenged

• The lead-up to the 87th Legislative Session saw many lawmakers expressing that they felt somewhat helpless to address many of their constituents’ concerns about Gov. Greg Abbott’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. In the absence of legislative action, Abbott resorted to a litany of executive actions, including some that left local governments to enforce their own schemes.
     
• Yet, as the dust settles from the legislative session, very little was actually done to address the “emergency powers” seized by Gov. Abbott and local officials. Jeramy Kitchen has a comprehensive report.

Race for Attorney General Expands

• Another challenger has emerged to Texas’ incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton. After resigning from the Supreme Court of Texas on Friday, former Justice Eva Huzman (R) filed paperwork indicating her launch of a candidacy to lead the state’s law firm. She joins Land Commissioner George P. Bush in an effort to unseat Paxton in the 2022 Republican Primary.
      
• Guzman is considered a close confidant of Gov. Greg Abbott and his wife, Cecilia. 

Taxes Going Up Under Biden

• “A family of 4 with a combined income of $60,000 will pay $2,000 more per year in taxes under [Biden’s] tax plan. I thought people under $400k wouldn’t see an increase? When will all you gullible, naive Lefties get it?” – Josh Barnett 

ONE CLICK SURVEY

With three declared candidates for Attorney General, if the race were held today would you choose…

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!