Good morning!

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Thursday, February 13, 2020
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• Yes, Virginia, your new Democratic majority is full of people who hate the U.S. Constitution. Congratulations.
     
• The Virginia House voted this week for a law giving the state’s electoral votes to whatever candidate wins the popular vote. This, of course, is part of the Democrats assault on the Electoral College – that’s the ingenious constitutional device created by our nation’s founders to ensure presidential candidates have to make an effort in all the states rather than focus on only the most populous. On the other hand... think how great it will be when President Trump wins the popular vote and all the Virginian electoral ballots are given to him!
     
• Retired teachers in Texas are being taken for a ride, writes Adam Cahn in a new commentary focused on revelations that the state’s Teacher Retirement System is leasing office space for $326,000 per month. But, he adds, teachers should be weary of the “insincere howls” of legislators posturing for political advantage.
         
• Meanwhile, TheTexan.news reports that the Harris County Department of Education has given its superintendent a “lavish” 23 percent pay raise and doubled his retirement contributions. James Colbert will now be making a base annual salary of $290,000, get $40,000 a year deposited to his retirement account, and receive a $900 per month car allowance.
       
• But it is all for the children, of course...
      
• The latest installment of Texas Scorecard Radio features Tony McDonald interviewing David Keating of Institute for Free Speech about the 10th anniversary of Citizens United v FEC. At issue in the landmark decision was whether government can ban books, and if General Electric has greater speech rights than General Motors.
       
• By the way, even if Texas Scorecard Radio isn’t broadcast locally, you can catch every episode on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.
      
• Starr County officials are warning voters to beware of politiqueras trying to illegally harvest mail-in ballots ahead of the March primary. Erin Anderson has the story.
      
• Reagan Reed reports on a new political action committee that has hijacked the GOP brand to undermine the Republican Party. The “Republican Voters of Texas PAC” is working against conservative candidates for public office, and has been condemned by the Republican Party of Montgomery County.
     
• In a continuing series of one-on-one interviews with the candidates running for Texas’ 11th Congressional District, Matt Stringer sat down with Casey Gray to discuss his campaign.
       
• The influential, Tyler-based activist group Grassroots America has endorsed Lt. Col. Allen West for the chairmanship of the Republican Party of Texas. JoAnn Fleming, the organization’s executive director, noted in a Facebook post that the Texas GOP “needs an extraordinary communicator to inspire, a principled disrupter to fight the Austin Sewer, a listening servant leader, and a passionate advocate for freedom and liberty.” West will be challenging incumbent James Dickey at the state’s Republican convention in May.
      
• “We must insist upon a Republican Party of Texas that is NOT Democrat-lite and tolerant of Big Government just as long as the GOP is in charge of it!” – JoAnn Fleming
     
• During the recent State of the Union address, President Trump made reference to the Alamo in describing American heroism. Dallas-based engineer Eugene Cagle, Jr., offers a commentary reflecting on the Alamo’s significance to Texas’ past and future.
   
• Please join me in wishing a very happy birthday to Valerie Webb!

• In a new review of political spending for the 2020 election cycle,

  Transparency Texas reports “small dollar donors will have a big impact on the upcoming elections.”

     
• Ahead of the March 3 GOP primary, Cary Cheshire has reviewed the candidates seeking to replace retiring State Rep. Dwayne Bohac of Houston. They include Josh Flynn, Lacey Hull, and Claver Kamau-Imani. Cheshire looks at the support those candidates have received and the platforms on which they are running. 
      
• Meanwhile, Brandon Waltens examined the race to replace State Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van). Once a conservative champion, Flynn’s record has dropped in recent years – for example, look no further than his “F” rating on the Fiscal Responsibility Index for the the last two session. Flynn’s full-throated defense of House Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s scandalous behavior last year seemed to indicate his final break with the conservative movement. Taking on Flynn are Dwayne “Doc” Collins of Edom and Bryan Slaton of Royse City, both well-known and liked conservatives.
      
• FYI: we have not made an endorsement in either contest.