Good morning,

You know what happens at the end of this week? Springing forward your clock Saturday night / Sunday morning... You've been warned.

Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, March 6, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Remember the Alamo!

• In the early hours of March 6, 1836, General Santa Anna ordered an assault on the Alamo. All of the Alamo defenders were killed and their remains desecrated by the Mexican troops. 

Texas Teachers Split on School Choice

• Texas’ public school educators are split on Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposal to “empower parents” with school choice. Darrell Frost reports on the results of a survey of 100,000 public school educators conducted by Texas Scorecard.

     

• Abbott has been holding “parent empowerment” rallies around the state in support of education savings accounts. These state-funded accounts would provide parents with funds to pay for education-related items such as private school tuition or homeschooling supplies.

      
• Just over 41 percent of respondents want to “empower parents with school choice.” Meanwhile, 42 percent say “public school teachers know best how to educate kids.” Nearly 17 percent of respondents indicated they were uncertain of their views.
      
• Although “school choice” initiatives poll very high among Republican voters, efforts to implement them in Texas have been repeatedly blocked by a coalition of public school administrators, teacher unions, and school district vendors.

Patrick Says House Must Pass School Choice 

• Both chambers of the Texas Legislature have been controlled by the GOP for two decades, but the Senate has been more favorable to the Republican priority of parental empowerment and school choice. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who heads the Senate, said the lower chamber must pass school choice this year, or face a summer of special sessions. Brandon Waltens has the details.
       
• “We should not leave here this year until we pass school choice. I don’t care how many special sessions it takes,” said Patrick, while noting that he has not made any summer plans. School choice is one of the priorities of the Republican Party of Texas.
     
• The comments came late last week at an Austin event where Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan were both speakers – but not at the same time. They each used their speeches to take jabs at each other's chambers.
       

• Phelan used his opportunity to talk about issues like criminal justice reform measures passed by the House last session, including limitations on the use of the death penalty and more leniency for those under the age of 18. Phelan described these as TPPF's agenda.
      

• “I know what to do this session when it comes to criminal justice, and it’s just [to] pass everything that the Senate did not pass last session,” said Phelan. “We’re gonna pass it again. I figure if it’s good enough for TPPF, it’s good enough for Donald Trump, it should be good enough for the Texas Senate.”

Profiling Phelan's Favorite Democrats

A review of the legislative and political histories of the nine Democrats House Speaker Dade Phelan put in charge of key committees...

• Tracy King: The Democrat in Charge of the House Natural Resources Committee
   
• Joe Moody: The Democrat in Charge of the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee
         
• Terry Canales: The Democrat in Charge of the House Transportation Committee
     
• Bobby Guerra: The Democrat in Charge of the House Resolutions Committee
      

• Senfronia Thompson: The Democrat in Charge of the House Youth Health and Safety Committee
      

• Victoria Neave: The Democrat in Charge of the House County Affairs Committee
      

• Harold Dutton: The Democrat in Charge of the House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee
      

• Abel Herrero: The Democrat in Charge of the House Corrections Committee
      

• Oscar Longoria: The Democrat in Charge of the House Business & Industry Committee

YENOR: 'Texas A&M Is Blowing Smoke'

• Last month, a study by Scott Yenor found Texas A&M has more "woke" program administrators than the University of Texas. Predictably, official Aggieland responded in protest – though refuting arguments Yenor didn't make in his report.
   
• Now, Yenor explains in a new commentary how Texas A&M is white-washing their decade-long push for "diversity, equity, and inclusion" programs that advance leftist narratives.
   
• "A&M evidently has so many DEI programs that it can hardly keep track of them," writes Yenor.

Texas GOP Censures U.S. Rep. Gonzales

• The Republican Party of Texas has officially censured Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio, after complaints he has not shown a fidelity to Republican principles and priorities. Brandon Waltens has the details.
       

• The State Republican Executive Committee voted 57 in favor, 5 opposed, and 1 abstention on the question of censure. The resolution noted his readiness to vote with Democrats on key issues, including his support of gay marriage and "red-flag" laws. He has also refuse to support legislation cracking down on illegal immigration. 
       
• The censure means the Texas GOP can now spend money against Gonzales in the 2024 election if he seeks re-election in the Republican primary.

Federal Legislation Blocks DoD 'Abortion Slush Fund'

• Under legislation proposed by U.S. Reps. Ronny Jackson and Chip Roy, the Department of Defense would be banned from funding abortion services – including travel expenses to obtain an abortion.

     
• This follows an announcement last month from the DoD that it plans to provide financial aid for military personnel seeking abortions.
     

• U.S. Rep. Roy explained the Biden administration is creating "an abortion travel slush fund" that undermines "nearly half a century of bipartisan consensus to protect Americans' conscience rights by preventing taxpayer dollars from funding most abortions."

Directory of Your U.S. & Texas Lawmakers

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