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After exposure by Texas Scorecard, a state agency is backing down from their woke job posting...

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Here is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Illegal Border Crossings Higher Than Ever

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection is reporting an 11 percent increase in encounters with illegal border-crossers on the southwest border between December and November – the highest number of encounters ever recorded in a month. Sydnie Henry has the details.
     
• The agency says there were 251,487 encounters, but it is the "gotaways" that are plaguing law enforcement in Texas.
     

• Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe wrote a letter to counties across the state and in neighboring states asking for manpower, equipment, or operators, as his local resources are “stretched to the breaking point to successfully maintain operations.”

     
• “[The border crisis] has rendered every Texas county a border county,” explains Coe. “We are painfully aware of the degrees to which illegal aliens will wreak havoc in our communities.”

Abbott Quietly Renews COVID Disaster Declaration

• Despite growing pressure to end his COVID state of emergency declaration, Gov. Greg Abbott has quietly extended the order for another 30 days. This means, as Brandon Waltens reports, when this declaration expires in February, Texas will have been under a "state of emergency" for 1,046 days.
         
• “I intend to keep these executive orders and suspensions in place until the Legislature can enact laws this session to prohibit local governments from imposing restrictions like mask mandates and vaccine mandates,” Abbott’s declaration reads, adding that his renewal “in no way infringes on the rights or liberties of any law-abiding Texans.”
     
• So, we're endorsing big government for everyone to protect people from the consequences of electing left-wing mayors...
    
• Abbott is one of just two Republican governors nationwide to continue to keep a state of emergency for COVID, joining Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
      

• Some Republican lawmakers have called for an immediate end to the orders, saying never-ending emergency authorities are “antithetical to representative government.”

Committee Assignments Indicate Senate Moving Fast

• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appears poised to push the Texas Senate to move quickly, by announcing committee assignments less than two weeks since the start of the legislative session. As such, all but one Senate committee will be chaired by Republicans.

      
• Patrick had previously said he would keep Democrat State Sen. John Whitmire as chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice. Whitmire has announced that he will resign later this year to mount a campaign for Houston mayor. (Patrick added that the chamber would have zero Democrat chairs following Whitmire’s departure.)
     

• The powerful State Affairs Committee will continue to be run by State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), while State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe) will take charge of the consolidated Education Committee, overseeing both K-12 and higher education. State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R–Brenham) will oversee the Committee on Health and Human Services, and State Sen. Joan Huffman (R–Houston) will continue to chair the Finance Committee.

     
• The full set of committee assignments can be found on the lieutenant governor's website.

Harrison: Bureaucrats Shouldn't Make More Than The Governor

• New legislation has been filed by State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Waxahachie) that would prevent state and local employees from being paid more than the governor. As Soli Rice reports, the governor of Texas makes an annual salary of $153,750.

      

• Six of the 15 highest-paid government and state employees come from the Teacher Retirement System, with salaries ranging from $380,000 to $414,999.

      
• The top-earning superintendent is Cypress-Fairbanks’ John Henry, with a salary of $512,439; the tenth-highest paid superintendent makes $365,820 annually. Aside from the top 10, another 55 superintendents are salaried at least $300,000 annually.
      
• “State and local taxpayer-funded salaries have skyrocketed out of control. No bureaucrat in Texas has more authority, staff, budget responsibility, or constituents than the Governor of Texas. Bureaucrats should not get rich off the backs of hard-working Texans, and I’m proud to file a bill to ensure no taxpayer-funded bureaucrat is paid a higher salary than the Governor.” – Brian Harrison

After Scorecard Exposure, Library and Archives Commission Removes ‘Equity Consultant’ Posting

• After being exposed by Texas Scorecard, the state's Library and Archives Commission removed a job listing from their website last week, citing the need to ensure that the position aligns with state policies. Katy Drollinger has the details.
      
• The agency's posting said they were looking for applicants with experience in “EDIA,” or equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. 
      

• In a statement to Texas Scorecard, the agency said they removed the job listing for “revision” to ensure that the position does not violate any Texas state policies. They also said that if the job posting returns to the website, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” responsibilities will not be featured.

Today In History

On Jan. 24, 1908, Boy Scouts began in England with the publication of “Scouting for Boys” by Lord Robert Baden-Powell.

Know Someone?

Texas Scorecard is accepting applications for our Summer and Fall 2023 paid fellowship program, designed for 18- to 25-year-olds with an interest in public policy, political accountability, and Texas history. Learn more on our website.

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