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Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Wednesday, January 8, 2020
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• Young Conservatives of Texas—a nonpartisan, conservative youth organization—released its legislative rankings for the 86th legislative session, continuing its tradition of publishing one of the longest-running legislative ratings in the state. Brandon Waltens reports this release marks the 23rd consecutive installment of YCT’s ratings, which date back to 1975.
      
• The average score in the Texas House was a 50 out of 100, while the Texas Senate averaged a slightly better score of 59.
      
• Topping the YCT ratings in the Texas House is a three-way tie between State Reps. Briscoe Cain (R–Deer Park), Mayes Middleton (R–Wallisville), and Tony Tinderholt (R–Arlington), all of whom earned a score of 97. In the Texas Senate, State Sen. Bob Hall (R–Edgewood) ended up on top with a score of 88.
      
• The lowest rated House Republican was State Rep. Sarah Davis (West University Place), who earned a lower score than Democrat Rep. Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City. Meanwhile, Kel Seliger of Amarillo was the lowest-scoring Republican in the Senate.
     
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms wants to add a “non-binary” gender option to the background check form used for new firearm purchases. Matt Stringer has the details.
   
• What gender is your firearm?

• Three years after a citizen complained, a former Lovejoy ISD superintendent has been fined for spending taxpayer dollars to electioneer for a school tax increase. Erin Anderson reports the former superintendent, Ted Moore, was fined $1,500 for his electioneering with the taxpayers’ money. He was forced from his position on allegations he had inappropriate conduct with adult victims.
     
• Lovejoy ISD isn’t the only school district with a history of wrongly using the taxpayers’ resources to electioneer. Lewisville ISD budgeted $280,000 to promote a $737 million bond proposition in 2017. In 2018, Lancaster ISD employees were caught on video telling people to vote for a TRE during a district-sponsored event at an on-campus polling place. Earlier this year, Conroe ISD sent taxpayer-funded mailers and emails promoting an $807 million bond.
   
• State Sen. Pat Fallon (R–Prosper) proposed a bill last year clarifying what activities constitute an illegal use of taxpayer resources for electioneering. Like so many other conservative reforms, Fallon’s measure passed the Senate but died in the House.
   
• The City of Fort Worth could be preparing to levy higher taxes and new regulations on its residents, reports Robert Montoya. This is the suspicion many in the Panther City have after a survey was published, and then removed, from the official city website dealing with issues surrounding “short-term” rentals like AirBnB.