Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

– Brandon Waltens 

‘Child-friendly’ Drag Show at Dallas Gay Bar Prompts State Lawmaker to Act

• As footage from a Dallas gay bar’s “Drag the Kids to Pride” event swept across social media this past weekend, State Rep. Bryan Slaton announced his plans Monday to “file legislation protecting kids from drag shows and other inappropriate displays as soon as the next legislative session begins.” Sydnie Henry has the details.
   
• The drag queen show at Mr. Misster’s bar and club was marketed to families as part of a celebration of pride month. However, as scantily clad drag queens danced provocatively up the aisle in front a large sign that read “It’s not gonna lick itself,” they accepted dollar bills from clapping children seated at the bar.
   

• "As a father of two young children, I would never take my children to a drag show. And I know Speaker Dade Phelan and the rest of my Republican colleagues wouldn’t either. Protecting our own children isn’t enough, and our responsibility as lawmakers extends to the sexualization that is happening across Texas.” –State Rep. Bryan Slaton
   

• Meanwhile, outside of the bar, concerned parents and community members protested the event and were met with vitriol and assaulted by counter-protestors. One drag queen interviewed after the event said he hopes the event will inspire more children to participate in drag.
   

• Pro-family organization American Principles Project - Texas responded to the event, stating, “This didn’t happen in California. It didn’t happen in Portland, Oregon. It happened right here in the state of Texas. The question: What are our state’s 'Republican' leaders going to do about it?”

Could Texas House Confiscate Guns?

• Following the tragic shooting at a Uvalde elementary school two weeks ago, Gov. Greg Abbott requested that leaders of the state Legislature create special committees charged with developing recommendations on “school safety, mental health, social media, police training, firearm safety, and more.”
   

• Last Friday, House Speaker Dade Phelan responded by forming the Texas House Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting to “conduct an examination into the circumstances” surrounding the tragedy.
   

• The committee will be made up of only two members of the House: Republican State Rep. Dustin Burrows (Lubbock) and Democrat State Rep. Joe Moody (El Paso). Former Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman will also be involved in the investigation.
   

• Moody’s placement on the committee could raise alarms for gun rights advocates, as he has been an outspoken advocate of “red flag” gun confiscation proposals.
   

• Moody has previously filed legislation that would have allowed courts to confiscate Texans’ guns without notice or a hearing, and extend such an order for up to two years without giving the accused a right to a jury or a right of appeal. Such “red flag” proposals are in opposition to the Republican Party of Texas’ platform.
   

• Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi called Moody’s placement on the committee “indefensible.”

Sen. Bob Hall on Increasing School Safety

• In a new commentary, State Sen. Bob Hall says when it comes to the Uvalde shooting, it is important to know all the facts before rushing to support legislation.
   

• We are all grieving with the families who lost loved ones in the Uvalde shooting. Such horror does not fade overnight.
   

• "A rush to a legislative solution could very well result in making future incidents even worse. We must never forget that not all of society’s problems can be solved with legislation." –State Sen. Bob Hall

Facing Pressure, Abbott Donates to Texas GOP Convention

• Gov. Greg Abbott will be sponsoring the Republican Party of Texas Convention after all, following intense pressure from grassroots after it was reported that he would not be supporting the event.
   

• Every election year, thousands of delegates at the Texas GOP convention vote on the party’s legislative priorities, tweak the party platform, and elect party leadership. Mixed into the business are speeches from statewide elected officials to inspire and rally the party base heading into the November election. Traditionally, the event is financially sponsored in part by those same elected officials.
   

• However, last week the party revealed that Abbott had so far declined to speak or sponsor the convention. Now, he appears to be doing an about-face, with the party saying he decided to donate after all.
   

• It is not yet known whether he will speak during the convention, or how large the contribution is, though Texas Scorecard will report when available.

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.