The Texas Report 8/14

The Texas Report 8/14

What’s Happening:

• Child dies while in route to Chicago as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s migrant busing program (More here)

• Texas House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment releases initial interim report

• Texas sues Shell for $1 million in damages

Below is an extremely interesting article on the use of Gen Z influencers recruited by a company with significant conservative ties to use social media to support impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and attacking Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan.

Influenceable LLC hired and recruited the influencers, who Defend Texas Liberty Pac paid $18,000. Defend Texas Liberty is an offshoot of the former Empower Texans group led and funded by conservative billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks.

This article essentially explains that social media figures were paid to support Ken Paxton and subvert the impeachment trial, but there was never any disclosure that these were paid posts.

The Influenceable story was first covered by:

Child dies while in route to Chicago as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s migrant busing program

Late last week, the Chicago Tribune reported that a 3-year-old child died on the way to Chicago as part of Texas's migrant busing program. The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed to the newspaper that the state agency is investigating the death.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) operates the busing efforts, which have transported 30 thousand migrants across the country since beginning in 2022. TDEM said that after the child's health began deteriorating, the bus pulled over and contacted 9-11—bilingual security personnel translated for the parents and paramedics. The child was taken to a nearby hospital, where they died.

The agency said that all of the passengers on the bus were processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the City of Brownsville, which included a temperature check and medical screening. The agency said no passengers showed signs of fever or medical concerns. In their statement, TDEM said, "Migrants willingly chose to go to Chicago having signed a voluntary consent waiver."

TDEM added that "each bus was stocked with food and water, which were distributed on board, and the bus makes stops along the trip to refuel and switch drivers, the release said. Additionally, "migrants are allowed to purchase any additional provisions or disembark at any of these stops."

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat whose district includes the Texas border, said Friday night that he hadn't been briefed on the child's death details. Still, he criticized Abbott, saying the governor should work more with the federal government on border security.

"You can't use the migrants as political pawns. You still have to be accountable to caring for them, especially if you're transporting kids," Cullear said.

In a recent social media post, Governor Abbott shared the breakdown by location for the busing program:

• 10,700 to DC,

• 11,500 to NYC

• 4,900 to Chicago

• 2,100 to Philadelphia

• 520 to Denver

• 290 to LA

At least four migrant children have died this year in federal custody. That includes an 8-year-old girl from Panama who died in May and had arrived with a heart condition and sickle cell anemia. Last month, an independent report found that Border Patrol does not have protocols for assessing medical needs of children with preexisting conditions. (Per the Associated Press)

Texas House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment releases Initial Interim Report

The House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment, chaired by Representative Brad Buckley, released its first initial report last Friday.

Speaker Dade Phelan created this committee to study and provide potential recommendations on various important topics related to public education.

Specifically charged to study:

• Ensuring all Texas youths enjoy equal educational opportunity and the freedom to obtain a quality education, regardless of circumstance;

• Improving outcomes for Texas public school students and meaningfully supporting educators and educational institutions;

• Modernizing assessment and accountability measures for Texas schools educating K-12 students.

Regarding the recommendations for vouchers, the committee didn't endorse the idea. But did address it and recommend that should the Legislature enact a voucher program, it should:

• Clearly outline student eligibility to ensure success and target certain student populations.

• Prioritize high-need students.

• The program should include appropriate safeguards to ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability, including, but not limited to, a finite appropriation to fund the program using General Revenue funds and not funds from Foundation School Program.

Ultimately, value the best interest of the student, parent, and taxpayer, preserving the quality of education. Vouchers were likely the most controversial topic of the 88th legislative session, and the governor has routinely signaled that it will be back on the table in an October special session. Governor Greg Abbott has also previously said he wouldn't support a toned-down version of a bill for school vouchers. Universal school choice advocates would likely be hard-pressed to settle for anything less.

During the 88th Regular Session, public school teacher pay raises and vouchers ended up tied to one another resulting in neither passing. There's significant concern that something similar may happen in the upcoming special.

The committee held two hearings in July, with 17 hours of testimony from 52 witnesses.

Other recommendations included increasing the Basic Allotment to ensure local education agencies have sufficient operating funds and then requiring a percentage of that increase provide wage increases for all staff. Additionally, the report covered subjects related to student discipline and assessment, which we'd be happy to provide more information about in a follow-up.

Full Report

Texas sues Shell for $1 million in damages

Shell and Pemex, the subsidiary of Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, are facing a lawsuit from the State of Texas for a massive fire in May at one of its chemical plants.

The Texas attorney general alleged in court documents that the massive fire caused "mass quantities" of airborne contaminants and illegal flows of wastewater into nearby waterways.

The civil lawsuit, filed Aug. 7 in state district court in Travis County, Texas, on behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, seeks unspecified monetary damages of more than $1 million and other relief tied to alleged environmental violations at the Deer Park site.

According to the state, days of firefighting resulted in at least 68.7 million gallons of wastewater being unlawfully discharged into a storm-water pond and the nearby Houston Ship Channel.

The lawsuit also alleges Shell allowed additional, unspecified volumes of wastewater to flow through a water-treatment facility in amounts exceeding what was permitted.

In addition to the lawsuit filed by Texas, Shell faces private lawsuits on behalf of more than two dozen employees and contractors who say they were injured and exposed to harmful chemical fumes during the fire.

A Shell executive at the chemicals plant told reporters in May that the fire sent 15 people to the hospital for evaluations and that all were later released. The company has said it is committed to the safety and well-being of workers and communities near its plants.

The Deer Park wastewater discharges started May 5, when the fire ignited, and lasted until at least May 26, according to the state's lawsuit.