Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Casino-Backed PACs Continue Spending Spree

• The latest campaign finance records reveal that casino-backed political committees tied to a Nevada-based company are once again flooding Republican primary races across Texas. Brandon Waltens breaks down the details.
     
• Campaign finance records between January 1-22 show Texas Sands PAC and Texas Defense PAC working in tandem. The entities are tied to Las Vegas Sands; despite its name, the company doesn't operate casinos in Nevada or anywhere in the United States. Its revenues come primarily from China.
    
• The activity since January 1 reflects a familiar two-track strategy used by casino interests in past election cycles: direct political donations through Texas Sands PAC paired with aggressive mail, digital, and voter-contact campaigns through Texas Defense PAC.
     
• Legislatively, casino promoters in Texas want government-enforced geographic monopolies free from competition.

School Officials: Islamic Group Didn't Have Permission to Distribute Handouts

• Officials in the Wylie Independent School District have responded to public outrage over Islamic materials being distributed on a high school campus. Erin Anderson has the details.
      
• A group called "Why Islam?" set up a table in a common area inside Wylie East High School during lunch. The group handed out hijabs for female students and pamphlets on Shariah law, sparking outrage online.
      
• Yesterday morning, district officials took “full responsibility” for the incident and said existing protocols were not followed ahead of and during the day on Monday. The group did not have permission to distribute materials, and no campus officials moved to stop the activities as they were taking place.
      
• A year ago, in February 2025, Wylie East Principal Tiffany Doolan posted an image on Instagram of herself wearing a hijab on campus as part of a “World Hijab Day” that was organized by a student group.

A&M Regents Set To Appoint Abbott Critic to Veterinary Committee

• Adam Cahn reports that a disgraced former member of the Texas House is set to be appointed by Texas A&M's regents to serve on an oversight committee for the institution's veterinary school.
      
• Glenn Rogers, known for clashing with Gov. Greg Abbott and grassroots conservatives during his time in the legislature, was defeated by Mike Olcott (R-Aledo) in a landslide during the 2024 GOP primary. Rogers was nominated by A&M's interim president, Tommy Williams, with the support of Chancellor Glenn Hegar.
        
• The former legislator has accused Abbott of "corruption" and of having "defiled" the office of governor.

Couple Sentenced After Fake ID Bust by Dallas ICE

• A Mexican couple living in Oklahoma has been sentenced for manufacturing fake identification documents for illegal aliens, a scheme Addie Hovland reports that was uncovered by ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Dallas.
    
• Karina Garcia-Salazar and Jorge Augusto Prieto-Gamboa provided a variety of counterfeit document options—including social security cards, Lawful Permanent Resident or “Green” cards, and U.S. passports.
     
• During the investigation, agents searched the couple’s Tulsa home. Several completed documents were discovered, along with electronic devices that contained over 2,000 different ID documents and correspondence containing photos and other personal information of customers.

Harris County Judge Hidalgo Endorses Al Green For New CD-18

• Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is endorsing U.S. Rep. Al Green in the Democratic primary for Texas’ newly redrawn 18th Congressional District. But, as Michael Wilson reports, that endorsement comes just two days after Hidalgo supported Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee in the special election runoff for the same seat, though with different lines.
      
• The March primary will be the first held under the state’s new congressional map, designed to reshape several U.S. House districts across Texas and add more Republican-leaning seats.
     
• The new lines mean Menefee, who was elected to fill the unexpired term of the late Sylvester Turner, will be running against Green and several others for the Democrat nomination in the reconfigured district.
     
• This leaves Hidalgo having endorsed both Green and Menefee in the same race.

Quote-Unquote

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

– George Washi​ngton

The Directory of State and Federal Officials

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