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Good morning,

With Florida taking action against Disney, yesterday we asked what – if any – action Texas lawmakers should take on corporate welfare. Find out what was said at the end of today’s Texas Minute.

Today is Wednesday, April 27, 2022.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

UPFRONT: Yesterday’s Texas Minute had a typo. Elisa Chan and Mark Dorazio are in a runoff for the Republican nomination in House District 122 (the “1” was missing). I apologize for the error!

Texas Library Association Hosts CRT Speaker

The Texas Library Association kicked off its annual conference on Monday with drag queens, then continued Tuesday with a keynote from “Critical Race Theory’s Chief Marketing Officer” Ibram X. Kendi. Get the story from Sydnie Henry [[link removed]].

Kendi authored “How to Be an AntiRacist,” which skyrocketed in sales following the 2020. His latest books, “How to Raise an Antiracist” and “Goodnight Racism,” will hit shelves across the country in June to “construct a new world.”

Although Texas lawmakers passed legislation prohibiting teachers from using materials based in CRT and instituting a new civics training program for educators, the wording is vague and the legislation lacks a solid enforcement mechanism.

And yet, Texas taxpayers are subsidizing their local librarians’ attendance at the TLA conference in the taxpayer-owned Fort Worth Convention Center, where those librarians are railing against book challenges from parents and celebrating transgenderism in children, all while listening to Kendi spout CRT.

Federal Appeals Court Delivers ‘Big Win’ For Pro-Life Law The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday to “dismiss all challenges” to the private enforcement mechanism of Texas’ life-saving Heartbeat Act. Jacob Asmussen has the story [[link removed]].

For context: The Heartbeat Act, enacted last year and hailed by state lawmakers as the monumental pro-life win of 2021, prohibits an individual in Texas from killing a pre-born child after the baby’s heartbeat is detected. Importantly, the Heartbeat Act is also unique in its enforcement; it empowers citizens, not government officials, to sue abortion facilities and anyone assisting in the execution of a heartbeat-detected child.

Mark Lee Dickson, a prominent pro-life activist who was a target of abortionists’ lawsuits, tweeted that the ruling marked “a huge win for the State of Texas… and unborn babies with detectable heartbeats!” $16 Billion In New Property Tax Debt More than 100 local school districts have put a combined $16 billion in property tax-backed debt on the May 7 ballot. Erin Anderson has the details [[link removed]]. Lowering Your Tax Bill By Fighting It This month, appraisal districts across the state began notifying Texans about their home’s updated yearly appraisal value. Now, in addition to battling rising grocery costs and high gas prices, Texas residents face continually skyrocketing property tax bills.

Katy Drollinger explains [[link removed]] the process for protesting your property appraisals.

It is, after all, your right as a Texan. Border Security: Federal Judge Blocks Biden A federal judge has stopped the Biden administration from discarding the Title 42 immigration rule, reports Jacob Asmussen [[link removed]]. This is the rule enacted by the Trump administration in March 2020 authorizing federal officials to block immigrants and products at the border in an effort to limit the spread of communicable diseases.

“[Biden’s] goal is simple: get as many illegals in this country as fast as possible without any concern for the potential criminal or terrorist background of those crossing the border,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton [[link removed]]. “This is allowing the cartels to maximize their profits and their effectiveness. Biden cannot make such sweeping decisions without going through the process required by federal law.” Support Texas Scorecard?

Will you make a special contribution supporting the mission and work of Texas Scorecard? Since we don’t take government grants or corporate sponsorships, your tax-deductible support ensures we don’t have to put our content behind a paywall!

$6 [[link removed]] $18.36 [[link removed]] Other [[link removed]] Number of the Day

$146,298,078,342

Total principal and interest owed by Texas school districts in Fiscal Year 2021.

[Source: Texas Bond Review Board]

Today in History

On April 27, 1773, the Tea Act was passed by Parliament in an attempt to save the dying East India Company by giving it a monopoly on the tea trade in the American colonies. The measure inflamed the already independence-minded Americans, leading to the Boston Tea Party in December 1773.

Quote-Unquote

“Shame on the men who can court exemption from present trouble and expense at the price of their own posterity's liberty!”

– Samuel Adams​

Y’All Answered

Florida lawmakers took action against Disney last week, ending a special district that allowed the company to bypass the rules, regulations, and taxes applied to other – less politically connected – companies in the state. So yesterday, we asked readers what Texas should do when companies subsidized by our tax dollars take political and/or social positions out of step with Texans’ values.

Just under 80% of readers answered, “Just end all corporate welfare.” Another 19.48% answered, “If companies take our money, they need to share our values,” while 0.6% said, “We shouldn’t care about a company’s politics.”

Here’s a sampling from my inbox…

“I'm so sick of all the financial breaks these companies get! Here's a light bulb thought...how about giving tax breaks/incentives/subsidies to the CITIZENS OF TEXAS?” – Mary Philio

“Gone are the days when Texas had to attract large corporations to relocate to Texas. The corporate incentives should be a business-friendly environment, a skilled workforce and a warm climate.” – Thomas Camardo

“I used to work in economic development, so I know the good that can come from bribing a company to open in an area that really needs the jobs. That said, too often the money goes to big companies that would have moved here anyway.” – B.D. Marshall

“I believe in capitalism. However, when some are given unfair advantages, it becomes corrupt cronyism. The equality of capitalism is what gives it honor. All participants should have the same starting line. The practice of corporate welfare kills small businesses that are competing in the same field.” – Phil McMillan

“These corporations that take our money need to remember the saying: ‘He who pays the piper calls the tunes.’” – Rowland Greenwade

“I don’t want anyone, especially a company, trying to change Texas’ high values. Don’t California my Texas!” – Dawn Gertenberger

“Corporate welfare is one of the reasons our society has reached this dismal point. Forcing taxpayers to support anti-American deviant entities has helped to fund the globalist corporatism one-world government agenda. That also applies to local government taxes funding billionaire's sports stadiums in the city of Arlington.” – David Clark

“It is not the government’s job to pick the winners and losers. Let the free market determine who stays in business. This is not only true for corporations, but individuals.” – Greg Reinhart

“Government is there to provide primarily for the common defense. All subsidies to any business are egregious, foolish, and unfair. The practice should never have gotten started, so it should be eliminated as soon as possible. Yesterday is not soon enough.” – Roger Taylor

“Create a business-friendly environment with less regulations and lower taxes, and business will come without the handouts.” – Jim Hughes

“If a company needs a handout to come to Texas, we don't need 'em here. There's too many other reasons to be in Texas than to hold out for a bribe.” – Arthur Potter

“Companies and businesses need to mind they’re own business and stay out of politics. If they step out of line like Disney, they need to be cut off, plain and simple.” – Jon Reynolds Update Your Subscription & Information [[link removed]]

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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.

U.S. Senator [[link removed]]

John Cornyn (R)

(202) 224-2934

U.S. Senator [[link removed]]

Ted Cruz (R)

(202) 224-5922

Governor of Texas [[link removed]]

Greg Abbott (R)

(512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor [[link removed]]

Dan Patrick (R)

(512) 463-0001

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Speaker of the Texas House

Dade Phelan (R)

(512) 463-1000

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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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