A quick look at the year’s most-read stories.

Good morning!

While there is still more than 24 hours left in the year, today’s Texas Minute looks back on Texas Scorecard’s most-read articles of 2019.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Monday, December 30, 2019

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The Bonnen Saga

Nothing we wrote about in 2019 carried more punch than disgraced House Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s self-destruction after only one session in the biggest chair of the legislature’s lower chamber. He invited me to a meeting [[link removed]], where he made an unethical quid pro quo offer: he proposed taking official government actions in exchange for me attacking his political foes as well as withholding spending against him. (This was after, of course, he publicly threatened [[link removed]] members with severe retribution if they worked against any fellow incumbents regardless of party.)

Apparently Bonnen thought we were as corruptible as all his pals and sycophantic colleagues; he thought wrong. We spoke out... loudly.

Bonnen proceeded to repeatedly lie about the meeting to his fellow House members and the general public... even after I revealed I had recorded [[link removed]] the entire thing. Grassroots activists applied pressure to their legislators and Bonnen finally announced he would retire [[link removed]] from office. Not resign, mind you, just not seek re-election.

Despite finding Bonnen “likely violated” state law, the Republican-controlled House General Investigating & Ethics Committee on the Friday before Christmas unanimously voted [[link removed]] to let Bonnen’s actions go unpenalized. Such is the corrupting power of the Capitol culture.

Teacher Says Parents “Don’t Know What’s Best” [[link removed]]

After parents expressed outrage that a drag queen who works as an “adult performer” was featured at a Montgomery County high school, a teacher took to social media to say school officials know best how to raise children – not parents.

Odessa Sheriff Blasts “Lying” Beto’s Gun-Control Proposal [[link removed]]

In the wake of a summer shooting in Odessa, Democrat Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke (unsuccessfully) sought to pump up his failing presidential campaign by making bold claims regarding the incident, laying out falsehoods and outraging local officials and residents. Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis fought back, saying O’Rourke “is an idiot.”

The City Without Property Taxes [[link removed]]

With property tax reform taking center stage in the 2019 legislative session, a profile of the City of Stafford made a splash. Why? The city doesn’t levy any property taxes. And contrary to what is often claimed by local officials, Stafford’s decision to forgo a property tax hasn’t caused municipal services to collapse.

Texas House Advances Legislation to Add Illegal Aliens to Welfare Rolls [[link removed]]

Despite campaigning on cracking down on illegal immigration, Texas House Republicans unanimously voted in support of a measure providing welfare benefits to illegal aliens taken into custody.

Texas Democrats Target Religious Liberty [[link removed]]

When the 2019 legislative session began, Democrats signaled what kind of priorities they would embrace should they ever take control of the Texas House. While bad overall, their attacks on religious liberties were even worse. For example, Democrats want to force Christian small businesses to provide goods and services in support of sexual orientation and transgenderism.

Austin’s School District Approves High-Risk Sex Ed Curriculum [[link removed]]

Rather than focus on academic excellence, public schools have inserted themselves into the center of the culture wars. And nowhere is that more obvious than Austin. Over the loud objections of parents, the school board unanimously passed a controversial sex education curriculum aimed at promoting risky sexual activities to students in the third through eighth grades.

DPS Footage Contradicts Media Narrative Regarding Constitutional Carry Advocate [[link removed]]

In his one session as House Speaker, Dennis Bonnen did a lot of lying. Second Amendment activists were shocked when Bonnen killed popular reforms on the basis that a gun rights advocate had threatened his family. But then the video came out, showing Bonnen made the whole thing up. The leftwing media had breathlessly published Bonnen’s lies without a second thought, but somehow neglected to report on the fact video evidence from the Department of Public Safety found the whole thing to be a lie.

But, remember, just before Christmas the House’s “ethics” committee gave lawmakers a free pass on lying...

North Texas Tea Party Leader: No Support for Incumbents [[link removed]]

One of the state’s most well-known activists, Julie McCarty of the True Texas Project, announced after the lackluster legislative session that she would not assist any legislative incumbents for re-election. She specifically cited the legislature’s unwillingness to pass key reforms, and the unwillingness of incumbent lawmakers to fight for the grassroots.

Patrick Fires At Bush [[link removed]]

After Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush released a string of Twitter posts characterizing those that were skeptical of plans to “reimagine” the Alamo as “racist,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick waded into the debate. Patrick hammered his fellow Republican’s comments as “offensive and inaccurate.” Bush responded by accusing Patrick of twisting his words, saying the lieutenant government had made a “very dangerous mistake.”

Texas Scorecard

Numbers for the Year

Statewide Coverage: 514 articles

Local Coverage: 609 articles

Texas Scorecard Radio: 52 episodes

Guest Commentaries: 169

[Source: Morgan Williamson, Empower Texans’ VP of Communications]

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Quote-Unquote

“Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito.”

– Virgil

Translation: Do not give in to evil but proceed ever more boldly against it.

Request A Speaker [[link removed]] Contribute [[link removed]] Managed / Update Your Email Preferences [[link removed]] Michael Quinn Sullivan

CEO, Empower Texans

Texas Scorecard & Texans for Fiscal Responsibility

​www.EmpowerTexans.com

www.TexasScorecard.com

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PO Box 49730 | Austin, TX 78765

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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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