Good morning,

It turns out readers have some pretty strong opinions about giving benefits to illegal aliens...

You'll find the results to yesterday's One Click Survey at the conclusion of today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 

Abbott Campaigns For School Choice Push

• After naming it one of his top priorities, Gov. Greg Abbott is touring the state to promote school choice, holding rallies in key areas to garner support from potential Republican holdouts in the Texas Legislature. Brandon Waltens has the details.

     

• Calling them “Parent Empowerment Nights,” Abbott has held three such events so far in Corpus Christi, Temple, and Corsicana, with more slated to be held in the coming weeks. Abbott has embraced Education Savings Accounts, individual state-funded accounts that families can use to pay for education expenses—including private schooling or homeschooling.

       
• “Many public schools in Texas are excellent, but we must do more to ensure every student has the best possible education available to them,” Abbott told the crowd in Corsicana earlier this week. “Ultimately, no one knows what is best for a child’s success than their parents. This session, we will empower every parent with the ability to choose the best high-quality education option for their child. Together, we will chart a course toward brighter futures and bigger opportunities for young Texans across our state.”
      
• While school choice has had the support of more than 80 percent of Republican voters, lawmakers in the Texas House have repeatedly rejected proposals for years.
       

• In the past, school choice proposals have been blocked by teacher unions and school administrators who fear school choice will result in parents leaving their schools – and taking the money with them. Other opponents suspect creeping regulations could be attached to the dollars, reducing the effectiveness and independence of private and home schools.

'Short-Lived' Property Tax Relief

• A new study from the Huffines Liberty Foundation finds renters won't be benefiting from proposed changes to Texas' property tax system, and for everyone else it will be short-lived.
       
• Authored by Bill Peacock, the study shows individuals who rent – whether apartments or single-family homes – pay a higher share of the property tax burden because those properties don't qualify for homestead exemptions.
      
• The state's "homestead exemption" reduces the property tax burden by limiting how much of the appraised value can be included in the levy.
      
• Proposals currently before the Texas Legislature find lawmakers dealing with the state's skyrocketing property tax burden by increasing that homestead exemption. As Peacock notes in the study, "while property taxes for homeowners may grow at a slightly slower rate, renters and businesses receive no benefit at all from the homestead exemption."
       
• “Increasing the homestead exemption only benefits a select few Texans in a very short-lived way. Texans are tired of paying rent to the government and having the value of their businesses destroyed. It’s time we realize the unimaginable prosperity for all Texans if we forgo raising the homestead exemption but rather put Texas on the path to eliminate school M&O property taxes, which would benefit all Texas homeowners, businesses, renters, and consumers.” – Don Huffines
       
• The full study, and its recommendations for actually reducing property tax burdens, can be found on the Huffines Liberty Foundation website.

Phelan Prioritizes Corporate Welfare, Avoids GOP Priorities

• Once again eschewing the priorities of Texas Republicans, House Speaker Dade Phelan announced three more of his own priorities—including the revival of a controversial corporate welfare program opposed by both parties. He also wants to create a new funding scheme for community colleges and establish special courts to hear business cases.
      
• “Whether you call it a Chapter 313 or not, the government being in the business of picking winners and losers under the guise of economic incentives in a free enterprise system is corporate welfare,” said Jeramy Kitchen, the executive director of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.
        

• Last week, Phelan announced his first set of legislative priorities, which included legislation to increase data protection, expand Medicaid coverage for mothers, protect minors from social media companies, and eliminate the state’s sales tax on tampons. 
      

• None of Phelan’s seven priorities so far line up with the legislative priorities of the Republican Party of Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott, or Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Another 5-Day Weekend...

• Members of the Texas House and Senate voted yesterday to give each other yet another long weekend.
   
• Just five members of the Texas House objected: Republicans State Reps. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington, Bryan Slaton of Royse City, Brian Harrison of Midlothian, Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth, and Mark Dorazio of San Antonio.
   

• When lawmakers return, the Legislature will be 56 days into its 140-day legislative session without yet having passed any legislation – including any of the "emergency" items designated by Gov. Abbott. While the Texas Constitution prohibits votes on most legislation for the first 60 days, items designated as "emergencies" by a governor can be voted on during that period.

Proposals Give Power To Taxpayers

• In an effort to address what he describes as an unfair and unethical property tax system, State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midilothian) has filed two pieces of legislation putting more power in the hands of voters. Emily Wilkerson has the details.
     

• House Bill 2220 would require taxing entities to hold elections for any tax increase above the no-new-revenue rate, a property tax rate calculated to produce the same amount of tax revenue this year if applied to the same properties taxed last year, enabling the public to compare year-to-year tax burdens.
      

• House Bill 2221 would require any voter-approved tax increases to receive 60 percent of the vote.

Texas Supreme Court Clears Pro-Life Activist

• After being sued by several abortion advocacy groups for defamation, Mark Lee Dickson and Right to Life of East Texas have been cleared of wrongdoing by the Supreme Court of Texas. Darrell Frost has the details.

       
• Dickson was sued for calling the abortion providers “criminal organizations” that “murder innocent unborn children.”
      
• In its unanimous decision, the Supreme Court decision by Justice Janice Bland stated that “the challenged statements are protected opinion about abortion law made in pursuit of changing that law, placing them at the heart of protected speech under the United States and Texas Constitutions.”
      
