Good morning, 

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Thursday, January 16, 2020
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• A federal judge in Maryland, appointed by President Bill Clinton, has blocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s rejection of refugee placements in the Lone Star State. Confused? Last year the Trump Administration issued an executive allowing states to opt out of the federal refugee resettlement program. Gov. Abbott recently became the first governor to utilize the new authority by sending an “opt-out” letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  
      
• As Brandon Waltens reports, the federal judge’s order on Wednesday states the judge’s belief the executive order “does not appear to serve the overall public interest” and placed a preliminary injunction on the ability of governors to opt-out.
         
• So a liberal federal judge in Maryland knows what’s in Texas’ “public interest” better than Texans? Too many federal judges – especially those appointed by Democrats – can best be described as black-robed philosopher-kings legislating from the bench – imposing their will on the public. No, it’s not what our founding fathers intended for the judiciary.
         
• From the “do as I say and not as I do” category: three candidates – each hoping to receive their fellow citizens’ vote – have admitted they failed to participate in the crucial 2018 election, which included a hotly contested U.S. Senate race. Matt Stringer reports all three are now vying for the GOP nomination in the nine-way open-seat race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Conway in the 11th Congressional District.
      
• The three who failed to vote in 2018 are August Pfluger, Brandon Batch, and Jamie Berryhill. They offered differing excuses at a forum in Odessa. Berryhill said he was moving. Batch said he was working in DC for a congressman but traveling abroad to meet with foreign dignitaries. Pfluger said he didn’t vote because he was serving in the military. Pfluger’s excuse was scoffed at by three other candidates in the race, who were also active duty military but nonetheless exercised their “citizen’s duty” to vote.
      
• The 11th Congressional District of Texas stretches from the westernmost outskirts of DFW Metroplex, envelopes San Angelo, Midland, Odessa, and ends at the New Mexico border.
      
• Primary Election Day is March 3, 2020. Early voting runs from February 18 to February 28.
       
• Yesterday I told you about the brouhaha over comments Todd Staples – former Republican Commissioner of Agriculture and the current president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association – allegedly made to reporters. The media shouted that “Texas' Biggest Oil And Gas Industry Group Accepts Role In Climate Change.”
         
• While Staples and his team have not responded to Texas Scorecard for comment, they are quietly telling people in the industry the whole thing is “fake news” and his comments were misrepresented by the media.
          
• Except one outlet, KUT radio, has posted a recording of Staples’ actual comments to the media. You can hear the 8-minute audio clip on the radio station’s website. Among other things, Staples can be heard telling reporters: “We believe that all emissions contribute to climate change, and we believe that our industry is committed to doing our part to make improvements.”

• On this week’s edition of Texas Scorecard Radio, Tony McDonald interviews Cindy Gaskill about the ongoing controversy surrounding the Alamo. You’ll also hear Cary Cheshire, Brandon Waltens, and Erin Anderson reviewing news from around the state. 
      

• Even if Texas Scorecard Radio isn’t broadcast on your local airwaves, you can catch every edition on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud, or Stitcher.
      

• Taxpayers in McAllen paid Enrique Iglesias $485,000 to perform at the Christmas parade five years ago – a fact city officials were able to hide from taxpayers until a new law took effect on Jan. 1. David Vasquez reports the city’s contract with Iglesias also dictated that the city arrange for him to be flown from Guadalajara, Mexico, and pay for 24 hotel rooms for two nights with a host of amenities. 
      
• Among those contractual amenities? Iglesias’ dressing room was to have three 8-foot tables, four sets of china, one bottle of vodka, two bottles of Grey Goose, diet Red Bull, and other such costly frivolities. 
      
• No wonder the city wanted to hide the contract from the taxpayers.