Good morning! 

Fallout continues from disgraced House Speaker Dennis Bonnen’s announcement he won’t be seeking re-election in the wake of his scandal. Now the work of cleaning up Bonnen’s mess – removing the stain on our government and the stench from the Capitol – falls to the Texas GOP. Are they up to the task?

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Wednesday, October 23, 2019
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• In case you missed it, Speaker Bonnen announced early yesterday morning he would not seek re-election to the Texas House after grassroots activists pressured his colleagues to demand he step aside. Brandon Waltens has the details.
     
• But despite the quid pro quo scandal at the heart of Bonnen’s tenure in the Texas House, Gov. Greg Abbott offered high praise for the disgraced speaker.
     
• “I applaud Speaker Bonnen for his commitment to making Texas a better state, and Cecelia and I wish him, Kim, and his entire family all the best in the future.” – Gov. Abbott
      
• Now that Bonnen is stepping aside, voters will judge for themselves who stood up to his corruption and who stood against the people. Brandon Waltens names them.

• In happier news, Robert Montoya has quotes and video from the citizens he met at last week’s Trump rally who are enthused about someone who is actually working to drain the swamp and reform the political culture. 
     
• Also from Montoya: State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R-Arlington) says lawmakers should prioritize holding taxpayer-funded campuses accountable for violating freedom of speech.
     
• Erin Anderson reports taxpayers could pay a high price for missing this November’s election. She reports Metroplex voters will find hundreds of millions in new bond debt on their ballots, which if approved will be repaid with local property taxes.