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Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Thursday, December 9, 2021
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Pay Issues Plague Texas Military

• A two-month investigation by Texas Scorecard reveals guardsmen aren’t being paid in a timely fashion for their service in the state-ordered mission on the border. Robert Montoya exposes the hardship this is creating… and the complications that have arisen from Gov. Greg Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star.”
     
• “I’ve had one soldier who went 42 days without pay. He was finally paid on October 11, but they’re saying that this next round of pay could be not until after November,” one Texas Military Department source said. “They’re having rampant amounts of pay issues.”
     
• Internal communications in the Texas comptroller’s office suggest that elected officials and state employees have been scrambling to address the issue of soldiers not being paid on time. It remains unclear how widespread the issue is, and officials have not stated whether it has been resolved.
     
• Back in late October, Texas Scorecard emailed Luis Saenz – Gov. Abbott’s chief of staff – and informed him of the issue. “What does the governor know about this? Are these issues being addressed?”
   
• Though it has been verified that Saenz’ email was received, no one from the governor’s office has yet offered a response.

Abbott’s COVID Hotline

• As an increasing number of Texas employees are threatened with termination for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Greg Abbott has created a “hotline” at the Texas Workforce Commission. Brandon Waltens has the details.
      
• Reports can be made to (800) 939-6631 or by emailing [email protected]. After complaints have been verified, they will be referred to “the appropriate authorities for prosecution.”
   
• All this comes with Gov. Abbott under increasing pressure to call a special legislative session focused on addressing vaccine mandate issues, but he is so far refusing to do so.
   
• The announcement of the hotline comes as news breaks that employers under the governor’s purview—such as the University of Texas and the Texas National Guard—have continued to implement vaccine mandates despite his own order.

Pro-Life Group Threatened With Bomb

• A bomb threat against the Austin office of Texas Right to Life is under investigation, according to the organization’s executive director, Elizabeth Graham.
   
• “Our new Austin office, housing Texas Right to Life’s legislative department, has received a direct bomb threat,” wrote Graham in an email Wednesday afternoon, noting no one had been injured.
   
• This is the second time the organization has received a bomb threat since the Texas Heartbeat Act took effect.

Avila Enters Land Office Race

• A retired special agent with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, Victor Avila, has declared his GOP candidacy for Texas Land Commissioner. Jeramy Kitchen reports Avila joins an already crowded field that includes State Sen. Dawn Buckingham, Bexar County activist Weston Martinez, former U.S. congressional candidate Dr. Jon Spiers, and business consultant Ben Armenta.
   
• The current Land Commissioner is George P. Bush (R), who announced his candidacy for Texas’ Attorney General in June.
   
• Whoever wins the Republican primary election will face off against one of several Democrat candidates who have already filed, including conservationist Jay Kleburg of the King Ranch.

• Please join me in wishing a very happy birthday to Texas Scorecard’s Managing Editor, Brandon Waltens!