Read this in a browser.

Good morning,

A federal nutrition program has evolved into subsidies for purchasing unhealthy snack foods. In this week's One Click Survey, we want to know what you think about efforts to reform SNAP benefits.

This is the Texas Minute for St. Patrick's Day, Monday, March 17, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Legislative Session Passes Milestone

• A key deadline in the legislative calendar was passed this weekend, with lawmakers now no longer able to file new legislation without receiving special permission. Brandon Waltens explains what it means.
   
• In total, 5,646 bills have been filed in the Texas House and 3,028 in the Senate, excluding resolutions.
     
• With that deadline passed, all filed legislation is now eligible for debate and votes. Until Saturday, lawmakers could only take action on bills designated as emergency priorities by Gov. Greg Abbott or those that received the rare four-fifths approval to bypass the restriction.
      
• The Senate wasted little time advancing Abbott’s key legislative priorities, including property tax relief, school choice, increased teacher pay, and bail reform. In contrast, the House has yet to pass a single piece of legislation.

Senator Proposes Sweeping Higher Education Reforms

• Legislation proposed in the Texas Senate would bring major reforms to higher education. As Valerie Muñoz reports, this includes reviewing the curriculum and further clarifying the governance of the institutions.
      
• Authored by State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), the legislation would, for the first time in law, recognize faculty senates—but they are defined as “advisory only.”
      
• If enacted, the law would clarify that governing boards—the regents—have final authority over hiring vice presidents, provosts, deans, and similar leadership positions, with the power to overturn university administrative decisions.
      
• It would also require the regents to create a general education review committee that ensures the university's core curriculum equips students with knowledge for participation in the workforce without political indoctrination.
      
• Creighton also wants to eliminate “obsolete academic minors and certificate programs.” 

Texas Congressman Proposes Ban on Foreign Adversaries Buying US Farmland

• U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Flower Mound) has proposed legislation prohibiting certain foreign adversaries, like China, from purchasing farmland nationwide. Luca Cacciatore reports on the Land and National Defense Act, which was filed on Friday.
      
• Individuals, companies, and governmental entities would not be allowed to purchase U.S. land if their own countries do not allow Americans to do likewise.
     
• Gill wants the Department of Agriculture to notify members of Congress of any land acquired by a foreign purchaser, whether from a hostile or friendly country.
       
• “The Chinese Communist Party is one of the biggest offenders,” said Gill. “The CCP has no place on our nation’s soil. My Land and National Defense Act is a commonsense solution to keep our adversaries from owning our farmland.”

New Legislation Blocks School Library Books Deemed Too Explicit for Prisons

• A new measure targeting children’s access to sexually explicit materials in schools was filed last week. The legislation, authored by State Rep. Andy Hopper (R-Decatur), would prohibit public schools from purchasing or possessing any books listed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s register of books prohibited to prisoners. Will Biagini has the details.
      
• The TDCJ lists more than 10,000 books with enough sexually explicit content as to make them unsuitable for prison inmates.
     
• Llano activist Bonnie Wallace has led the drive to protect children from such content in school libraries. “My question to school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, and librarians all across Texas is ‘Why are the minds of hardened criminals better protected in Texas than the minds of our innocent children in Texas schools?'”

Science Teacher Arrested for Solicitation of a Minor

• A science teacher in the Fort Worth Independent School District has been arrested after being caught sending sexually explicit messages to someone he believed was a minor. Sydnie Henry and Emily Medeiros have the story.
     
• Christopher Michael Rhodes, who taught at FWISD's Young Men's Leadership Academy, was arrested after a sting operation allegedly caught him sending sexually explicit messages to someone he thought was a 14-year-old boy.
     
• The district has placed Rhodes on leave, and the Texas Education Agency shows his teaching certificate is under investigation.

MORE TEACHER NEWS

Elementary Teacher Jailed for Possessing ‘Large Quantity’ of Child Sex Abuse Material

Carl David Innmon, a sign language teacher in the Austin Independent School District, has been arrested and charged with possessing more than 50 images or videos of child pornography—a first-degree felony.

Quote-Unquote

"I pray to God to give me perseverance and to deign that I be a faithful witness to Him to the end of my life for my God."

– St. Patrick​

One Click Survey

Members of the Texas Senate are looking at legislation to restrict the use of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits from being used to purchase junk food.

State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston) said SNAP should only be used to provide nutritious food essential to health and well-being, not "soda, energy drinks, candy, cookies, potato chips [and] corn chips." The American Heart Association opposes the effort due to the potential impacts on SNAP participation.

What do you think: Should taxpayers subsidize the purchase of unhealthy snack foods?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!