Good morning, 

As it turns out, readers have some very strong opinions about Republican Dade Phelan’s work as House Speaker… But first, disturbing revelations about a school district and a church sexualizing kids and encouraging secrets from parents.

Here is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Fails To Protect James

• The internationally known child abuse case of Dallas-area boy James Younger is getting worse. This is the boy whose mother told him he was a girl and wants to force him (against his father’s wishes) to take sterilizing puberty blocker and cross-sex hormone drugs and eventually be castrated. Now, reports Sydnie Henry, a Dallas County judge has ruled the boy’s mother can move him anywhere in the continental U.S. without his father’s approval.
      
• James’ mother, Ann Georgulas, already stated in court hearings that she wants to move to California, where no court or law would stop her from mutilating James’ appearance into that of a girl.
      
• “This is directly the fault of the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature,” said the boy’s father, Jeff Younger. “It has failed to enact laws to protect children, and it has failed its constitutional duty to check and balance an out-of-control judiciary.”
      
• Although Texas’ Department of Family Protective Services has said surgical procedures mutilating children’s bodies are abuse, they refused to take a position on chemical castration, which is the far more common method of gender “reassignment” in minors.

Lewisville ISD Promotes ‘Queer Sex Ed’ For Children

• The Counseling Services program at Lewisville ISD is providing students with access to graphic “sex ed” for homosexual behaviors. Katy Drollinger reports the district is coordinating efforts with leftwing entities like PFLAG and Youth First Texas, which push highly sexualized content.
       
• Youth First Texas, for example, offers a weekly Queer Identity Night where children ages 12 to 18 meet with “transgender adult mentors.”
      
• Students also have access to “Q Chat Space,” a chat-based live discussion group for individuals 13 to 19 in age. The chat website features an array of highly sexualized content. A “quick escape” bar is present on every Q Chat Space webpage which, if clicked, switches the screen to the Google homepage so teens can hide their participation in the group from their parents.
     
• All these adult-run organizations seem VERY quick to collect lots of graphic and personal data from confused MINORS, and then encourage secrecy from parents… Isn’t there a word for that… Starts with a “G,” maybe?

Katy ‘Church’ Helps Children Cross-Dress In Secret From Parents

• A “church” in Katy has opened a clothes closet so kids and teens can acquire clothes that they can use to display a different gender – all without parental knowledge. Soli Rice has the story, originating from the investigative work of Tayler Hansen and the Texas Family Project. 
      
• The staff at the closet explained to Hansen that First Christian Church in Katy designed their boutique in a way that keeps parents uninformed, even going as far as using bags from Home Goods so that children can return home with their cross-dressing clothes bagged to be completely unsuspected.
    
• When church staff realized Hansen was videoing his conversation with them, they had security escort him from the premises. Responding to the story on social media, one person wrote: “This is straight up grooming.”
      
• Ahh, yes, “grooming” – that’s the word.

Plano ISD Wants $1.5 Billion In New Debt

• Despite declining enrollment, the school district wants voters to approve a property tax increase along with $1.5 billion in new debt this November. Erin Anderson has the details.
     
• The new debt package totals nearly as much as the district’s last five bond issues, combined.
   
• Plano’s student enrollment has declined by 10 percent since 2016, from more than 54,000 to about 49,000 in 2022, and the district is projected to lose another 2,000 students by 2027. Meanwhile, the district’s accountability rating from the state has also declined.
      
• Only in government schools does declining enrollment have to mean higher taxes and bigger spending…

FINAL DAYS TO NOMINATE A LEADER! 

• This is the last week to nominate someone to receive the Conservative Leader Award! We don’t recognize politicians with baubles and awards at the annual CLA, instead we honor grassroots activists who are making a difference in their communities and spheres of influence. (See the previous recipients of the engraved cavalry swords.)
     
• To nominate someone for consideration, please complete the nomination form by 5 p.m. on September 30, 2022. The awards will be presented on Dec. 3 in Irving.
      
• Don’t forget to get your tickets to the Conservative Leader Awards dinner while the “early bird” pricing is still in effect!

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Y’All Answered

Yesterday’s Texas Minute noted how Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) went to a liberal media outlet’s fundraiser this weekend and spoke dismissively of grassroots concerns about election security. We asked if readers thought Republican lawmakers should allow him to continue serving in that role.

More than 98 percent of respondents want Phelan removed as the speaker, while 1.3 percent are OK with him keeping the job for another term.

Here’s just a sample of the flood of responses in my inbox.

