Good morning!

Some legislators want to put rogue prosecutors on the hot seat for refusing to enforce the laws of the Lone Star State. Let me know what you think of their proposal in the One Click Survey.

Here is the Texas Minute for a very chilly Tuesday, January 31, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texans Brace For Winter Blast

• Texans are preparing for the possibility of a three-day winter storm this week, with many wondering if Texas’ electric grid is up to the challenge. While the state's power grid operator says it has sufficient generation capacity for the week's needs, Sydnie Henry reports some experts explain that isn't the right standard.
      
• “The real question is not whether Texas is ready for a three-day winter storm, it is whether the governor and members of the Texas Legislature are willing to stop meddling in the Texas electricity market and propping up renewable energy,” said energy expert Bill Peacock. “Because if they are not, Texans can never be certain that the grid can survive the next wave of extreme weather.”
     

• After a record-breaking winter storm swept across Texas in February of 2021, the stability of Texas’ electric grid came under intense public scrutiny. As temperatures dipped below zero, ERCOT implemented rolling blackouts as the power grid struggled to keep up with the high-energy demand. For days, millions of Texans suffered through extreme weather conditions without electricity.
      

• Texas Scorecard will release an investigative series next week on the state of Texas’ power grid.

Texas Republicans Demand Biden Reimburse State for Border Crisis

• Texas' 25 Republicans in the U.S. House have written a letter to President Joe Biden, demanding that he reimburse Texas for state efforts attempting to secure the border. Emily Wilkerson has the story.
   
• Their letter says that due to the federal government’s failure to secure the border, many cities along the border are suffering.
         
• "The Texans we represent have been at the forefront of the crisis brought upon by your administration’s failed policies," write the lawmakers.
     

• The delegation's letter also notes that 98 known or suspected terrorists were apprehended while trying to cross the border during the last fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022).

New Series: Corruption And Cronyism Rebranded As Corporate Welfare

• A new series from Texas Scorecard's investigative team looks at the corruption and cronyism that lingers just under state and local "corporate welfare" programs.
      
• Robert Montoya explains in the first article that the state's burdensome property tax system has been the impetus for the state's corporate welfare programs. Rather than cut taxes for everyone, special carve-outs are made for selected businesses. Perhaps the most abusive are those related to Chapter 313 of Texas' tax code.
   
• “School districts engage in economic development negotiations behind closed doors, where the public is not allowed to participate or even listen in,” said James Quintero of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “Once the governing body has made a decision to proceed with a 313 agreement, then the period of time that the public has to voice their concern on any sort of agreement is very limited.”
     

• What little transparency exists isn’t easily digestible for citizens. “These agreements are drenched in legalese, and the average person isn’t going to be well versed enough in the jargon to be able to decipher exactly what’s happening,” said Quintero. “I think that this whole system has been built in a very anti-taxpayer manner.”

Lawsuit Alleges Teacher Forced Students To Simulate Sex For Class

• Three recent alumni of James Bowie High School in Austin are suing in state court over a sexually abusive environment they say was created by the theater teacher, Betsy Cornwell. As Soli Rice reports, a federal lawsuit is also underway against the school district.
      

• According to the lawsuit, Cornwell specifically selected inappropriate materials for her theater classes to perform. She would then lead play rehearsals, encouraging students to "get more intimate."
     

• The students claim she would also lead private "intimacy rehearsals" for scene partners behind a locked door. The students claim she forced them to simulate sexual acts in a convincing manner for her privately. One student claims Cornwell forced her to provide lap dances for the male students.
      

• Despite complaints to district officials, the lawsuits originated when Austin ISD announced they were naming the school’s fine arts center after Ms. Cornwell.

Federal Lawsuit Takes Aim at Big Tech Censorship

• Establishment media companies are being sued in Amarillo over allegedly suppressing information about COVID and the Hunter Biden laptop story. Thomas Warren has the details.
      

• The lawsuit was filed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Children’s Health Defense, Dr. Ben Tapper, and several independent media organizations against The Washington Post, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Reuters, and Associated Press. Those four entities were named as being part of a partnership formed with Big Tech companies to exclude coverage they found unfavorable, and damage smaller publishers who were willing to cover those stories by limiting their reach.

     
• The lawsuit will now land in the courtroom of Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, who has become known as one of the most ideologically conservative district judges in Texas. 

Quote-Unquote

"News is something somebody doesn’t want printed; all else is advertising."

– William Randolph Hearst​

One Click Survey

Proposed legislation would allow the Attorney General of Texas to sue any district attorney, criminal district attorney, or county attorney who refuses to enforce laws with which they disagree. If the law goes into effect, these elected prosecutors could face fines ranging from $1,500 up to $25,500, and possibly be removed from their seats.

Do you agree?

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