Good morning, 

Yesterday we asked if readers wanted taxpayer dollars going to “woke” corporations. What was their response? Find out below…

Here is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, April 13, 2022.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Taxpayers Forced To Tithe At Facebook ‘Temple’

• A 900,000-square-foot Hyperscale Data Center for the technology giant Meta, formerly Facebook, was announced late last month in the central Texas city of Temple. As Sydnie Henry reports, taxpayers are subsidizing the project.
      
• As property taxes rise for average Texans, Meta is getting a 75 percent property tax break. Remember, this is the company that censored the Hunter Biden laptop scandal back in 2020, and just this year silenced Republican gubernatorial candidate Chad Prather one week ahead of the primary election. Meta has also signed a letter supporting child gender mutilation experiments on Texas minors.
     
• Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent millions of dollars—Zuck Bucks—to push local elections to the left. 
      
• Nevertheless, Gov. Greg Abbott has explicitly invited Meta into Texas despite having publicly lambasted them, as Texas Scorecard previously covered. It appears the Temple Data Center is the project the governor and Meta were so insistent on maintaining secrecy around last year amid open records requests for transparency.
      
• Subsidizing the richest corporations on the planet on the backs of taxpayers isn’t conservative; it might as well be the textbook definition of corrupt cronyism.

Texas Education Agency Updates Library Policies

• A new model policy developed by the Texas Education Agency to help local school boards keep obscene books out of students’ libraries is meeting with tentative approval from Texas parents. Erin Anderson has the details.
   

• The new guidelines have been anticipated for months as parents and school officials grapple over sexually explicit books that have been found in student libraries across the state. TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said the new policy will “appropriately address obscene content” found in public school libraries.

      
• “It’s a big win for children and parental rights,” Fredericksburg’s Tara Petsch told Texas Scorecard. “Let’s hope school districts adopt this new policy very soon.”
      

• The model policy also requires a district librarian to read new library materials—something school officials acknowledge doesn’t always happen—and submit a list to the superintendent and school board at least 30 days before any books are purchased.

      

• Under the Texas Education Code, district superintendents are responsible for “preparing recommendations for policies to be adopted by the board of trustees and overseeing the implementation of adopted policies,” according to the TEA’s deputy commissioner, Jeff Cottrill.

Republican Legislature Keeps Killing School Choice

• Despite being a long-standing priority of the Republican Party of Texas, the GOP-dominated Legislature has taken an increasingly hostile view toward school choice. Katy Drollinger reviews the recent legislative history of the effort to give parents more power in education.
   
• “The [Legislature] must empower parents with the ability to choose where, when, and by whom their children are educated.” – State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park)
   
• That’s an easy position to take on Twitter. The most recent vote on school choice in the Texas House was 115 against it, 29 for it. A majority of the GOP caucus opposed the Texas GOP position.

School District Tries To Hide Investigator’s Report

• Round Rock Independent School District is seeking permission from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to conceal an investigation report of Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez, who has been accused of domestic violence. Jacob Asmussen has the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the scandal-plagued school district in “conservative” Williamson County.

      

• Allegedly, Azaiez threatened his pregnant mistress to abort their child and assaulted her when she refused.

    
• The months-long saga included three separate investigations into the district and Azaiez, a judge’s permanent restraining order against him (the conditions of which he agreed to), and five of the seven school board members covering up Azaiez’ alleged violence and eventually reinstating him. 
     

• Now, after Texas Scorecard and 35 citizens submitted open records requests for the external investigator’s report, the district asked AG Paxton to not simply redact certain obvious confidential information (social security numbers, addresses, etc.), but to hide the entire document from the public.

Sign Shenanigans

• In the runoff for the Texas House District 61 Republican nomination, candidates Paul Chabot and Frederick Frazier have clashed on property taxes and the GOP-dominated legislature’s practice of appointing Democrats to chair committees. But as Erin Anderson reports, a campaign sign controversy – and a criminal investigation resulting from it – has threatened to overshadow substantive issues in the race.
     
• Texas Scorecard reported last month on Chabot’s accusations of sign vandalism that triggered an investigation by the Texas Rangers. Since then, documents surfaced showing Frazier was the target of the investigation, which involved allegations of impersonating a public servant and potentially related theft. The Texas Department of Public Safety advised the Texas attorney general’s office that “charges are pending against one or more individuals” in the “ongoing criminal case.”
         
