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Good morning!

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

UPFRONT: One Click Survey Results In yesterday's Texas Minute, I provided a sampling [[link removed]] of the responses to Monday's One Click Survey, but not the answer percentages.

To recap: the Texas Senate recently voted to abolish the Texas Lottery Commission, transferring oversight of scratch-off tickets and number drawings to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation with a new set of strict laws and regulations. More than 93 percent of readers said the House should adopt the Senate measure, while 6.8 percent said it should not ... though some selected "no" because they want the lottery itself abolished outright.

I apologize for the oversight! Texas House Committee Advances Senate Bill To Abolish Lottery Commission Legislation that would abolish the Texas Lottery Commission and implement sweeping changes to the operation of the lottery cleared its first hurdle in the Texas House yesterday when the State Affairs Committee voted to advance it to the full chamber for consideration. As Daniel Greer reports [[link removed]], the Senate had passed the measure unanimously last week.

Since its founding, the commission has been mired in controversy, but recent concerns about accountability, unlawful expansion, and money laundering have thrown the agency into crisis. The agency and its operations are the subject of multiple ongoing investigations.

Abolishing the commission and tightening controls on lottery operations are seen as a last chance for the beleaguered “games of Texas.” If the lottery fails to operate within the lawmaker’s new parameters, it could be permanently shuttered in two years.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been on a crusade to reform the rogue agency since the legislative session began, going on multiple site visits to “sweatshop” ticket-printing operations and the agency itself. First Charter Flight From Houston Sends Self-Deporting Illegals Home This week, 64 illegal aliens from Colombia and Honduras self-deported to their home countries aboard the inaugural charter flight of the Department of Homeland Security's “Project Homecoming” initiative. Sydnie Henry has the story [[link removed]].

Project Homecoming is designed to incentivize the voluntary departure of illegal aliens residing in the United States. Participants apply through the CBP Home App, a digital platform developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to initiate the self-deportation process.

Those approved to self-deport qualify for free flight assistance, including chartered flights, as well as a $1,000 cash stipend when they get home, and the possibility to apply for legal entry to the U.S. in the future.

The Trump administration has argued that self-deportation programs like Project Homecoming reduce the costs associated with forced deportations, which can average more than $17,000 per case. State Rep. Now Claims He Voted For His Own Bad Amendment by Accident... If you are confused by the headline, you should be.

The debate over Texas’ foreign land ownership ban has taken an unusual turn, with State Rep. Matt Shaheen (R–Plano) now claiming in a journal statement that he meant to vote against his own language that critics say significantly weakened the conservative priority legislation. Brandon Waltens has the details [[link removed]].

During the recent debate over Senate Bill 17, prohibiting individuals and entities from designated foreign adversaries from owning property in Texas, Shaheen introduced and argued passionately for an amendment weakening the legislation. On the day SB 17 was considered, he—as one would expect—voted for his own amendment to the legislation.

Yet now the House Journal contains a statement submitted by Shaheen [[link removed]] sometime after that vote: "I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no."

In the Texas House, journal statements are formal written notes lawmakers can submit after a vote to clarify or explain how they intended to vote, especially if they believe they voted in error. While these statements don’t change the official vote count, they are entered into the legislative record as part of the House Journal. In recent years, some lawmakers have added journal statements long after the actual vote in order to guard against potential vulnerabilities in campaigns.

House Passes Measure Creating Database for School Bond Projects Luca Cacciatore reports [[link removed]] that members of the Texas House have approved the establishment of a database for information regarding current or future public school bond projects.

The legislation, which originated in the Senate, would direct the Texas Education Agency to create a new database containing information on estimated tax increases associated with proposed bond projects.

It would also require the database to show the ballot language of each bond proposition, the results of bond elections, a list of projects funded by each bond, an accounting of bond proceeds, and general information on what is being built using bond funds.

The House’s decision to approve SB 843 comes amid concerns from grassroots activists who say current Texas bond elections are often missing information or incorporate disinformation.

Senators Consider Bipartisan Bill Requiring Schools To Regulate Cell Phone Use Texas could soon become the largest state to enact “bell-to-bell no-cell” policies at public schools, as Erin Anderson reports [[link removed]].

Bipartisan legislation passed by the Texas House in April would restrict students’ use of cell phones at school. The measure received support from parents and students during a Senate committee hearing this week.

Authored by State Rep. Caroline Fairly (R–Amarillo), the measure would require public school districts to adopt policies that prohibit students from using personal communication devices while on campus during the school day. Fairly has emphasized [[link removed]] that school districts would maintain “local control” to decide specific no-phones policies—whether that is prohibiting phones on campus, providing secure storage areas in classrooms, or simply requiring students to keep devices in their backpacks during class. Legal Battle Over Harris County Commissioner Seat Heads to Appeals Court A legal dispute over the status of the Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner seat, currently held by Adrian Garcia, is moving to an appellate court. As Joseph Trimmer reports [[link removed]], the district judge hearing the case found the court lacked jurisdiction regarding a lawsuit challenging Garcia’s eligibility to serve.

The lawsuit in question alleges that Garcia should have vacated his commissioner seat in August 2023 when he accepted an appointment to the board of the Gulf Coast Protection District. The plaintiffs argue that holding both positions simultaneously violates Texas law prohibiting public officials from occupying two offices with conflicting duties.

Harris County attorneys, meanwhile, argue that Garcia’s appointment to the GCPD was invalid from the outset due to the “self-appointment” doctrine, which prohibits members of a governing body from appointing themselves to another position. Therefore, they assert, Garcia never legally held the GCPD position, and his role on the commissioners court remains unaffected.

Yes, the Democrats running Harris County are as dysfunctional as they sound... Support the work of Texas Scorecard [[link removed]] Today in History

On May 21, 1881, the American Red Cross was founded in Washington, D.C., to provide humanitarian aid to victims of wars and natural disasters.

Number of the Day

$73,032,942,298

The total outstanding bond debt in Texas, as of Fiscal Year 2024.

[Source: Texas Bond Review Board [[link removed]]]

Quote-Unquote

"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much."

– Ronald Reagan​

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