Good morning, John –

So... how do you feel about eliminating property taxes? That's what we're asking in the One Click Survey.

Here is today’s Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Update your profile information [[link removed]].

We're Number... 6!?

Texans like to think of ourselves as #1, but a new ranking of state election integrity laws puts Texas sixth in the nation based on practices for ensuring elections are fair, honest, and secure. Erin Anderson has the full story [[link removed]].

On a 100-point scale, Texas received a “76” on the Election Integrity Scorecard created by the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation. The states ranked ahead of Texas include Georgia (with a high score of 83), Alabama (82), Tennessee (79), followed by Arkansas and Florida (tied at 78). Uncut Conversations... Statewide Races Last fall Texas Scorecard began its series of uncut conversations with the Republican gubernatorial candidates [[link removed]]. That series starts up again this week with conversations in the 1836 Studios with the candidates for Agriculture Commissioner, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, and Lieutenant Governor. Every GOP candidate in each race was invited to participate. Many did; some – tellingly – did not.

The first set of Conversations will be released this Thursday, featuring the candidates for Agriculture Commissioner. The rest will follow next week.

It has been 28 years since a Democrat was elected statewide, and one hasn't held statewide office in 24 years. And one won't be in 2022. For statewide offices, like it or not, the only race that matters is the GOP primary. Whoever wins the primaries, will win the Texas general election! West Earns Heavyweight Grassroots Endorsement Lt. Col. Allen West picked up a big grassroots endorsement for his gubernatorial campaign, with the announced support of Tyler-based Grassroots America We The People. Brandon Waltens has the details [[link removed]].

“Texas needs a principled, strategic disrupter – a bold painter to write freedom on the hearts of Texans – all Texans – in a language they can understand. Therefore, we confidently and heartily endorse LTC Allen West (RET) for Texas Governor,” stated [[link removed]] the organization in making the endorsement.

They also had kind things [[link removed]] to say about two other candidates in the race. “We are also deeply grateful to Don Huffines and Chad Prather who have long aimed a bright spotlight of truth on the mess Abbott has made, while bringing forth bold solutions. When Texas needed courageous fighters to step up, they answered the call, running to the front of the battle.” Abbott Booed At The Trump Rally While former President Donald Trump was enthusiastically cheered [[link removed]] by a packed crowd in Montgomery County last week, Gov. Greg Abbott got a very different reception. As Sydnie Henry reports [[link removed]], the governor was – charitably – greeted with a “mixed” reaction, though one heavy on the “boos.”

Montgomery County is a GOP stronghold in Texas, but their local displeasure with Abbott is well known, following a formal censure of Abbott in the summer of 2020 [[link removed]] for his executive orders that shut down businesses, mandated masks, and brought contact tracing to Texas in response to the coronavirus.

As several commenters on social media noted, Abbott quickly adjusted to the crowd’s mixed response and began mentioning Trump’s name repeatedly in order to silence his critics.

“Grassroots Texans are smart,” said former Sen. Huffines [[link removed]]. “They know a failed leader when they see one.”

As part of the ongoing Decision Texas coverage of the gubernatorial race we have started doing live video updates on our YouTube channel [[link removed]]. Visit the Texas Scorecard channel [[link removed]] and click “ subscribe [[link removed]]” so you can be notified when we're on. Planned Parenthood Ends Lubbock Court Challenge In a major win for pro-life activists, Planned Parenthood has ended its legal challenges to the Lubbock city ordinance outlawing abortions in the city. Mark Lee Dickson has the story [[link removed]].

Lubbock is the largest city in the nation to have such an ordinance on the books, and Planned Parenthood initially took legal action to stop it. A series of court set-backs for the pro-abortion group made it clear the pro-life ordinance withstands legal scrutiny.

Dorothy Boyett headed the Citizen Initiative Petition Committee that got the ordinance on the city ballot. “When people claim a Sanctuary City Ordinance will not hold up in court, they should look to Lubbock. Not only has Planned Parenthood ceased offering abortions here, they also have withdrawn their appeal,” she said [[link removed]].

Quote-Unquote

“There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.”

– Robert A. Heinlein​​

Number of the Day

1

Texas’ primary election is one month from today, on March 1, 2o22. Early voting begins Feb. 14.

[Source: Texas Secretary of State; calendar]

ONE CLICK SURVEY

The March 1, 2022, GOP Primary ballot will feature a series of policy positions [[link removed]] placed there by the State Republican Executive Committee. One of those questions focuses on property taxes. Each is phrased as a statement and the ballot allows you to vote “yes” or “no,” indicating your agreement or disagreement with the position. This is the language that will appear on your ballot:

“Texas should eliminate all property taxes within ten (10) years without implementing a state income tax.”

Yes [[link removed]]

... or ...

No [[link removed]]

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

Update Your Subscription Profile [[link removed]] Request A Speaker [[link removed]] 🔒 Contribute 🔒 [[link removed]]

A product of Texas Scorecard

www.TexasScorecard.com

(888) 410-1836

PO Box 248, Leander, TX 78646

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).

This message was originally sent to:

John xxxxxx |

If you ever stop receiving our emails, it might be because someone unintentionally removed you from the list. No worries; it is easy enough to reactivate your subscription immediately on our website.

[link removed]

Before you click the link below... If someone forwarded this email to you, clicking the link will end the subscription of [email protected].

Unsubscribe [link removed]