• The runoff election is May 24, with early voting held May 16-20.

Dade & Disney

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Y’All Answered

House Speaker Dade Phelan does not think taxpayers care about the state investing government resources in “woke” companies, and says his chamber will focus on “kitchen table” issues. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Texas’ dollars should not be put under the control of “woke” corporate boards.

So we asked, what do the folks around your kitchen table think?

More than 97 percent of respondents selected “Texas investment and incentive program monies should not go to woke companies” as their answer. Just 2.88 percent of readers selected “Government should set aside morality and invest dollars for the best return.”

Here’s a sampling of what hit my inbox…

• “Let’s take a step back here: Why is the government giving taxpayer dollars to ANY corporations? If government stays out of it, a state’s business climate will be favorable and corporations will come.” – Roxann Bilger
     
• “Get woke, go broke. I don’t spend my money with any woke corporation. My tax money shouldn’t be spent there either. Meanwhile, next year’s assessed values on my property are trying to go up yet again. Nothing spells ‘slave’ more than my property filling the government’s piggy bank.” – Corey Mayo

     

• “Of course Texas monies should not go to woke companies! But, sadly, the fact that this has to be asked signals a shift in Texas politics away from strongly conservative to something concerning.” – Cathy Blake
     
• “Speaker Phelan's comment on this, once again, shows he is out of touch with the Texans he pretends to serve.” – Fran Rhodes
     
• “Disinvesting in Disney is highly unlikely to cause any change in Disney policies, so it is just virtue signaling with no result other than depriving the state of income. Better to remain a shareholder and lobby for a change in corporate leadership.” – Jerry Harben
     
• “Since many of the activities championed by the far-left woke crowd are illegal, giving taxpayer money should be considered ‘aiding and abetting criminal activity.’” – Steve Sullivan
       
• “It’s unfathomable that protecting our children from perverts is even questionable. It should not be a matter of support; rather, it should be one of what level of prosecution should take place.” – James Sterling

      

• “Create a business-friendly environment with less regulations and lower taxes, and businesses will come without the hand outs. Woke companies don't have to listen to buyers because they are getting our money through woke government officials.” – Jim Hughes
   
• “We don’t need a Beto to turn Texas blue, we have Abbott and Phelan.” – Daryl Doucet
     
• “It’s always about the money. We must cut the head off of the snake; I don’t want taxpayer dollars going to any entity promoting un-American values. Stop pouring money into businesses and universities whose goal is to destroy our country.” – Steve Crevier
   
• “Dade Phelan shouldn't be setting the agenda for the Texas House. Period.” – Gene Cagle
     
• “It’s no surprise that Dade Phelan, pronounced ‘Fel-on,’ would side with those trying to destroy Texas and the U.S. as a whole.” – Zack Dunnam
     
• “I’ve never agreed with liberals who’ve pushed to starve companies of capital based on their morals. So while I’m not a fan of “woke” corporations, I don’t agree with conservatives heading down the same path of politicizing capital. However, I do believe that companies focused on political virtue signaling are likely destroying value for shareholders, which should be reason enough not to invest.” – Spencer Siino
    
• “Not only should taxpayer monies be not granted to perverted organizations, taxes should not be ‘invested’ in any business.  Taxes are to be used to properly reimburse our elected officials and prosecute justice – like securing our southern border.” – Carolyn Brent
      
• “Hey Dade Phelan, any and all issues that affect the innocence, morality, and livelihood of our children and future generations who actually sit at that kitchen table are kitchen table issues!” – LaFawn Thompson
     
• “This One Click Survey was easy. Since it is these ‘woke’ companies that are destroying our country from within, they definitely shouldn't be getting any taxpayer dollars to help them do it.” – David Demaree
     
• “While we are removing taxpayer dollars to woke corporations let us also stop spending our money with  woke corporations! I will not go to a Disney theme park, buy their products, or watch their movies, at this stage as I consider it too dangerous for my grandchildren!” – Cindy Kelly
     
• “No taxpayer money should go to woke corporations who scheme to work against our values as Texans. ” – Rick Perry
     
• “Unfortunately, the thieves in Austin don't really care what folks around my kitchen table think.” – Steve Nulf

Your Federal & State Lawmakers

The districts displayed here should reflect those recently redrawn by the Legislature. Though the new lines do not take representational effect until 2023, they will appear on the 2022 ballot. Please note that your incumbent legislator and/or district numbers may have changed.