Daily Dispatch 2/9/24: Despite Dropping Migrant Numbers, Abbott Border Show Continues, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Despite a big reduction in migrant numbers, Governor Abbott vows to expand Operation Lone Star: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-texas-border-arizona-california-migrants/ ...While, given the longtime cooperation of state and federal border patrols, recent conflicts between them are pure political theater: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/border-patrol-and-texas-troopers-got-along-once-what-happened/ Have your property taxes dropped? Ours neither: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-residents-blame-abbott-property-tax-increases-1867242 Former State Rep. Kyle Biedermann thinks former State Rep. Bryan Slaton's drunken, adulterous dalliance with a teenaged intern, which got him kicked out of the House, was no big deal: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/08/kyle-biedermann-bryan-slaton-texas-house/ Trump's lawyer at that U.S. Supreme Court sham yesterday was Jonathan Mitchell, architect of Texas' abortion "vigilante law": https://newrepublic.com/post/178869/trump-lawyer-mitchell-supreme-court-texas-anti-abortion-law The non-profit Texas Exes graduate group is stepping in to host cultural graduation studies that were nixed by UT over new DEI bans: https://thedailytexan.com/2024/02/09/texas-exes-to-host-cultural-graduation-celebrations/ ...While Texas A&M Regents vote to close their controversial Qatar campus: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/02/09/texas-am-shutter-controversial-qatar-campus Our own Progress Texas Advocacy Fellow Tatum Owens highlights two critical threats to voting this year in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/keep-our-elections-open-and-accessible Black History Month is underway! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: https://progresstexas.org/donate