• In a concurring opinion, Justices John Devine and Jimmy Blacklock said Dickson's statements could not be considered defamatory “because the statutory provision criminalizing the funding of abortion remained on the books in Texas, it is indisputably true that the Funds are criminal organizations under Texas law, even if Roe’s erroneous holding prevented enforcement of the law when the challenged statements were made.”
      
• “I am thankful that the Lilith Fund, who shares a name with a demon that preys on women and children, lost their case before the Supreme Court of Texas. I hope that the Lilith Fund, and every demon in Texas, gets out of the baby-murdering business entirely,” said Dickson.

Middle School Teacher Arrested For 'Improper Relationship'

• A 37-year-old teacher has been arrested in Crowley on allegations of sexually assaulting a child, and for an improper relationship between an educator and student. Soli Rice has the details.
     
• Christopher David Session worked as a middle school teacher in Crowley Independent School District. The victim attends a different middle school in the district.
      
• Fort Worth police made the arrest and Session has since been released on bond. The school district says the teacher has been placed on administrative leave, and they do not believe any other students were victimized.

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Y'All Answered

For more than 20 years, illegal aliens living in Texas have been allowed to attend the state's institutions of higher education and pay the "in-state" tuition rate. Legislation has been filed this year putting an end to that practice.

Yesterday, we asked readers if in-state tuition rates should be available only to citizens and legal residents. Just over 6 percent say illegal aliens should qualify for in-state tuition rates, while 93.9 percent believe it should be restricted to citizens and legal residents.

Here's a sampling of the emails I received...

• “I came here on a student visa to attend college and my family paid out of state fees. Non-citizens should not be entitled to the benefits of American citizens.” – Deborah Causwell
      

• “I had a bird feeder at our last house.  As long as it was full, we had birds.  When I came home after being gone 10 days, no birds.  It really is that simple.” – Rick Goncher
     

• “Why should Americans keep rewarding illegal aliens who break our laws to enter, thereby sending the message that you don’t have to obey any of our laws, and we will help financially support and educate you… this is stupidity.” – Molly Smith
     

• “I agree that illegal immigrants should not be eligible for in-state tuition, but the many high-achieving students that immigrate here legally and establish state residence by attending a Texas high school for three years should qualify for in-state tuition. Many of those will contribute to the Texas economy and become U.S. citizens as soon as possible. Any proposed legislation should be careful to distinguish between those two groups.” – David Armstrong
    

• “Their very nomenclature ‘illegal alien’ pinpoints the reason the privilege of in-state tuition should be stopped. These people, no matter how gifted or intelligent, are not legally allowed to be here. Either we say ‘no’ or just give up trying to enforce our laws.” – Kathy Fisher
     

• “When a country favors illegal aliens over its own citizens, it ceases to be a nation and will eventually become little more than a footnote in history.” – Bill Parks
     

• “Abbott needs to get off the fence and be against all advantages given to illegal aliens, like Ron DeSantis has done.” – Kerry Caudle
     

• “Why would taxpayers reward illegals except to aid them to be legal first? We have enough educated fools.” – Brent Shutt
     

• “No, no, no. Illegals should have absolutely NO benefits of any kind.” – Janet Gustafson
     

• “Tuition? Tuition? Are you kidding? These people should not even be in this country, much less allowed to attend school here. This is one of the goodies, the ‘alien magnets,’ that attract the invasion we are experiencing. Until we end all of the goodies, we should just shut up about illegal aliens being a ‘problem.’” – Jim Pikl
     

• “It is just common sense to use tax dollars for citizens only… like it is common sense to have only Republicans as committee chairs. Has Texas become California?” – Virginia Platt
     

• “When would it ever make sense that one could benefit from something they do not pay into? Stop treating me like an ATM, spend my tax dollars on Texans first.” – Steve Crevier
     

• “Not only should we NOT be paying the tuition for illegals, we shouldn’t even allow them to be enrolled. They are taking away enrollment opportunities for actual citizens. As a parent of a high school student, will my child be denied an educational opportunity in the Texas colleges that my tax dollars support?” – Kelly McGuire
      

• “If a citizen from Oklahoma is not allowed in-state tuition, why should an ILLEGAL immigrant from anywhere be eligible? And why should MY tax money pay for it?” – Steve Sullivan
     

• “Easy answer: NO. Nothing for illegals! Why do you think they keep coming here and staying?!” – Reid Davidson
     

• “Illegals should NOT be allowed in our public school system at all. ALL illegals caught in Texas should be in custody until they can be deported, no matter what their age or how they invaded our country.” – Gary Hunt
      

• “If I lived in Mexico illegally, could I attend Mexican colleges at a discounted rate? Asking for a friend.” – Terry Fokas
     

• “In-state tuition should be ONLY for Texas citizens - period. Our illustrious lawmakers have helped illegal immigration for years.” – Joe Kendrick
     

• “The fact that illegals receive benefits, like in state tuition costs, is one reason, of many, that we have the crisis at the borders. Why would they pursue citizenship if they are already profiting from being here illegally? Texas should not be rewarding criminals! Why has this gone on so long with a Republican government?” – Cathy Blake

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