Good morning –

Going grocery shopping today? What would you do if a bunch of drag queens were entertaining the kids while you were there…? 

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday, July 14, 2022.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Scorecard has several positions now available in our Central Texas HQ – including staff writers and a bookkeeper.

Cruz Blasts DEMs On Abortion

• Following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v Wade and putting the question of abortion closer to the people, Democrats and left-wing activists are attempting to undermine the court.
     

• Speaking in Washington, D.C., this week at a meeting of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz took those Democrats to task. Emily Wilkerson has the story.

      
• “Today’s Democratic Party is afraid of the voters on this issue,” said Cruz. “What the Supreme Court has done is return this deeply personal, deeply important, deeply contentious issues to the voters—to let the American people decide.”

H-E-B Pushes Drag Shows & LGBT Agenda

• Texas-based grocery store giant H-E-B keeps getting a pass for the hard-left political activities of its billionaire tycoon, Charles Butt. As Sebastian Castro reports, this has emboldened the company this summer to now sponsor drag shows and LGBT “pride” events.
      
• For his part, Charles Butt has long worked against parents and has bankrolled efforts to undermine parental rights in Texas. Not surprisingly, he also bankrolls various Republicans – like House Speaker Dade Phelan – as part of his leftwing agenda.
      
• And conservatives wonder why legislative priorities aren’t accomplished in Texas…

What Will GOP Lawmakers Do With Massive Surplus?

• Later today, Comptroller Glenn Hegar is expected to announce a massive revenue surplus. Jacob Asmussen explores what the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature could do with the money.
      
• If you think lawmakers should give it back to the taxpayers, you should start talking to them now.

Parents Force Out Another Leftist Administrator

• The growing parental engagement movement around the state has forced yet another sketchy school administrator out the door – this time in Victoria. Erin Anderson reports the district’s deputy superintendent Michael Kuhrt resigned less than two weeks after he was hired, citing “overwhelming negative and defamatory social media unrest.”
     
• TRANSLATION: Michael Kuhrt didn’t like parents talking about his previous job performance and “history of betraying the taxpayer.”
     
• He shouldn’t have been surprised. Kuhrt resigned as superintendent of Wichita Falls Independent School District in April amid backlash over controversial staff cuts and the district’s projected budget deficit.
     
• “Kuhrt may have resigned, but the fight’s not over,” said Jaycob Garcia, a local resident and conservative activist. “The fact he was hired in the first place is indicative of the problems plaguing VISD.”
     
• Do you know what kind of people are staffing your school district’s administrative building? Are you sure?

Parents In Magnolia Force Textbook Discussion

• Meanwhile, parents in Magnolia – a Houston suburb – are forcing the school district to reconsider its use of a highly controversial health textbook. Sydnie Henry has the update.
   
• Even though the State Board of Education approved the Goodheart-Willcox textbook, parents have objected to the embedded gender ideology, social justice activism, and use of the term “pregnant person.”
     
• Neighboring Tomball ISD already rejected the Goodheart-Willcox health text due to parental concerns with the content.
     
• School boards across the state will be voting on whether or not to adopt the Goodheart-Willcox text within the next month. Concerned parents should contact their school board to register an opinion. 

Scorecard Is Hiring!

• Texas Scorecard is looking for fact-driven journalists interested in writing citizen-focused news stories that shine a spotlight on what’s happening in Texas, from the panhandle to the border. These are full-time positions based in Central Texas.
       

• Scorecard is also looking to hire a full-time bookkeeper based in our central Texas headquarters.

Watchmen & Fellows

• Our friends at the Texas Home School Coalition are now accepting applications for their Watchmen program at the Texas Capitol. Among other things, the role of a THSC Watchman is to track bills filed in the Texas Legislature and analyze them for content that affects Texas families and homeschoolers. Application deadline is August 14.
       
• Also… applications are still being accepted for Texas Scorecard’s fall 2022 Fellowship program. We are now taking applications for the spring and summer 2023 courses.

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.