Good morning,

Things should start defrosting around the Lone Star State today. Here is a hot helping of the Texas Minute to get it started!

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Thursday, February 2, 2023 

'Renewable' Energy Fails Texans, Again

• While most of Texas experienced freezing temperatures this week, the underperformance of unreliable energy sources like wind and solar are again raising questions about the state’s dependence on them. Brandon Waltens reports that at mid-morning yesterday, solar accounted for just 1 percent of the state's power supply, while wind accounted for 3 percent.
     

• Meanwhile, natural gas, coal, and lignite made up 87 percent of the power supply, with nuclear energy adding 8 percent of the total.

       
• As energy expert Tom Slocum explained on social media, "windfarms in Texas are frozen over."
      
• Yet, Texas taxpayers have been forced to subsidize these failing energy generators. Texas wind and solar generators obtained $19.4 billion in taxpayer-funded benefits and subsidies between 2006 and 2019 alone. According to Bill Peacock, an energy policy analyst, 28 percent of renewable generators’ income came from subsidies in 2018.
     
• When it matters most, "renewables" are unreliable.

Lawmakers Push To Ban CRT

• Legislation proposed by State Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine) would prohibit universities and colleges from teaching critical race theory and remove their state funding if they violate the law. Emily Wilkerson has the details.

       
• Essentially, Harris' legislation would prohibit the state's institutions of higher education from instilling beliefs or teaching that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex.” It also takes aim at the idea “an individual’s moral character, standing, or worth is necessarily determined by the individual’s race or sex.”
      
• “Texas must push back on the progressive agenda to indoctrinate the minds of our future, and I’m proud to help lead the effort,” said Harris.
       
• He has an ally in Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has said he will be doubling down against professors who teach critical race theory in classes. “I don’t want teachers in our colleges saying America is evil, and capitalism is bad, and socialism is better. If that means some of those professors who want to teach don’t want to come to Texas, I’m OK with that.”

Activists Want Abbott To Set Conservative Priorities As 'Emergencies'

• Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to soon announce when he will give the state of the state address, where he will designate emergency items for the ongoing legislative session. As Sydnie Henry reports, grassroots activists have ideas about what the governor should include.

       
• Per the Texas Constitution, the governor’s emergency items are the only topics the Legislature can act on for the first 60 days of a legislative session.
      
• Grassroots activists are calling for the governor to designate a myriad of conservative priorities as emergency items, including border security, property taxes, vaccine choice, and ending the sexualization of children.

DeSantis Fundraising For Texas Republicans

• Florida Governor—and potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate—Ron DeSantis will visit Texas next month to help Republicans in Harris and Dallas counties’ raise money. Katy Drollinger has that story.
      
• DeSantis will be the keynote speaker for the Harris County GOP’s Lincoln Reagan Day speaker on March 3, and then he'll serve the same role for Dallas' event the next day.
      

• Recent polls show that Texas Republican voters are inclined to support a DeSantis presidential campaign. A November 2022 poll from the Republican Party of Texas showed 43 percent of voters would select DeSantis in a presidential primary, while 32 percent picked former President Donald Trump.

Granbury ISD Is Selling Their Plane

• I know, your first reaction is, "Why did a small school district even need a plane?" Hold on to that thought.
     

• Granbury Independent School District is selling its controversial airplane after an assistant superintendent was caught using the plane for personal travel with family, but the joyriding administrator has yet to face disciplinary action.
      

• Erin Anderson reports an investigation found the administrator took six flights with his family, versus three for prospective aviation students. The investigator called it an ethical “gray area.”
      

• The justification for having the plane in the first place was that it served as a tool for students interested in pursuing aviation careers. While multiple Texas school districts offer aviation programs, they don’t own planes.
      

• Seems like the plane was just a perk for administrators dressed up in the camouflage of being "for the kids." 

🎧 Macias Explains The Harm Caused By Legislative Delays

• In his latest podcast, Luke Macias says Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan are dragging their feet... and explains the harm this could cause.
     
• Find the Luke Macias Show on our website and everywhere you listen to podcasts!

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