Good morning – 

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Wednesday, August 7, 2019
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• A few members of the Texas House are rushing to accept an apology from House Speaker Dennis Bonnen for saying “terrible things” about other lawmakers in the meeting he requested of me on June 12. The problem is not what some lawmakers are willing to forgive, it is what they are willfully ignoring.
     

• As distasteful as the things Bonnen said about Republican and Democrat members behind their backs might be, his loyalists seem too willing to look past his quid pro quo offer of official actions in exchange for political activities. (And lying about providing me a GOP target list.)
     

• As a friend likes to say: bribes, attempted bribes, and every other sort of unlawful quid pro quo proposal should be treated as an emergency. When a person offers a bribe, he is not offering a gift – he is aiming a gun. The person initiating the bribe is attempting to control the recipient. Even if recipients don’t agree to the scheme, they can be fingered as part of a conspiracy. Unless they want to be held hostage, the victim must take reasonable actions to get out of the trap. This is why I took action.
     

• Republican officials – from grassroots activists to statewide elected officials – must decide if they are satisfied with swimming in the Austin sewer. They can accept corruption, or they can demand a clean culture that allows our best chance for reforms to improve Texas.

• Attorney Andrea Bouressa has been selected to serve as the first judge of the newly created 471st Judicial District Court in Collin County. Erin Anderson reports Bouressa will take the bench on September 1.
     
• The Harris County Republican Party responds to a recent commentary regarding how election integrity legislation was handled in the 86th legislative session. In a commentary, Alan Vera and County Chairman Paul Simpson say they “believe mandating paper ballots for all Texas counties endangers election integrity.”
      
• How are Texas’ freshmen delegation to the U.S. Congress using their newfound political power? Jordan Clements reviews the actions and activities of the Republican and Democrat freshmen... and what they have been doing with the power entrusted to them.
      
• A North Texas city councilman has a warning for local taxpayers: their city council wants to take on $2 million of new debt to avoid lowering their property taxes. Robert Montoya has the details.
       
• “In essence, you the taxpayer will be paying [for] the privilege of NOT reducing your tax rate.” – Saginaw City Councilman Patrick Farr