Good morning,

Sometimes silence says a lot, and says it loudly…

More on that in the Texas Minute for Thursday, May 5, 2022. 

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

But first… Today is the National Day of Prayer.

Midland College’s Vax Mandate… On High School Students

• In an email obtained by Texas Scorecard, Midland Independent School District informed parents that their high-schoolers will be required to receive one of the coronavirus vaccination regimens in order to participate in certain classes at the local community college. Jacob Asmussen has the details.
       
• “A waiver for the vaccination will not be accepted by Midland College,” read the MISD email.
      
• Midland College tells Texas Scorecard the COVID-19 vax is “a requirement of health science facilities” since some of the “health science programs use such sites for clinical rotations.” The college’s statement continues: “We are obligated to be compliant with the clinical site requirements. This will only affect the students who take health science courses that use such clinical sites.”
       
• Midland College joins other state taxpayer-funded universities, such as Texas A&M and UT-Tyler that have attempted to force the shots on students and employees. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently announced a formal legal opinion that public school districts likely cannot give certain favorable treatment to vaccinated employees. However, the guidelines on forced shots policies remain unclear since the Texas Legislature did not do anything to address the issue.

Interesting Silence…

• While GOP leaders like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and State Party Chairman Matt Rinaldi have offered comments on the pending Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan have declined. Brandon Waltens reports on their silence.
      

• The unprecedented leak of a draft of the Supreme Court’s majority opinion this week has sparked a lot of conversations – joy from pro-life advocates, and consternation from abortion promoters. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took to social media to say he hopes the court follows through and “returns the question of abortion where it belongs: the States.”
   

• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said if the decision does ultimately come to fruition, it is a “great day for life.”
     

• Yet Gov. Abbott and Speaker Phelan have refused to offer any comment. The governor’s Twitter feed has been active over the past few days, with posts ranging from the promotion of Travel and Tourism Week in Texas to a recognition of Teacher Appreciation Day. Curiously, there hasn’t been any mention of the abortion news dominating headlines. Neither Abbott nor Phelan responded Texas Scorecard’s request for comment.
      

• It is almost as if Gov. Abbott and Speaker Phelan are embarrassed by a pro-life law that was passed when no one thought Roe and Casey would be overturned…

Runoff Review: Gerdes Or Pape In HD 17?

• Sydnie Henry reviews the campaigns of Stan Gerdes and Paul Pape as they compete for the Republican nomination for Texas House District 17, a Central District seat covering Milam, Burleson, Lee, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties.
      
• A former staffer to Texas Governor Rick Perry, Gerdes also worked as a senior advisor for the Trump administration during Perry’s tenure as Secretary of Energy. After returning to Texas, Gerdes joined the Smithville City Council, with his term expiring in May. He has raised just under $200,000.
   
• Pape currently serves as the Bastrop County judge, with his term expiring this year. He is also chairman of the Capital Area Council of Governments. Pape’s campaign is mostly self-funded to the tune of $200,000. He’s supported by the outgoing HD 17 incumbent, John Cyrier.
      
• Regarding the controversial practice of Republicans allowing Democrats to chair committees in the House, Gerdes refused to answer the question in a candidate forum and declined to answer Texas Scorecard. Pape told Texas Scorecard that he would strongly prefer that only Republicans receive chairmanships.
   
• Check out the article to see where they stand on additional issues.
     
• In my experience, a candidate’s silence tells you a lot…

McKinney Mom Pushes For Better Education Choices

• Parents are always seeking out the best educational options for their children. Since COVID, reports Erin Anderson, more are opting out of public schools than ever before – and McKinney’s Serena Ashcroft decided to do something about it.
      
• “There’s never been more of a demand and need for options,” said Ashcroft, a mother of three and education advocate.
     
• The McKinney Independent School District’s enrollment is down by almost 1,000 students compared to pre-pandemic levels, even with new families moving to the fast-growing North Texas suburb. Some families have turned to homeschooling, while others are picking private schools.
     
• Ashcroft was an outspoken critic of McKinney ISD’s COVID closures—“It was clear as day we shouldn’t do virtual learning”—and mask mandates for students. She created a hybrid-model academy that blends homeschooling and private school education, called M.A.K.E. (McKinney Area Kids Education) Greatness Academy.

    

• She also continues to advocate for improving public schools; her two younger kids still attend McKinney ISD schools. But she says no single situation is the best choice for every family.

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.