Good morning –
At least two public universities in Texas seem to be trying to sneak a vaccine passport through the backdoor.
We’ll get to that in today's Texas Minute.
– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Thursday, August 19, 2021
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Still Nothing For the 36th day in a row, the Texas House was again unable yesterday to conduct legislative business because House Speaker Dade Phelan and the Republican majority have refused to actually compel the Democrats’ attendance. Not a single Republican lawmaker has attempted to force Phelan’s hand on the matter, and not a single Democrat has been arrested – despite a show-vote by the GOP early last week.
Counting today, there are 18 days remaining in this special session – the second of the summer – called by Gov. Greg Abbott to address items lawmakers failed (or refused) to address in the regular session earlier this year.
If Gov. Abbott is serious about forcing the Democrats’ hand, he could declare [[link removed]] their seats vacant and call special elections in those districts to occur within 30 days. Any DEM incumbents wanting to prove they are still the officeholders? Show up for a deposition at the Capitol. On the other hand [[link removed]]… If Democrats can have dead people’s votes count in elections, why can’t House Republicans count dead or former legislators toward the quorum? Naming Names Over the past two weeks, a growing number of school districts, cities, and counties began issuing their own local mask mandates. These mandates are in defiance of an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott expressly prohibiting them.
Though the state legislature had the opportunity to put an official ban on mask mandates from local officials into law, the GOP-dominated Texas House voted down such a proposal earlier this year. This leaves Abbott’s executive order as the only check available on local governments.
As Brandon Waltens reports [[link removed]], the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is maintaining a list of those entities – with the implied threat of future legal action.
According to Paxton’s office, these are “Government Entities Unlawfully Imposing Mask Mandates”:
Aldine ISD *
Austin ISD *
Basis Texas
Bexar County
Brownsville ISD *
Cameron County
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD *
Cedar Hill ISD ^
Coppell ISD ^
Crowley ISD *
Dallas County
Dallas ISD
Del Valle ISD *
DeSoto ISD *
Donna ISD *
Dripping Springs ISD^
Eanes ISD
Eagle Pass ISD
Edcouch-Elsa ISD *
Edgewood ISD *
Edinburg CISD *
El Paso ISD *
Elgin ISD *
Fort Bend ISD ^
Fort Sam Houston ISD *
Fort Worth ISD ^
Galena Park ISD *
Galveston ISD *
Grand Prairie ISD ^
Harlandale ISD
Harris County
Hays County
Hidalgo County
Highland Park ISD
Houston ISD *
Huffman ISD *
IDEA Public Schools
Judson ISD ^
Killeen ISD ^
La Joya ISD *
Lackland ISD *
Laredo ISD *
Lasara ISD *
Leander ISD *
Manor ISD *
McAllen ISD *
Mesquite ISD *
North East ISD
Nueces County ^
Paris ISD *
Pflugerville ISD *
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD *
Randolph Fields ISD
Richardson ISD *
Round Rock ISD *
San Antonio ISD *
San Benito ISD *
San Marcos ISD *
Sheldon ISD
Spring ISD *
Travis County
United ISD *
Vanguard Academy
West Oslo ISD *
* Indicates currently not in compliance; letter sent by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
^ Previously noncompliant; reportedly now in compliance.
If Gov. Abbott is serious about forcing compliance with his orders, he’d have Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar not send any state funds to those wayward entities. If he is serious, he can hit them in the wallet. Backdoor Vaccine Passports At least two of Texas’ publicly funded universities seem to have found a way to usher in vaccine passports [[link removed]].
Texas A&M and the University of North Texas have issued guidance [[link removed]] that requires all students to participate in COVID-19 testing programs, under threat of suspension or expulsion, unless the student produces proof of having had one of the COVID jabs.
“Students reported for failing to comply,” according to A&M’s policy [[link removed]], would face “possible separation (i.e., suspension or expulsion) from the university.”
As UNT puts it, “Vaccinated individuals can opt-out of the mandatory testing requirement by uploading proof of vaccination by Sept. 10.” The school’s president – Neal Smatresk – had attempted to require masks on campus, in compliance with the City of Denton’s orders. That requirement is gone; apparently Smatresk decided that, as a state agency requiring state funds, his boss wasn’t the mayor.
Meanwhile, the University of Texas is not providing an “out” from its mandatory testing for students who have had one of the COVID-19 shots. Even Without District Boundaries, 2022 Races Take Shape While the Texas Legislature remains paralyzed and unable to conduct legislative business due to a continued lack of quorum in the Texas House of Representatives, the list of challengers to sitting Democrat and Republican lawmakers is beginning to grow. Jeramy Kitchen reviews [[link removed]] the races brewing against the incumbents of both parties.
Not surprisingly, nearly all the known contests are for seats in the dysfunctional Texas House, where Republicans and Democrats alike have obstructed action on reforms favored by conservative grassroots activists.
The only GOP senator with announced opposition is Senate District 31’s incumbent Republican-of-convenience Kel Seliger (Amarillo). Two candidates have already emerged against him.
Meanwhile, the date for voters to consider [[link removed]] a series of amendments to the Texas Constitution has been officially set for Nov. 2, 2021. Austin, California Thanks to the compounding effect of the poor decisions made by Austin’s Democrat-run city council, Texas’ capital city is poised to be the least affordable place to live in the United States outside of California. Jacob Asmussen reports [[link removed]] on the findings of a new study issued by the real estate company Zillow. Please join me in wishing a very happy birthday to my brother-in-law, Torrey… and congratulate him receiving his Master’s Degree from the U.S. Naval War College!
Texas Scorecard provides the news and information that feeds the grassroots movement. Your donation makes it possible [[link removed]].
🔒 Donate to Texas Scorecard 🔒 [[link removed]] Number of the Day
445
Number of days until the 2022 general election.
[Source: calendar]
Quote-Unquote
“If free markets weren't so damn efficient, they could never have survived, because they have so many enemies and so few friends.”
– Milton Friedman
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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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