Good morning, 

As it turns out, even those who don't want to eliminate the Internal Revenue Service don't like it. Below are the results of yesterday's One Click Survey.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

State Lawmaker Paid by Lobbying Firm

• A new report reveals that Republican State Rep. Gary VanDeaver of New Boston was a paid consultant for a lobbying firm from 2020 until at least 2022. Brandon Waltens has the story.
      
• While VanDeaver has claimed the Powell Group “is not a lobby firm,” the group’s own website states that their government relations services include lobbying.
      
• The group describes itself as offering “turnkey public policy and governmental affairs programs for school district leaders and businesses in the education space who want to influence local and state legislative and regulatory matters.” 
       
• Records reveal the firm has lobby clients, including the Texas Association of Rural Schools, the Association of Texas Professional Educators, and the Texas Rural Broadband Commission. In a statement to the Dallas Express, VanDeaver claimed he was not involved with lobbying for the group’s clients.
          
• VanDeaver, a former public school administrator, has been a vocal opponent of school choice proposals. Chris Spencer is challenging VanDeaver for re-election in the May 28 GOP primary runoff.

Suspected Illegal Aliens Arrested For Possession of Child Pornography

• A group of individuals suspected of being in the United States illegally have been arrested at a house in Baytown for possession of child pornography. Will Biagini has the details.
       
• The Chambers County Sheriff’s Office explains that police executed an evidentiary search warrant of the residence after the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force uncovered information revealing that images and videos of child pornography had been downloaded at that location.
        
• Officers forcefully entered the house after the occupants refused to open the door. Once inside, police discovered a group of 10 people they suspected to be in the country illegally. Charges are pending.

UTD Eliminates More Than 20 DEI-Related Faculty Jobs

• More than three months after a law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education went into effect, officials at the University of Texas at Dallas have announced they will officially be eliminating around 20 positions. Emily Medeiros reports the school is closing its Office of Campus Resources and Support to comply with the new law.
        
• UTD President Richard C. Benson said the employees impacted will be able to apply for other open positions on campus.
      
• State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), the author of the DEI ban, said he expects all of the state's colleges and universities to comply with the law.
      
• “The recent actions by the University of Texas at Dallas demonstrate that they are taking steps to ensure compliance with SB 17—the strongest ban on DEI in the nation. While any decision to release staff members is a difficult one, the efficiencies gained, and reinvestment into recruiting a diverse blend of students and professors, based upon merit, are of the highest priority.” – Brandon Creighton 

Runoff Candidates on School Choice

• School choice has been a priority of both the Republican Party of Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott, but the House has repeatedly rejected proposals to make it law. Amelia McKenzie asked the candidates in the May 28 runoff election their thoughts on the issue.

      
• The 2024 primary election was a major success for school choice advocates in Texas. Several anti-school choice incumbents were defeated outright, while others were pushed into the upcoming runoff election.
      
• The responses, and in some cases lack of responses, can be found in the article.
       
• “Parents should have the freedom to make the best choice for their family, ensuring that their children receive an excellent education that prepares them for future success. While my dedication to Texas families is unwavering, Dade Phelan repeatedly failed to empower parents and pass school choice, despite Governor Abbott calling four special sessions to do so.” – David Covey, candidate in HD21

School District Wants Voters to Approve New Debt

• Sulphur Springs Independent School District is asking voters to approve new debt that will cost taxpayers more than $280 million. Luca Cacciatore explains the money would be used to construct two new elementary schools and renovate two others.

COMING TOMORROW...

Quote-Unquote

"One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws."

– Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Letter from the Birmingham Jail"​

Y'All Answered

Yesterday, as everyone was furiously completing their tax forms, we asked readers if the Internal Revenue Service should be eliminated. Nearly 82 percent of readers simply want it eliminated, while 18.1 percent think it should be kept around.

Here is a sampling of the responses we received from folks after they answered the survey...

