Good morning!

Yesterday, we asked readers about "DEI." Today, we have your answers.

But first... here is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

UPFRONT: Yesterday's Texas Minute had a typo incorrectly identifying the party affiliation of Harold Dutton (D-Houston). I apologize for the error!

Deputies Save Dying Child During Human Trafficking Bust

• When law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle suspected of being involved with human smuggling, they found not only four people stacked on top of a 4-year-old girl in the backseat, but an unresponsive 5-year-old shoved in the vehicle's trunk. Soli Rice has the details.
   
• Kinney County Chief Deputy Armando Garcia and two deputies took quick action and are credited with saving the girl's life.
     

• The driver and front-seat passenger confessed to human smuggling after they were arrested, and police officers discovered pictures on their phones of multiple stashes of cash they made when previously smuggling people from Mexico to major Texas cities. 

Another 5-Day Weekend

• It's only Wednesday, but the Texas House is already planning for another five days off this coming weekend... After just coming off a five-day weekend. Brandon Waltens has the details.
      

• In order to adjourn for more than three days during the 140-day legislative session, the House and Senate are constitutionally required to pass a resolution granting each other permission to do so. These resolutions are often passed with no discussion or opposition.

      
• Not this session. That precedent was disrupted last week by State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R–Arlington), who attempted to question the prudence of leaving for such a length of time while priority legislation had not been passed. Tinderholt was shut down and told to return to his seat by Speaker Dade Phelan. 
     
• Little did Tinderholt know lawmakers would be granting themselves another five-day weekend so soon.
     
• Yesterday's vote saw Tinderholt and his Republican colleagues Bryan Slaton of Royse City and Brian Harrison of Midlothian vote against the extended break.
      
• There are 96 days remaining in the 140-day session.

Austin DEM Slammed After Lying About School Choice Activist

• With their efforts to derail school choice ramping up, at least one Democrat in the Texas Legislature is resorting to false attacks against a parental rights advocate. Her falsehoods even earned a warning label from Twitter.

      
• It began when State Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin) claimed "vouchers" drain money from public schools. School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis commented that her statement presumed that the money belonged to the government schools.
       
• Rather than debate the topic, she went on a series of rants falsely claiming DeAngelis doesn't live in Texas. (He does.)
     
• In fact, DeAngelis was born, raised, and attended public schools in San Antonio. He then earned earned two degrees from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Even when confronted with those facts, Hinojosa refused to back down for her falsehoods.
     
• Given DeAngelis' national profile on the issue, and her status as a politician, the social media platform – Twitter – has affixed a label to her tweet calling attention to the falsehood.
      
• Apparently, leftist politicians became really accustomed to lying about people on social media without repercussions... That that might be coming to an end is a change for the better.

Liberal Democrat Appointed Chair of Democrat-Majority House Committee Overseeing Business and Industry Policy

• Not only is the chairman of the Texas House Committee on Business and Industry a Democrat, but the committee's membership is a majority of Democrats. 
   
• Sydnie Henry profiles the curious case of a GOP-dominated Texas House allowing Democrats to lead a committee charged with overseeing policies and regulations affecting the state's businesses and industries.
   
• According to the rules of the Texas House, the Business & Industry Committee oversees all areas relating to industry and manufacturing, including the regulation of safe working practices, wages, unemployment, labor unions, consumer protection, identity theft, homeowners associations, the construction industry, regulation of private industry, and the oversight of several state agencies.
     
• What could go wrong giving that power to Democrats, right? That's why Texas voters put Democrats in charge of the Texas House, right... Oh, wait...

Pushing Hate: Wokeness Invades Texas

• This week, an investigative series explores "diversity, equity, and inclusion" programs. In the latest article, Kristen Stanciu explores how these programs – and underlying ideology – were able to move into Texas. 

Y'All Answered

Yesterday, we asked readers if the Texas Legislature should defund the "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" initiatives in Texas' colleges, universities, and state agencies. 

Less than 2 percent of readers want to keep "D.E.I.," while 98.53 percent of readers want the programs defunded.

Here's a sampling of thoughts folks sent in...

• “This attack on values serves no purpose other than to draw divisive lines among Americans and create hatred, intolerance, physical and verbal violence, and abuse.  Perhaps that is the left's true goal?” – Kathy Fisher
     

• “Tax dollars being squandered is bad enough… funding the enemy is insane.” – Ken Bintliff
      

• “It's the job of the government to protect its citizens, not discriminate against them on any level nor to promote equal outcomes for everyone. That includes state-funded schools and universities.” – Rick Goncher
      

• “In a system based strictly on merit and with equal opportunity, diversity,  equity, and inclusion take care of themselves.” – Rick Mayforth
      

• “In my humble opinion, everyone should be pulling their children out of government schools until all this CRT, Sex Ed, etc. stuff STOPS! The current education system, run by progressive Marxists, is the Titanic heading toward the iceberg. The only way to save your kid is by mass exodus!” – Dawn Martin
      

• “DEI is really Division, Envy, and Insurrection! It should be put down hard at every level of government and education. It is nothing more than a way to overthrow the democratic principles on which this country was founded.” – Mike Stephenson
      

• “DEI should absolutely be defunded. Race, ethnicity and sexual orientation should have no bearing on whether an individual is hired by an educational institution. That decision should be based on merit.” – Monte Long
      

• “Are the lessons Booker T. Washington taught us to be tossed in the trash? His great wish was for his people to be given opportunities to show the world what they were capable of achieving.....that they be rewarded and recognized for a job well done. Merit was not a dirty word.” – Betty Bailey-Lucas
      

• “Indeed, Texas and all of American schools should be teaching RWA (Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic) instead of forcing all of this WOKE crap down our throats. “ – John Denison
      

• “DEI is no more than an attempt to institutionalize racial disharmony and hate. Everything it touches becomes a firestorm of controversy.” – Arthur Potter

Directory of Your U.S. & Texas Lawmakers

This information is automatically inserted based on the mailing address you provide to us. If you'd like to update your contact information, please visit our subscriber portal.