Big Beautiful Map Signed into Law; Ways to Help Deploy the Ten Commandments in Schools, Second Special Session Winding Down, State Takeover of FWISD?

Congressional Redistricting Map Signed in to Law

In July I was named by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to Chair the Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting, and I was honored to lead the redistricting effort in the Texas Senate. This new map gives Republicans the opportunity to potentially elect five more GOP Members of Congress from Texas. On Friday, Governor Abbott signed the new map into law.  

This was an often contentious process. In protest of redistricting, at the beginning of the month Texas House Democrats fled the state in a cowardly attempt to avoid their duty of serving their constituents and our state. Due to this walkout, we did not have a quorum present to vote on important matters which affect our communities and our citizens. 

The first special session ended on Friday, August 15th, with Governor Abbott immediately calling for a second special session, which began that same day. That week, some Democrats began returning to Austin, allowing a quorum in the Texas House. The new congressional map, HB 4, was passed out of the Texas House, followed by approval by the Texas Senate last Saturday morning. 

I stated repeatedly throughout the debate last week that the new congressional map meets my goals: 

–    being legal and complying with all applicable law, 
–    improving partisan performance for Republicans, and
–    enhancing the compactness of the districts.  

Though this map is already being challenged in court, I feel confident we will prevail. If you would like to access the new map, you can click HERE.

Update on SB 10/Display of Ten Commandments in our Schools

There have been some important developments after SB 10 was signed into law. On August 20th, a liberal federal judge blocked partial implementation of SB 10. Though this injunction applies only to 11 school districts, we are not surprised, as we expected this law to be challenged by the ACLU and other liberal groups. I have the highest level of confidence that this injunction will be overturned on appeal. 

(On a personal note, I have read where some called my legislation placing the Ten Commandments in classrooms a “political stunt.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Few documents have had greater impact on the development of our law, culture and ethics in America.  For 200 years, the Ten Commandments was prominent in our schools. It wasn’t “wrong” until a liberal court in 1980 prohibited the Ten Commandments. Yet, the Ten Commandments is part of our history and tradition. And yes, it will impact our kids. Just like saying the pledge each day to our flag, being reminded in every class, every day, K-12, that it’s wrong to steal, that we are to be faithful, that it’s wrong to kill, etc., will teach and impart American character to our children.)

How You Can Help Ensure the Ten Commandments Are in Public Classrooms

It is so encouraging to hear about countless volunteers who are both funding this effort and helping to get these posters displayed in classrooms all across Texas. Also, some members of my staff just completed distribution of posters to schools in several counties in the western part of our senate district. I’m also pleased to share with you that through our campaign fund, we were able to make a donation to cover the cost of Ten Commandments posters throughout our district. The bottom line is, all of our SD 10 schools were adopted and posters have been delivered, and they should be up by September 1st. 

For the Ten Commandments to be displayed, the poster or framed copy must be donated to the school(s). Various groups who support this effort have launched a digital tracking site called RestoreAmericanSchools.com.   

With this tool, you can select the school(s) in your area, purchase posters for just $1 each (including shipping), and follow a simple step-by-step guide to donate them to your local school and district. Also, the site tracks the deployment of these posters across the state. As of Friday, August 29th, here is what is reported:

Schools Adopted: 4,461
Classrooms Impacted: 156,135
Students Impacted: 2,950,952

I want to thank Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier and some of his employees for stepping forward to deliver the Ten Commandments posters to local schools. Gentlemen, thank you for your support in this important endeavor! 


Mark Davis Show, August 21

I recently joined Mark Davis to discuss redistricting, the liberal judge trying to stop implementation of the Ten Commandments law, and other legislative matters. At this LINK, scroll to time 4:15 if you’d like to take a listen.  

Fort Worth ISD Takeover Update

Back in May, I provided information regarding a possible takeover of the Fort Worth ISD (FWISD) by the state, due to consistently low ratings. This would be similar to a state takeover of the Houston ISD two years ago, which has since experienced a dramatic turnaround.

Because of FWISD’s rankings, state law requires the commissioner to make a decision about intervening and appointing a temporary superintendent and board of managers, an action I urged him to strongly consider. He expects to make a decision this fall. I am pleased to see the recent improvements in some reports; however, FWISD has a long way to go and remains the lowest performing large school district in the state of Texas.

I was raised in Fort Worth and am a product of FWISD, having graduated from Eastern Hills High School. Every child in the district deserves to have the opportunity to a quality education, and right now too many kids are being denied that chance. We must do better.

I believe former President Ronald Reagan’s words are an appropriate way to close out this latest update. Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Credit: Ronald Reagan Foundation