Texas drops from 4th to 13th...

Good morning,

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

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And they’re off! The filing period for the Republican and Democratic 2020 election primaries ended yesterday.

At 3 p.m. today, Texas Scorecard’s managing editor Brandon Waltens will chat with Texans for Fiscal Responsibility's Cary Cheshire about the highlights, matchups, and takeaways from the candidate filings. Join them for the live video conversation on Empower Texans’ Facebook page [[link removed]].

No filing news will give you whiplash like House District 60. That’s the seat occupied by Republican Mike Lang, the chairman of what’s left of the Texas House Freedom Caucus. This summer he announced for re-election; nothing unusual there. A few weeks later he made the surprise announcement he was giving up the House seat and instead running for Hood County commissioner. Then, a few days after that—never mind!—he switched back to the state rep. race. Well, late yesterday afternoon he again switched to running for county commissioner—and tossing the race for representation of HD 60 into a bit of chaos.

Tony McDonald points out state law [[link removed]] provides a five-day extension of the filing deadline when an incumbent withdraws their candidacy late in the process. That means candidates wishing in run for HD 60 now have a few more days to enter the race.

A property tax election no one knows about? In a new commentary, real estate agent Chandler Crouch explains [[link removed]] how the current election for members of the Tarrant County Appraisal District takes place, who votes, and the important effect it has on all taxpayers.

The cultural and political “elites have learned nothing,” writes Rachel Bovard [[link removed]] of the Conservative Partnership Institute in a new commentary. The 2020 election is shaping up to be a referendum on who will rule: the people who cast their votes from all around the country... or the self-appointed demigods who are nothing if not appalled by anything resembling the popular will.

Contrary to some politicians’ self-congratulatory narratives, Texas has dropped from the 4th most pro-life state to the 13th... and that ranking came out before the GOP-controlled legislature’s “huge missed opportunities” in the 2019 session. “Is anyone proud of this trajectory?” asked Texas Right to Life’s John Seago on Twitter [[link removed]].

U.S. Rep. Ron Wright (R-Fort Worth) has introduced federal legislation banning “telemedicine” abortions. More details here [[link removed]]. ​

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​ In a bombshell revelation last week, the government-run real estate redevelopment project in Tarrant County—run by the son of Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger—announced it is running out of money and risks coming to a complete halt by the end of the year unless more funding is secured. Robert Montoya has the details [[link removed]].

Hold on to your wallet...

Yesterday’s Texas Minute featured a quick look at the men and women honored at the 2019 Conservative Leaders Gala. By popular request, we’ve uploaded to YouTube the nomination videos [[link removed]] honoring the award recipients. Number of the Day

83

Days until the March 3, 2020, primary elections. Early voting will begin Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020.

[Source: calendar; Texas Secretary of State]

Team Spotlight

Destin Sensky, Capitol Correspondent

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?

A: Visiting with honest, hard-working folks and grassroots leaders; hearing their stories.

Q: What’s the perfect Saturday?

A: My dog, Bowie. Something outdoors. Hiking, fishing, shooting, college football, or a baseball game. I'm also a big NASCAR fan, but race day is Sunday!

Quote-Unquote

“A man's rights rest in three boxes. The ballot box, jury box, and the cartridge box.”

– Frederick Douglass​

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PO Box 36875 | Houston, TX 77236 The Texas Minute is a quick look at the news and info of the day that we find interesting, and hope you do as well. It is produced on week days and distributed at 6 a.m. (though I'll probably take the occasional break for holidays and whatnot).

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