The state has released the first in-depth look at the more than 85,000 students participating in Texas’ voucher program, shedding light on who will benefit from the state’s new $1 billion initiative. The report, which was required by the Legislature, provides high-level demographic data on recipients and where they live. But it leaves some questions about the program unanswered, and some data required by law wasn’t released. view article

Residents questioned whether officials in the closely watched purple county will make election decisions fairly in a “hyperpartisan environment.” view article

A northeast Tennessee school board this week became at least the third in the state to approve the display of the Ten Commandments in its public schools since a new GOP-backed law giving districts the option took effect July 1.   With little debate, the Washington County Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of the text’s display in a “prominent” place in each of its 15 schools, alongside the preamble to the U.S. Constitution and an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, in accordance with the new state law.   Last month, the Wilson County Board of Education voted to post the same documents in common areas of its schools. In anticipation of the then-bill becoming law, the Rutherford County Schools in April also voted to approve displaying the documents in all of the county’s K-12 public schools.   On Wednesday, only one member of the Washington County Board expressed reservations about the measure, but said he felt compelled to cast a “yes” vote after an “overwhelming response” from constituents in favor of it, including “a couple personal visits to my front door.”   Vince Walters, another board member, said he had no reservations. view article

In the survey released Tuesday, just 7% of Black Texans who voted in recent elections said they are less likely to vote in November due to Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Democratic primary loss.  Most Black Texas voters back Talarico over Paxton, poll finds, despite Senate primary tensions view article

Members of the hemp industry are suing Texas, claiming that the ban on hemp-derived THC products impose an unconstitutional burden on interstate commerce..Three members of the hemp industry are suing the state of Texas for violating commerce protections after it was announced last week that nearly all hemp-derived THC products are illegal.   On Friday, two hemp retailers and a distributor filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas against the Texas Department of State Health Services; Attorney General Ken Paxton; and the Galveston County criminal district attorney and sheriff, alleging that classifying hemp-derived substances as illegal violates the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed it from the federal Controlled Substances Act. view article

The parents' suit leverages Texas law — versus federal First Amendment arguments — in the latest legal case involving the classroom posters. view article

Students and professors who say SB 37 led to censorship are holding a news conference before the Texas Senate’s hearing.   Texas university leaders on Tuesday will share their progress and challenges in carrying out a new state law that gives governor-appointed regents more control over what students learn.   A Texas Senate committee will hear invited testimony only. However, students and professors who say they experienced censorship and other effects under Senate Bill 37 are planning a news conference at the Capitol beforehand. view article

The poll found the Austin Democrat with a commanding lead among independents and a surprising edge with non-college-educated voters, who have consistently favored Republicans.  WASHINGTON — The latest survey of the U.S. Senate race from Texas Public Opinion Research shows Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton, 45% to 40%, marking the Austin state representative’s largest lead in any public poll taken during the general election period. view article

Texas may expand use of the Classical Learning Test despite a new report finding less evidence its scores predict college success than the SAT or ACT.  Texas’ higher education commissioner signaled last week that the state could expand the use of the conservative-favored Classic Learning Test in public university admissions even though an independent review found far less evidence linking the exam’s scores to college performance than SAT and ACT scores. view article

The laws, which make it easier to build apartments, face stiff resistance from North Texas suburbs. State lawmakers vow to force cities to comply. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to investigate birth tourism, a rare practice under scrutiny by Republican lawmakers.  Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday escalated a statewide crackdown on so-called birth tourism, a rare practice that has inflamed Republicans and drawn ire in the debate over immigration.   Abbott signed an executive order directing several state agencies to investigate health care providers accused of helping foreigners travel to Texas to give birth. Penalties include suspending or revoking licenses and losing state contracts.  "U.S. citizenship is not for sale, and Texas will put a stop to individuals seeking to profit from birth tourism," Abbott said in a statement. Birth tourism refers to pregnant women who travel to the United States to give birth so their baby has American citizenship. It is not illegal for foreign nationals to give birth on U.S. soil, although the law says tourist visas cannot be granted for the primary purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship. view article

Commissioners are expected to make their next decision on the proposed extra-high-voltage transmission lines in August. view article

Transmission Companies Push Forward Controversial 765-kV Lines  The same week state senators have planned to hear testimony on the impact 765-kilovolt transmission lines will have on private landowners, a transmission company is moving forward with its proposed transmission line and is holding a public meeting in Wharton County.   Another company has scheduled its own public meeting the evening before in Refugio County.   This centers on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ (ERCOT’s) 765-kilovolt Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP), a key part of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan (PBRP). Phase one is the STEP-Permian, which proposes three extra-high-voltage transmission lines, spanning over 1,200 miles to move power from East Texas into the natural gas-rich Permian Basin, with routes crossing North, Central, and South Texas. A pro-landowner group called this “akin to hauling water to the sea.” view article