• “Taxation Is Theft.” – Chris Breaux
      

• “Simplify the rules, incentivize work, downsize the number of agents, take away their guns, and outlaw asset forfeiture would be a good start.” – Thomas Camardo
      

• “The IRS has become a gun-toting, door kicking down, weaponized arm of the Big Brother Democrat Party.” – Kathy Parker
      

• “As an IRS Enrolled Agent, I can tell you that the current income tax is nothing more than a wealth redistribution scheme. The code is so complicated that if I call the IRS to ask a question and I don't like the answer, I can always keep calling until I get the answer I'm looking for.  Most of them don't understand it all.  Some haven't even read their own manual.  Time for a change.” – Rick Goncher
      

• “Abolish the IRS & All of its armed agents & weaponized tactics against conservatives.” – Michele Ward
      

• “Why not institute a SMALL Federal sales tax and do away with the IRS? No more filing, no more record keeping, and EVERYONE pays, even illegals.” – Diana Firestone
      

• “The IRS bureaucracy has gotten out of control and needs to be eliminated to facilitate the simplification of the collection of taxes.” – George McClure
      

• “The IRS should be totally abolished.  It is as corrupt as the rest of the federal government agencies and has no interest in the well being of our nation or its legal citizens.” – Sandi Stephens
       

• “Paying taxes is like paying protection to a mob boss. You know it is theft from the start…” – Gerald Dietz
      

• “Much like all the other federal government alphabet agencies, the IRS (Illegal Rampant Stealing) should be abolished, and a new agency should be created with the sole purpose of collecting a flat-rate tax from all taxpaying entities, with an option for those who just love to support big government (DemocRats)…to voluntarily pay more! They won’t, of course…as they never put their money where their mouth is…” – Dana Krasinski
      

• “The IRS has become more of a weapon than an agency.” – Dawn Gerstenber
      

• “We are funding our own demise. I’d like to be an illegal and get paid in cash, my kids get free education, free healthcare, and not worry about jail—you know, the Democrat platform. Dems just never said who they’re getting it for.” – Corey Mayo
       

• “As with too many of the Federal agencies, the IRS has become a weapon of the left. The only way to stop these shenanigans is to dismantle these agencies and start over.” – Darrell Reichel
      

• “Half the country pays little to no taxes, yet every citizen gets to vote. A consumption tax would spread the burden, make our exports immediately more competitive, and force restraint.” – Jack Boteler
      

• “Yes, we need to get rid of the IRS. Why stop there, though? Let's do away with the FDA, the DOE, the Department of Homeland Security, and most other overreaching and unnecessary government departments.” – Cathy Blake 
      

• “Adopt the Fair Tax, and the IRS will be eliminated while providing government funding with economic growth, a broader tax base, a monthly rebate, and built-in checks against corporate and government cronyism.” – John Householder
      

• “Eliminating the IRS would be a great start to reining in our bloated, out of control government.” – Allison Love
      

• “I think the nation would be better served by a flat tax of 10% taken through our monthly income. Then we could eliminate the 90% of the IRS and all of the boondoggle of regulations, deductions, etc.” – Kenneth Gardner
      

• “Absolutely eliminate IRS, along with the FBI and several other Federal bureaucratic agencies that overstep their bounds by duplicating and overriding the states’ authority.” – Susan Valliant
      

• “Our federal income tax laws are a national disgrace. Extremely complicated, due to the years of lobbyists and politicians ‘meddling,’ tax laws should be dumped and replaced with a Fair Tax or something similar. The IRS is just another behemoth federal agency that wastes boatloads of our money. The IRS as it stands, should be dumped and replaced with a much smaller agency that can administer a simpler, more efficient tax law.” –  Charles Busbey
      

• “Abolish the IRS. Abolish it! Abolish it! Abolish it! Cut government! Cut, Cut, Cut! They are pushing everyone into total poverty. The day of reckoning is upon us, and many of us are starting to feel the desperation.” – Nancy Wood
      

• “The problem with getting rid of the IRS is that there must be a collection arm of the government that enforces the tax laws. With the present state of our legislature and administration, the replacement would be much worse. I’ll take the devil I know.  The better alternative is to reform the law and remove the social engineering.” – William Potter
      

• “As long as we as taxpayers are funding the government, there must be someone/entity to receive the payments.” – Melynda Caudle
      

• “Abolish the IRS. Simplify the tax code so anyone can do their own taxes. Then we don't need 87,000 armed IRS agents. Maybe we can send them to the border.” – Rick Perry
       

• “The IRS could be replaced or reorganized very easily, with fewer personnel, especially the armed ones who want to FORCE us to comply.” – Charlene Roberson

Directory of Your Current U.S. & Texas Lawmakers

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