Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Thursday, January 22, 2026.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Abbott Orders Cy-Fair ISD to Halt Islamic Games

• Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District to terminate any negotiations to host the 2026 Houston Islamic Games. As Brandon Waltens reports, this follows revelations that the event was promoted as being sponsored by the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
      
• Late last year, Abbott designated CAIR as a terrorist organization under Texas law. In a letter sent yesterday to Cy-Fair ISD, the governor warned the district that it cannot use taxpayer-funded school facilities to host an event connected to the organization. He gave the district seven days to confirm that any negotiations or agreements related to the Islamic Games have been terminated.
       
• Earlier this week, Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District officials severed negotiations for a similar Islamic Games event after citizens and elected officials raised concerns about CAIR’s involvement.
      
• "Texans deserve immediate action to curb the spread of Islamic extremism, and public facilities funded by their tax dollars will not be utilized to host terrorist related groups." – Greg Abbott
    
• Shortly after the governor sent his letter to Cy-Fair, the Islamic Games dropped that event from their national website; no specific Texas locations are now listed.

Paxton Launches Investigation Into Hidden Payouts Driving Childhood Vaccine Recs

• Attorney General Ken Paxton is directly targeting “Big Pharma and Big Insurance” over what he calls a “multi-level, multi-industry scheme” to financially pressure doctors into pushing childhood vaccines that parents may not believe are safe or necessary. Sydnie Henry has the details.

       
• The new investigation focuses on financial incentives tied specifically to childhood vaccine recommendations. According to Paxton's office, the current framework has “historically forced Texas kids to receive over 70 shots from birth to age 18” as a practical condition to continue receiving medical care from many pediatric practices.
       
• Paxton's investigation is set to examine if pediatric providers, insurers, vaccine manufacturers, and related entities failed to fully disclose financial incentives connected to vaccination. As part of the probe, the OAG is issuing more than 20 Civil Investigative Demands to some of the largest medical providers, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country.

Federal Court Upholds West Texas A&M Prohibition on Sexually Explicit Drag Performances

• Adam Cahn reports that a federal judge has ruled that West Texas A&M University can proceed with its prohibition on sexually explicit drag performances.
     
• In a 46-page ruling, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk wrote that a "drag show" is not "'expressive conduct' warranting First Amendment protection." He explained that while nearly “all conduct can be considered expressive in some sense … not all conduct is entitled to First Amendment protection.”
    
• The institution's president, Dr. Walter Wendler, put the ban in place in 2023. He wrote at the time that, "Drag shows are derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent."

Court Crushes ‘Frivolous’ Keller ISD Voting-District Lawsuit

• In a big win for the Keller Independent School District, Erin Anderson reports that a federal judge has dismissed a voting rights lawsuit led by left-leaning activists. Their lawsuit had attempted to revoke the district’s decades‑old system for electing trustees.
     
• The lawsuit alleged that the district’s at‑large voting system “denies Hispanic voters a fair opportunity to elect representatives of their choosing, illegally diluting their votes.” Judge Reed O’Connor found the suit “frivolous, unreasonable, and without foundation.”
      
• Keller ISD Trustee Chris Coker said the district has had to spend approximately $250,000 “defending against a politically-motivated attack disguised as a civil rights case.” 

Governor Backs Challenger in GOP Ag Commission Race

• A major shakeup has hit the Republican primary race for Texas agriculture commissioner, with Gov. Greg Abbott endorsing challenger Nate Sheets over incumbent Sid Miller.
     
• The governor praised Sheets as a “Texas-first trade candidate” who is “laser-focused on producing clean food for Texans and strengthening labor security to protect our border and our ag economy.”
      
• Miller has faced a challenger in each re-election race since first winning the office more than a decade ago, with some from Abbott's orbit of allies fueling those efforts. But this marks the first time the governor has officially endorsed one of Miller’s opponents. Abbott’s announcement also comes as an increasing number of conservative organizations that previously supported Miller have backed Sheets this cycle.
      
• A spokesperson for Miller told Texas Scorecard the campaign had “nothing to add” following the endorsement.

OTHER AG NEWS

Quote-Unquote

"Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences."

– Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito​

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* The new congressional boundaries for representational purposes will not take effect until January 2027.