Good morning,

The 88th Session of the Texas Legislature convenes one week from today. State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) hopes her fellow lawmakers will stop enemy governments and their representatives from purchasing land in the Lone Star State. In today's One Click Survey, I'd like to know what you think.

Here is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

But first... If you listen to podcasts – and Texas Scorecard already offers a number of them! – I'm going to be launching a daily podcast later this month. More details will follow.

Texas Supreme Court Trusts California To Protect Boy; Permits Brainwashing To Continue

• With the blessing of the Republican-controlled Texas Supreme Court, Anne Georgulas will continue to have sole custody of James Younger, whom she has sought to transition into a girl named “Luna.” Soli Rice has the heartbreaking details.
       

• After years of legal wrangling, and over the objections of the boy's father (Jeff Younger), Georgulas moved their two sons to California. A new law there has taken effect, allowing children from across the nation to be given gender mutilation services regardless of other state laws prohibiting the abuse. Of the two boys, only James has been singled out for transitioning by Georgulas.
      

• A Texas court order is already in place forbidding Georgulas from submitting the boy to hormonal suppression therapy, puberty blockers, and/or transgender reassignment surgery. However, Jeff Younger fears Georgulas will seek California's help in avoiding the Texas court order, a charge she has denied.
      

• The situation has been studiously avoided for years by the GOP-controlled Texas House and Senate, as well as Gov. Greg Abbott. (Watch our 2021 mini-documentary, Saving James.)
         

• Jeff Younger had asked the Texas Supreme Court to force Georgulas to return their sons to Texas before the new CA law took effect. That request was denied late last week on an 8-1 vote. Only Justice John Devine dissented.
     

• Justices Jimmy Blacklock and Evan Young concurred in the decision, arguing that California courts will still be bound by the Texas court order regarding surgery and hormone treatments. 
     

• That remains to be seen. Regardless, Georgulas retains sole custody of James Younger in California – where she can continue brainwashing the boy regarding his gender.

Lawmakers Propose Restricting Children's Access to Explicit Materials

• Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers filed legislation addressing the problem of age-inappropriate materials in school libraries, reports Sydnie Henry.
      
• State Rep. Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) would require book publishers to assign content ratings to each book before selling them to public and charter schools in Texas. The content guidelines range from BK-G, considered safe for any student, to BK-MA, strictly for students 17 and older. His legislation would expand the authority and oversight of the Texas Education Agency.
      
• State Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston) proposes to address the process by which children could be denied or granted access to questionable materials by placing them in a restricted category. Children would only be able to access these materials with the written consent of their parent or guardian.
     
• Rather than ban titles or classes of books, both lawmakers' proposals would implement what Fredericksburg ISD parents call “book boundaries.”

Making School Candidates Politically Transparent

• Legislation filed by State Rep. Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands) would require school board candidates to run as members of a political party. Katy Drollinger has the details.
   

• As clashes over explicit books and radical ideologies in Texas’ public schools intensify, Toth’s legislation would force school board candidates to include their party affiliation on the ballot when running in an election. Candidates could also declare that they do not back any party.

     
• The measure also calls for districts to hold school board elections on the same day as the general election for state and county officials.

PROPOSAL: Protect Texans From "Unconstitutional Wars"

• State Rep. Bryan Slaton (R–Royse City) has once again filed legislation to “protect the Texas National Guard from being deployed into active combat duty in unconstitutional wars.” Emily Wilkerson has the story.
   
• Slaton's legislation would require Congress to follow Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution and formally declare war before the Texas National Guard can be deployed.
     
• “This legislation is essential to honoring the men and women in the Texas National Guard, their families, and our Constitution,” said Slaton.

Dallas Turning Another Hotel Into Homeless Shelter

• Dallas taxpayers will be footing the bill to turn a hotel into a homeless shelter. First reported by the Dallas Express' Noah DeGarmo, the project is expected to be launched this spring and will be the fifth such effort by the city.
     
• "The City purchased the hotel in February [2022] for $5 million using funds from a $1.05 billion bond package approved by voters in 2017," wrote DeGarmo. Of that bond package, "$20 million is allocated to pay for homeless housing."
     
• You get more of what you subsidize...

Steve Waltens, Rest In Peace

In 2017, Steve's hard work and practical leadership in the conservative movement was recognized with an engraved cavalry sword at the Conservative Leader Awards.

The father of our managing editor, Brandon Waltens, Steve spent his adult life demonstrating for a great many people how to be a cheerful warrior. In addition to Brandon and his wife Courtney, Steve Waltens is survived by his wife, Julie, and daughter, Kennedy.

Steve will be deeply missed, but his example will live on.

Today In History

On Jan. 3, 1834, Stephen F. Austin was imprisoned in Mexico City under suspicion that he was fomenting a rebellion. Ironically, Austin believed an Anglo-Texas under Mexican rule was possible. He had gone to Mexico City to present a draft constitution creating a new Texas state within Mexico, but separate from Coahuila. President Santa Ana opposed the idea and imprisoned Austin. That action no doubt helped shape Austin's thinking. He was allowed to return to Texas in August 1835... just in time to lead the War of Independence. He became known as the "Father of Texas."

ONE CLICK SURVEY

State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) wants to ban the governments and citizens of several enemy nations – including Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China – from owning land in Texas.

Do you believe her proposal should become law in 2023?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!