Good morning, 

Our series on Chinese ownership of Texas land introduces a new way to think about food insecurity… And the crisis at the southern border is about to get a lot worse.

Here is the Texas Minute for Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Conservative Leader Awards!

• Each year, Texas Scorecard is pleased to host the Conservative Leader Awards dinner the first Saturday in December. Early-bird tickets are on sale now for the Dec. 3 event to be held in Irving.
      
• The Conservative Leader Awards recognize grassroots activists – not officeholders or politicians – who do the daily work of building real relationships in their communities, while inviting others to join the cause of expanding liberty for all Texans. These can be people you know in a civic club, community group, or other organizations.
      
• NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! Use the form on our website to nominate a citizen-leader from your neighborhood or community.

Biden Officially Ends ‘Remain In Mexico’ Policy

• The situation on Texas’ southern border is about to get a lot worse.
   
• Following a decision by the Supreme Court, the Biden administration announced this week a formal end to the Trump “remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers and others waiting for hearings to legally enter the country. Emily Wilkerson has the details.
    
• Under Trump’s policy, approximately 70,000 migrants were sent back to Mexico to await their hearings. From December 2021 to early July, the number of migrants sent back to Mexico decreased to only 5,800.
     
• “Joe Biden has officially put an end to the final Trump-era policy that helped stop illegal immigration. He’s made it clear our borders are open for business, and he doesn’t care how it impacts our communities.” – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton 

Timeline Of The Border Invasion

• Illegal border crossings have spiked dramatically under the policies of President Joe Biden. Juliana Berg looks at the timeline of Texas’ response, starting with the launch of Operation Lone Star in March 2021.

Citizens Want Big Changes At Appraisal District

• Protesters have been wanting “heads to roll” at the Tarrant Appraisal District after senior employees were caught harassing a private citizen who helped residents lower their property tax bills. Erin Anderson explains what might end up happening when the district board meets on Friday.

More Investigations Into Embattled School District

• Both the Texas Education Agency and the Travis County Sheriff’s Department have investigations going on in Round Rock Independent School District, reports Sydnie Henry.
     

• For more than a year, Central Texas’ Round Rock ISD has been the center of controversy, from a superintendent’s personal and professional misconduct to a school board majority intent on protecting him over their students. The district has been rocked by allegations of coverups, illegal tax hikes, and abuse of authority.

      
• Just because you live in a “safe” and “suburban” school district doesn’t mean it doesn’t have really big problems. Parents and taxpayers should pay careful attention.

🇨🇳 A Food Chokepoint

• Our series continues on the Communist Chinese government’s infiltration of Texas, and what it means for Texans. This week, the Scorecard Investigations Team is looking at China’s ownership of Texas land: the security risks it poses, including one aimed at our food supply. Robert Montoya and Emily Wilkerson compiled this latest entry in the series.
      

• With an ongoing military conflict in eastern Europe, the need to be agriculturally independent is gaining deserved attention. As is the case with the energy industry, foreign companies and individuals have spent the last two decades amassing control over Texas’ agricultural lands and food processing capabilities.

     
• Each time, of course, the sales and acquisitions have been made only with the bottom line, not security concerns, as the most relevant question. This bothers Texas’ Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller: “It’s just crazy. Why do we do that? Are we just, I guess, greedy, maybe?”
      

• During a special session in August 2021, State Rep. James White (R-Woodville) filed legislation that would have “[prohibited] any foreign individual, government, or business from purchasing or acquiring a title to agricultural land in the State of Texas.”

     
• “When it comes to agriculture, some states have already done this,” White told Texas Scorecard. He said not only is this a “national security issue,” but it also hurts the next generation of Texans. “You’re talking about the Chinese Communist Party. They have the wealth of an entire country to bid up these property prices. Young farmers graduating out of A&M or Tarleton State, they can’t compete financially.”
     
• State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) – who chairs the Senate’s Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs – has been asked to address the problem. Commissioner Miller said Perry has flat-out refused. (Perry’s office was asked to comment, but they have chosen not to do so.)
     
• Among others, Texas Republican U.S. Reps. Ronnie Jackson, Lance Gooden, and Chip Roy have all been pushing to limit foreign ownership of land at the federal level.
     
• “The Chinese ownership of land in this nation is very scary to me.” — U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden

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.