• “Dade Phelan is an undocumented Democrat.” – Madeleine Myers
     

• “Speaker Phelan has proved over and over that he does not speak for conservative Republicans! I hope he will be replaced promptly, but by someone who is not a Rino.” – Cathy Blake
     

• “With ‘friends’ like Dade Phelan, who needs enemies?” – Dennis Hill
     

• “If Speaker Phelan really believes the 2020 election did not have significant fraud then he should sponsor legislation that would once again make our electoral process open to the public. ... The only aspect of the election that should be secret is the marking of the secret ballot by each individual voter.” – Kurt Hyde
      

• “You are wrong. Election security is a fake issue for the nut cases obsessed with the loss of the White House in a fair election.” – Edward Lowenberg
      

• “Various sources published plenty of evidence of election fraud that took place 2020. Anyone who dismisses the idea that such fraud happened is either willfully ignorant or lying about it. In no way does such person deserve to hold public office, much less a position of higher authority.” – Rick Mayforth
      

• “Without the unanimous support of the House Democrats, Phelan would just be another unknown Republican back bencher.  However, as Speaker, he is the Texas equivalent of Liz Cheney, and should be replaced at the next session of the Legislature.” – Rowland Greenwade
      

• “Unfortunately, Dade Phelan appears to be a Democrat in Republican’s clothing. At a fundraiser for Texas Tribune? Asserts there was no election fraud in 2020? He goes against everything his party feels is important - please, no more Phelan as Texas Speaker!” – Andra Haney
      

• “I started saying Phelan should be replaced last January.” – Gary Hunt
     

• “As one who led rallies and protests and campaigns against Speaker Straus...and Speaker Bonnen...and now Speaker Phelan...I recognize we must continue the fight, but I wonder if the Reps voting for these yahoos aren't better targets. I betcha if they're disloyal enough to vote for Phelan, there are plenty of other skeletons in their closets we can expose.” – Julie McCarty
      

• “Phelan is just one of the reasons I do not contribute to the Republican Party any longer.  He needs to be drummed out of the legislature and those that vote for him as speaker need to go out with him.” – Bill Calvert
      

• “Phelan is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and I’ve been saying this for a long time!  He is not a conservative Republican!” – Donna de Socarraz
      

• “The Texas GOP must adopt rules that ensure the Republican majority selects the House Speaker, not Democrats. Moreover, in a Republican dominated legislature, Democrats should not chair legislative committees.” – Don Estes
      

• “Dade is a Democrat posing as a Republican.  He should never have been handed the reigns of power. Sack him now.” – Randy Hartman
      

• “Dade Phelan should not be re-elected as Speaker, not only because of his ignorant statement about the 2020 election, but because he has repeatedly demonstrated a complete disregard of the Republican Party of Texas’ legislative priorities and for the very people he was elected to SERVE.” – Jeff Kroyer
      

• “Phelan's claim that the 2020 election wasn't stolen and that there is no evidence that it was – just shows that he is a full-blown liar.” – Alice Jordan
      

• “Phelan should be the litmus test for any candidate.  If the candidate voted for or states he/she will vote for or support Phelan to remain Speaker, then don't vote for that candidate.” – Jason Kerr
     

• “He’s Dade Fail 'em. It's all in the name!” – Jay Westfall
      

• “I have had grave concerns about Dade Phelan for a very long time... and I am from his district.  In my opinion he has never espoused true conservative values.  We need to get someone who is truly conservative.” – David Barton
      

• “Dade Phelan is a joke, he’s like Liz Cheney and  Lisa Murkowski, hiding behind the R in Republican and cares only about his own  personal and family wealth while ignoring his constituents and the Texas Republican Party’s  goals and values. He needs to be shown the door.” – Landon Capozzi
      

• “As long as Republicans allow the democrats to also have a vote, we will continue seeing RINOs like Phelan as Speaker.” – Ken Hodges
      

• “The last thing this state needs is another RINO in charge.” – Greg Burr
      

• “Dade Phelan is the epitome of a failed policy maker. We must change the way Texas is governed, and now!” – Gene Klutts
      

• “Dade Phelan is a Democrat with an R by his name.  I truly cannot understand how a ‘Republican’ controlled House allows this to go on!” – David Leese
      

• “Republican voters cast all but wasted ballots when con men like Dade Phelan are later chosen by Texas House members to serve as ‘Speaker.’ Whatever else Phelan may be, Republican is not one of them.” – Jack Boteler 
      

• “Dade Phelan is showing his true colors.  He was always a Democrat who was savvy enough to know he could only be elected if he ran as a Republican.  There likely are others.” — Ken Marx

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.