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
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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.
       

• 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. 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.
        
• “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 the organization in making the endorsement.
       
• They also had kind things 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 by a packed crowd in Montgomery County last week, Gov. Greg Abbott got a very different reception. As Sydnie Henry reports, 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 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. “They know a failed leader when they see one.”

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.
   
• 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.

ONE CLICK SURVEY

The March 1, 2022, GOP Primary ballot will feature a series of policy positions 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.”

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