Good morning!

Wow, typing the date in the subject line made me realize April is almost gone. We seem to have misplaced a month... Can we get a spring do-over?

Here is today’s Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

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The constitutionally required decennial census has been made more challenging due to the present crisis. The deadline for official population count numbers has been set for March 2021, but the Trump Administration has suggested release of the data could be postponed until later in the summer of 2021. This presents specific challenges for legislative and congressional redistricting.

In a new commentary, Jim Ellis explains [[link removed]] the problem is intensified for states that are either gaining (Texas) or losing (California) congressional districts in the reapportionment. Estimates allow for early work to be done, but until the Census Bureau provides the official tallies new boundaries cannot be finalized.

Civics reminder: Federal law caps the number of U.S. House members at 435, allocated between states based on population – though every state gets at least one. Texas currently has 36 seats in the U.S. House, but that number is projected to increase by three. The plan created by Gov. Greg Abbott’s strike force – which he announced [[link removed]] Monday – to slowly reopen Texas in phases received a less than enthusiastic response from his party’s base of activists in north Texas at a rally yesterday.

At the “Back To Work” rally in Dallas yesterday, activists chanted “shutdown the shutdown.” Robert Montoya reports [[link removed]] community and business leaders like entrepreneur Lisa Luby Ryan think “every single job, not 25 percent of the jobs, but every single job is important.”

Former State Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas) was blunt in his assessment [[link removed]] of Abbott’s handling of the state’s economy: “I thought it was an embarrassment for the State of Texas. He shut all the businesses down in one day, he can open them all in one day.”

Like other Texans, the Texas House’s Freedom Caucus [[link removed]] doesn’t understand why Gov. Abbott appears to be arbitrarily keeping certain businesses closed: “Barbers, cosmetologists, gyms, and salons are hurting. They can responsibly reopen now. They know coronavirus is serious. Texans know it’s serious. Texans can reduce the risk. Responsibly getting a haircut, exercising at a gym, or visiting a salon is possible. Let Texans decide.”

I think what we have learned is that barbers, hair stylists, and gym owners didn’t have Mike Toomey as a lobbyist [[link removed]].

“The government shouldn’t be picking winners and losers,” Michelle Smith, a leader of the popular Facebook group Open Texas, told Texas Scorecard [[link removed]]. “All businesses are essential to the health of our economy, and those people have to feed their families.”

“What would Sam Houston think … what would Stephen F. Austin think? Texas did not fight for their independence from a totalitarian government only to find itself under one now.” – Joel Starnes [[link removed]]

In a new commentary, attorney Warren Norred writes [[link removed]] he is “disappointed in Gov. Abbott’s ongoing pretense to be able to create laws out of thin air. It’s particularly disappointing when he decides that he can eliminate ANY use of ANY salon, no matter how carefully it operates, but allow your Petri Dish Day Care facility to operate however it wants. A woman can get her poodle’s hair cut, but she can’t get her own hair cut?”

Meanwhile, Michael Swirsky thoughtfully explains [[link removed]] why the anti-lockdown advocates were absolutely right... and why they have been mostly ignored.

“The case against lockdowns is strong, but conservatives have lost political capital. Let’s use the little we have left to persuade Texas and the rest of the country that choosing freedom is in the common good.” – Michael Swirsky [[link removed]] If you’re enjoying the Texas Minute, let your friends know! Have them visit TexasMinute.com [[link removed]] so they can sign up. If someone puts your email address – [email protected] – in the “How did you learn about us” box, we’ll send you one of our cool, limited-edition Texas Cannon stickers.

If you’re not enjoying the Texas Minute, you might as well let your friends suffer with you – so have them sign up [[link removed]]! Number of the Day

44,822

California’s estimated population decline between July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2019. The Golden State went from 39,557,045 to 39,512,223.

In the same period, Texas’ population increased by 294,036 – from 28,701,845 to 28,995,881.

[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]

Quote-Unquote

“There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.”

– Daniel Webster

Today In History

On April 29, 1945, the Dachau concentration camp was liberated by 45th Infantry Division of the U.S. Seventh Army.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Case Data

Current as of 5:30pm, 4/28/2020

​ Texas Data

Population: 28,995,881

Total Tests: 300,384

Reported Cases: 26,171​

Patients Recovered: 11,786 (estimate)

Total Fatalities: 690

Source: Texas State Department of Health Services

​ ​ Federal Data

Population: 328,239,523

Reported Cases: 981,246

Patients Recovered: 109,311*

Total Fatalities: 55,258​

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;

coronavirustracker.us*

​ ​ Texas Unemployment

New coronavirus-related claims [[link removed]] for the week ending...

Feb. 22: 7,053

Feb. 29: 7,393

March 7: 6,368

March 14: 16,176

March 21: 158,364

March 28: 276,185

April 4: 313,832

April 11: 273,567

April 18: 325,100

April 25: 437,300

So far this week: 18,500

TOTAL: 1,839,838

Source: Texas Workforce Commission

​ ​ Influenza Data; 2017-18*

Total U.S. Cases (estimated): 45 million

Total U.S. Hospitalizations: 810,000

Total U.S. Fatalities: 61,000

* Most recent available.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [[link removed]]

​ Your State Officials and Lawmakers

Governor of Texas

Greg Abbott - R

(512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor

Dan Patrick - R

(512) 463-0001

Attorney General

Ken Paxton – R

(512) 463-2100

Comptroller

Glen Hegar – R

(512-463-4600

Land Commissioner

George Bush – R

(512) 463-5001

Commissioner of Agriculture

Sid Miller – R

(512) 463-7476

Railroad Commissioners

Wayne Christian – R

Christy Craddick – R

Ryan Sitton – R

(512) 463-7158

Texas Senate, District

Update your address so we can show your state senator [[link removed]] -



Texas House, District

Update your address so we can display your state rep [[link removed]] -



Something not right?

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Managed / Update Your Email Preferences [[link removed]] Request A Speaker [[link removed]] Contribute [[link removed]] Michael Quinn Sullivan

CEO, Empower Texans

Texas Scorecard & Texans for Fiscal Responsibility

​www.EmpowerTexans.com

www.TexasScorecard.com

(888) 410-1836

PO Box 248, Leander, TX 78646

PO Box 700981, Dallas, TX 75370

PO Box 12862, Odessa TX 79768 The Texas Minute is a quick look at the news and info of the day that we find interesting, and hope you do as well. It is produced on week days and distributed at 6 a.m. (though I'll probably take the occasional break for holidays and whatnot).

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