Good morning –

Should GOP members of the Texas House be concerned with just how out-of-step the House Speaker is with Republican primary voters?

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday, May 12, 2022.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

SPECIAL REPORT: Democrats’ Web Of Corruption

• Months of document requests and interviews by Texas Scorecard’s investigative team reveal a spider web of power – and corruption – in Democrat-dominated Harris County. Robert Montoya has the details in an explosive – and extensive – report.
       
• The power structure in Texas’ most populous – and of late, scandal-plagued – county doesn’t look like a pyramid scheme or a monarchy. Charles Blain of Urban Reform describes it as a spider’s web of relationships, with Democrat County Commissioner (and former state senator) Rodney Ellis at the center of it all.

Texas Republicans Oppose Giving Tax Dollars to Disney

• A new poll finds Republican voters agree with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s proposal to end funds for the woke corporation. Brandon Waltens has the story.
      
• The poll, performed by CWS Research and commissioned by the Defend Liberty PAC, comes on the heels of a schism between the leaders of the Texas House and Senate on the issue.
      
• “Cut off the Disney Channel. Cancel your park trip or your cruise if one is planned. If you own Disney stock, sell it. … And spread these videos to your friends. People must see what has been going on behind the Mickey curtain,” said Patrick last month.
       
• House Speaker Dade Phelan rejected Patrick’s proposal in a speech shortly after, saying the House would be focused on “serious kitchen table issues” and lamenting the fact that his niece, who works for Disney, could be unemployed.
    
• The poll finds 71 percent of Republican voters in agreement with Lt. Gov. Patrick.
     
• Republican members of the Texas House might want to consider what it means for their speaker to be so out of touch with Republican primary voters…

Some Presidential Speculation

• The same poll shows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis enjoying strong popularity in Texas with GOP primary voters.
   
• Fifty-six percent of those polled said they would support DeSantis for president if Donald Trump does not run. That is an 8-point bump from just a month ago.

Stogner For Beto

• A candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission gave money to Robert “Beto” O’Rourke in his 2018 bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. That shouldn’t be surprising… except that candidate is Sarah Stogner, a Republican. She is seeking the GOP nomination in the May 24 runoff against incumbent Wayne Christian.
        
• Kind of says it all, doesn’t it?

Runoff Preview: Chabot And Frazier In HD 61

• Sydnie Henry reviews the campaigns of Paul Chabot and Frederick Frazier, who are competing to represent part of Collin County in the Texas House.
      
• Paul Chabot is a veteran, retired deputy sheriff, and founder of multiple real estate businesses. He is active in local politics as the founder of McKinney Conservatives, the Keep Texas Red Super PAC, and the Coalition for a Drug Free Texas. Chabot has received the endorsements of Texas Right to Life, Texas Values Action, and the Texas Home School Coalition, among others.
       
• Frederick Frazier is a Dallas police officer, former special deputy U.S. marshal, and former McKinney City Councilman. He chairs the Dallas Police Association PAC and has been actively lobbying in Austin for law enforcement priorities. He has been endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump, as well as the Associated Republicans of Texas, Texans for Responsible Government, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, and the Texas Farm Bureau.
       
• Check out the article to see answers (or, in Frazier’s case, unwillingness to answer) on big issues.

School District Electioneering Under Review

• The Texas Education Agency has announced that it has opened an investigation into allegations that Northside ISD officials in Bexar County were pressuring employees to vote for $992 million in bonds. Such actions are illegal under state law. Erin Anderson has the details.

LGBT Mural Sparks Conflict 

• A recent public mural in Georgetown not only promotes hazardous sexual behaviors, but as Sydnie Henry reports, it has sparked allegations of discrimination against a local church when its pastor spoke out against the artwork. 
      
• Every year, Georgetown Independent School District partners with the City of Georgetown’s Arts and Culture Board to give students the chance to pitch ideas for a mural on the side of a building in the historic town square. This year’s mural features the “transgender” flag. Not everyone in the community was thrilled with the school district’s and city’s decision.
      
• “To me, this is a political statement,” said Georgetown City Councilman Kevin Pitts at last month’s meeting. “We should not be putting up art like this in our city; this is divisive.”
       
• Pastor Brad Helgerson of Georgetown’s Church on the Square also spoke against the artwork. 
      
• “Deny gravity by jumping off a high-rise building, and the consequences are immediate,” said Helgerson. “But if you deny biological gender, the consequent consequences may be delayed, but they will be no less tragic.”
       
• Following the pastor’s public condemnation of the mural, his church received notice they would no longer be allowed to meet at the Georgetown Palace Theater. Helgerson believes the termination of the lease amounts to “retaliation” for his comments.

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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.