Good morning,

We have an exclusive report about an investigation into a venue that hosted a drag show targeting children, and readers sound off on springing the clock forward and falling back...

Here is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Senator Files 'Invasion' Resolution

• As the situation on the southern border continues to worsen, Republican State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham filed a resolution urging Gov. Greg Abbott to declare an invasion by foreign drug cartels and urging the state to use all available resources to repel the invasion. Sydnie Henry has the report.

       
• Senate Concurrent Resolution 23 also urges the federal government to designate the Mexican drug cartels as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations."
      
• Kolkhorst's resolution highlights how the cartels are terrorizing Texas “by flooding the streets with deadly narcotics, forcing women and children into human and sex trafficking, enriching themselves on the misery and enslavement of Texans, and butchering and murdering anyone who tries to stop them.”
      
• “This sends a strong message to Governor Abbott and others within our state that our current response, although unprecedented, is not strong enough to actually stop the influx of illegal aliens and deadly drugs into our state.” – Chris Russo, president of Texans for Strong Borders
      
• More than 40 Texas counties have already issued their own invasion declarations urging Abbott to take decisive action to repel illegal border crossings.

EXCLUSIVE: Comptroller Investigating Plano Bar for Hosting ‘All-ages’ Drag Show

• Records exclusively obtained by Texas Scorecard reveal an investigation by the Texas comptroller’s office into Plano bar and restaurant Ebb & Flow, after they hosted an explicit “all-ages” drag brunch last fall. Brandon Waltens has the details.
    

• The bar came under fire after Sara Gonzales, the head of Defend Our Kids Texas, attended the event and filmed portions that she released to the public, exposing the perverted sexualization of Texas children. Gonzales’ video showed scantily clad men gyrating to sexually explicit music in front of children.
      
• A letter from Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s office to Ebb & Flow dated Feb. 2 shows the agency inquiring as to whether Ebb & Flow is a sexually oriented business.
      
• “As the Legislature takes critical steps to protect Texas children and strengthen statutes to restrict sexualized performances, my office will continue to work within the confines of existing law and investigate performances to determine if an entity must pay the fees associated with operating a sexually oriented business,” Hegar told Texas Scorecard.

New Legislation Protects Landowners’ Use of Force

• Farmers and ranchers in Texas would be permitted to use deadly force against intruders under legislation filed this week by a Republican member of the Texas House. Check out the article by Soli Rice.
     

• Landowners along the border have seen an increase in illegal aliens trespassing on their land as they cross into the United States. State Rep. J.M. Lozano (R-Kingsville) filed House Bill 3605 to secure Texans’ rights as landowners to protect their agricultural land from intruders in whatever means necessary, including lethal force.
      

• This comes after a 73-year-old rancher in Arizona was arrested after fatally shooting an illegal alien trespassing on his land – despite the rancher claiming he was shot at first.

Texas Tech Suspends Basketball Coach Who Quoted Scripture

• Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Mark Adams has been suspended after making a biblical reference that was deemed “inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment” by the university. Brandon Waltens has the story.

      

• The verse the coach referenced was Ephesians 6:5, which states, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.”

        
• “I said that in the Bible that Jesus talks about how we all have bosses, and we all are servants,” said Adams.
         
• Texas Tech says Adams “apologized” for the statement. Adams disagrees: “I explained to them. I didn’t apologize.” 
        
• Texas Tech, like other public universities in Texas, is governed by a board of regents that is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. All members of Texas Tech’s Board of Regents have been selected by Gov. Greg Abbott.
      

• Maybe Texas Tech would like it better if Adams had told the players to think only of themselves, ignore their teammates, and be lazy…

Gonzales Draws More Challengers After Censure

• The number of candidates vying to defeat U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio is growing, after he was officially censured by the Republican Party of Texas.
      

• On Tuesday, former ICE special agent Victor Avila announced his intention to challenge Gonzales in the 2024 Republican primary for Congressional District 23. (Avila ran for land commissioner in 2022.)
      
• Medina County GOP Chair Julia Clark announced her candidacy on Monday, and others are expected in the coming weeks.

Y'All Answered

This coming Sunday, daylight saving time will begin – which means "springing forward" clocks. The practice has come under criticism from a variety of perspectives. Yesterday, we asked readers if Texas should end the "spring forward / fall back" practice.

Just over 90 percent want to do away with the practice, though with some disagreement as to which setting the clock should be left. That disagreement probably works to the benefit of the 9.3 percent of readers who like to keep shifting their clocks.

Here's a sampling of responses from my inbox...

• “This has never made sense. I heard the best description of this action as ‘if you cut a foot off the top of a blanket then sew it onto the bottom, you'll have a longer blanket.’” – Greg Burr
      

• “I voted ‘no’ on the survey because I think the reason it was established was a good one. … I'm not too busy, or lazy, to adjust my clocks.” – Dick DuVall
      

• “I answered yes, but with a qualifier – only if we keep daylight savings year round! Nothing more depressing than getting off work and it being too dark to do anything!” – Jane Sellars
      

• “Numerous studies have revealed that negative impacts to mental health accompany both ‘fall back’ and ‘spring forward’ clock adjustments in those who are more prone to generalized anxiety. I think we can all agree that generalized anxiety has greatly increased over the past 3 years, so continuing in this arcane, mostly agrarian cultural practice is not as relevant as it used to be. If governments were really in existence to benefit society, then eliminating this practice would arguably eliminate one widespread stressor in the day-to-day life of all Americans.” – John Kough
      

• “There is no reason to switch between DST and ST. Let’s pick one and stick with it!  Injuries, car accidents, heart attacks, and sleep disturbances are all associated with time changes.  It’s time to let it go!” – Beth Kasper
      

• “There is nothing worse than going to work when it’s dark and leaving when it’s dark. “ – Corey Mayo
      

• “No matter whether we 'spring forward' or 'fall back,' there are still only 24 hours in the day. The changing is beyond ridiculous. All it does is create havoc in peoples lives no matter how old they are.” – Debbie Lawson
     

• “DST was a bad idea from the first, and it's a bad idea now.” – Robert Chafin
      

• “Daylight saving time forever, please! Winter is depressing with the earlier darkness.” – Fanchee Whitaker
     

• “Just another Big Government ploy to jerk us back and forth. Pretty sure God knew what he was doing when he made sunrise and sunset.” – Reid Davidson
     

• “God created time. Who are we to change it? Another example of legislatures thinking they know more than He does.” – Rowland Greenwade
     

• "Daylight saving has always been a hoax on the American people." – Roy Getting
      

• "To continue this archaic practice is stupid. You can bet whatever the stated point of this abuse, it is a lie." – Jane Kappes
     

• “Daylight saving time is an idiotic product of the FDR administration, and only an idiot would think it has value. DST just disrupts people's sleep cycles. Keep standard time.” – Thomas Bacon
     

• “I prefer daylight saving time permanently!” – Bill Jerke
     

• “The world moves 24/7; DST is irrelevant.” – Steve Cravier
     

• “I vote to keep it the same. I wouldn't want to keep golfers from enjoying their favorite pastime. When the government is messing with the time, they are leaving us alone in other areas.” – Danny Thompson 
     

• “This ritual only benefits coffee shops during the week following the event in the spring.” – Arthur Potter
     

• “With advanced technology, agricultural implements have GPS and sufficient lighting. Consequently, daylight saving time is no longer necessary or desired.” – Garry Ludwig
     

• “If you want to start work in the dark, then get up an hour earlier. I have never seen any savings in energy with this time movement. Take Texas out of Daylight Saving Time.” – Lane Burgess

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