Good morning!

We received a LOT of responses to yesterday’s One Click Survey. You’ll find those results, and a sampling from my overflowing inbox, at the conclusion of the Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Wednesday, August 31, 2022 

South Texas Rancher: Border ‘Out of Control’

• South Texas rancher Cole Hill called on members of the Texas Senate to expand Operation Lone Star and halt the ongoing invasion. Sydnie Henry has the story.
      

• Hill and his wife are raising three children with 8,000 acres of backyard, but the kids can’t even play outside because of the threat posed by illegal aliens.
        

• “My wife and children cannot—do not—go outside anymore if I’m not with them. My three little kids used to ride around the ranch on the mule, on our side by side, they bring me lunch or whatever. They can’t do that anymore,” said Hill. “They can’t go anywhere without any kind of supervision.”

       
• He explained they aren’t even safe at home, because when he’s out on the property working, illegals have attempted to enter the house with his wife and children inside.

Prosper Parents Furious Over Sex Abuse Cover-Up

• Parents in Prosper Independent School District are furious over revelations not only that two girls were sexually abused by a district employee, but also that school officials tried to cover it up. Erin Anderson has a report from the Prosper ISD school board meeting. 
      
• One mom described the “broken trust” parents feel, while another demanded the resignation of the superintendent. “Everyone who knew and didn’t take any action to keep our kids safe must also resign,” said Christian Rivera to loud applause from the capacity crowd.
      
• Despite community outrage, school board members said they have “confidence” Superintendent Holly Ferguson and other administrators handled the situation appropriately, but added that an independent investigation is “ongoing.”
      
• This was the first school board meeting since news broke late last week about a bus driver who molested two sisters, ages 5 and 7 at the time, more than 100 times over the course of the last school year. Prosper parents are furious the news reports were the first they heard about their children’s possible exposure to a molester who was identified and arrested months ago.
     
• Parents whose children were in daily contact with the alleged molester say they were never notified about the arrest.
      
• “Prosper ISD has a long history of trying to sweep things under the rug,” said Holly Draper, who asked the board to identify who was conducting the investigation and commit to making the results public. “That culture must be changed.”

Parler CEO Slams Big Tech Censorship

• In an interview with Chris Salcedo on The Salcedo Storm Podcast, Parler CEO George Farmer slammed social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for censoring free speech. Katy Drollinger has the details.
      
• A conservative social media company, Parler faced opposition from Big Tech in 2021 when Amazon, Apple, and Google teamed up to remove it from their app stores after also banning several conservative users, including former President Donald Trump. Farmer criticized these social media companies for censoring differing opinions and urged people to turn away from traditional platforms. (Listen to the full interview.)
      
• “What’s very, very dangerous … is the way that Big Tech is now trying to get into the lobby and to try and craft the legislation that will police itself. Big Tech now has more lobbyists than healthcare. It has the most lobbyists, I believe, out of any industry. … This is very dangerous. They’re trying to craft the legislation that is going to be used to police themselves.” – George Farmer
     
• You can catch The Salcedo Storm podcast every weekday on Texas Scorecard’s website or anywhere you listen to podcasts!

Austin Voters To Consider $3 Billion In New Debt

• Austin Independent School District and the Austin City Council are collectively asking voters to approve nearly $3 billion in new debt. Adam Cahn has the details.
      
• The largest portion of that is Austin ISD’s $2.4 billion bond proposal for “facilities upgrades” at district campuses, despite long-term decline in academic performance and district enrollment.
      
• Not to be overlooked, however, the Austin City Council is asking for $350 million (plus interest) in new debt for so-called “affordable housing.” This follows $250 million in 2018 and $300 million in 2020 that failed to solve the city’s housing challenges. Some have suggested the proposed bond could be an act of patronage for labor unions with close ties to city hall.

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Y’All Answered

Late last week, a state representative found that Texas’ publicly funded medical schools were teaching “gender transition” procedures on minors that include both hormonal and surgical techniques. We asked readers if medical schools in Texas should be allowed to teach “child gender transition” procedures.

Overwhelmingly, readers responded negatively – 98.9 percent opposed to medical schools offering such instruction, and the remaining 1.1 percent believe it should be allowed. 

Here’s a sampling of the comments we received… 

• “As a physician of 40 years, this is an example of academic medicine run amok.” – J. Campbell, M.D.
     

• “Texas medical students will not be able to qualify for licenses in other states if they are not trained in the procedures of their specialty, including gender modification and abortion. That doesn't mean we have to permit these procedures in Texas, but yes, students should receive the training.” – Jerry Harben
     

• “First they come for your old, and then they come for your babies. Evil surrounds us.” – Kathy Lane
     

• “Child molesters and rapists are among the most reprehensible there are; the people who push this agenda are no different. They should be dealt with accordingly.” – Ken Bintliff
      

• “So called ‘Child Gender Transition’ is absolutely EVIL and must be stopped!” – Mary Matthews
     

• “You can’t drink until you’re 21. You shouldn’t be able to physically alter your body surgically or chemically until at least 21. That way at least you have gone through puberty and matured enough to make your own decision and not be forced to be informed by someone else as to who or what you are.” – Garry Ludwig
      

• “Anyone involved in performing or allowing child gender transition should be charged, convicted, and jailed just like any other case of child abuse.” – Ron Thompson
      

• “God assigns our gender. No mere mortal should be allowed to act as a god and alter that. Anyone teaching child gender modification obviously thinks they are a god.” – Harry Hingst
      

• “Maybe the Med schools should require neutering of those idiots that try to act like God!” – Larry Gremminger
     

• “It is absolutely unforgivable what we are doing to our kids with all this sexual mutilation and extreme sexualization of young people.” – Nancy Wood
     

• “These gender affirmations and procedures violate the laws of nature! Your gender is affirmed by God at birth!” – John Cavenah
      

• “Whatever happened to the idea of ‘above all else, do no harm’? I would think castration of a child before puberty would fit in that category.” – Steve Sullivan
      

• “Perhaps they should teach the Hippocratic Oath instead: ‘... apply... all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.’” – Thomas Camardo
      

• “‘Gender transition’ is the next logical step from abortion itself. Man taking the place of God as controller of nature. The slide to depravity is seeking a new low.” – Arthur Potter

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.