U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill and U.S. Sen. Jim Banks have filed legislation in their respective chambers to end the awarding of citizenship to the children of illegal aliens and foreign nationals temporarily in the country.  Entitled the Citizenship Act of 2026, the bill seeks to define “any person who enters the United States illegally or for birth tourism” as an “invader,” and amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to exclude the children of individuals designated as invaders from birthright citizenship.  Birth tourism is the practice of pregnant foreign nationals entering the country in order to have their children in the United States, thereby making them American citizens.   This practice is especially popular in nations like China, with conservative lawmakers warning it creates a large national security risk as American-born Chinese nationals would have the ability to influence U.S. elections in the future. “I have officially introduced the ‘Citizenship Act’ with Senator Banks, under which individuals who enter the United States illegally or for birth tourism would be classified as ‘invaders’ and therefore would be excluded from birthright citizenship,” wrote Gill in an X post.  Sen. Jim Banks (R–IN) has filed companion legislation in the Senate.  view article

During an interim hearing on Monday, members of the House Land and Resource Management Committee heard testimony on recently enacted housing reforms and considered additional proposals aimed at speeding permitting, trimming fees, and expanding pre-approved building plans.  The hearing comes as housing affordability remains a concern across much of Texas.    Ed Pinto of the American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center said housing is traditionally considered affordable when the median home price is roughly three times the median household income.    Many Texas markets exceed that benchmark, with committee Chairman Gary Gates (R–Richmond) noting the state’s median income is about $94,600 while median home prices in many of the state’s largest metropolitan areas range from the mid $300,000s to nearly $600,000.  view article

U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne proposed a resolution condemning Imam Omar Suleiman for celebrating the senator’s death.​  U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne moved to condemn a Texas imam after he celebrated Lindsey Graham’s death on social media due to Graham’s support for Israel. view article

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson wrote a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson backing the Trump administration’s investigation into two proxy advisory firms over concerns that they are pushing a woke agenda on companies.  Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis currently make up 90 percent of the advisory market, which Jackson argues means they dominate it.    Jackson (R–Amarillo) said he is demanding answers over potential antitrust law violations. view article

In her bid for the governor's seat, Rep. Gina Hinojosa is advocating against school closures and school district takeovers. view article

Critical race theory and identity politics research is lavishly funded in Aggieland.  Texas Scorecard has previously reported on the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute (RESI) and its professors, whose output runs the gamut of left-wing grievance studies.  As part of the initial reporting on RESI, Texas Scorecard filed an open records request for its budgets over the past five years.  Based on those records, RESI receives $100,000 in annual support from Texas A&M for “Operating funds.”   It has also received a series of smaller amounts for “tuition support,” “dean’s initiatives,” “payroll support,” and “salary support.”   With this funding, RESI’s advisory board, faculty affiliates, and graduate student affiliates produce grievance-studies-themed content. RESI financially supports this content through a series of fellowships and grants.   Texas A&M did not respond to multiple, detailed requests for comment. A question regarding future plans for this institute was asked multiple times. view article

Republican leaders say the spending restraint will help preserve funding for priorities while supporting additional property tax relief.  Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows are directing most state agencies to reduce their baseline budget requests by 3 percent, as Republicans push for meaningful property tax relief during the upcoming legislative session.  In joint guidance issued to state agencies, institutions of higher education, and other state entities, the three leaders outlined priorities for preparing Legislative Appropriations Requests for the 2028–29 biennium.   The guidance calls on agencies to reduce their base appropriation requests by 3 percent, while exempting several priorities, including the Foundation School Program, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, foster care, adoption assistance, and the Texas Education Savings Account Program. view article

Pine Tree ISD Superintendent Steve Clugston will not appear on the November ballot after falling short of the required signatures needed to run for Texas Senate District 1, a seat currently held by Republican State Sen. Bryan Hughes. Clugston had planned to run as a conservative independent. He said he submitted 640 signatures to the Texas Secretary of State, but the state invalidated 162 of them, leaving him with 478 — short of the 500 required to qualify. It was not immediately clear why the state invalidated the signatures. view article

Daniel Hamlin will assume the position on Aug. 16, ahead of the upcoming semester. view article

After much deliberation and debate in the 89th Regular Session, the Texas Legislature approved Senate Bill 2 (SB2) in 2025, the state’s first-ever universal voucher program. This new $1 billion taxpayer-funded program is structured as an Education Savings Account (ESA), allowing eligible students to use $10,330 in fiscal year 2027 for private school expenses. Homeschooled students will be eligible to receive approximately $2,000, and students with special education needs will get up to $30,000. Texas parents will be able to use vouchers for the first time beginning in the 2026-27 school year. view article

The Republican National Committee chairman discusses why the party is holding its first-ever midterm convention, what delegates can expect, and the role the Texas GOP will play. view article

Nearly 73,000 education freedom accounts received initial funding Wednesday as part of Texas’ new school choice program.    The Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) program allows eligible families to use state funds for approved educational products and services. Participation in the program is determined through a lottery system based on the student and family needs.   Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock said the program includes both private school and homeschool families in the first group to receive funding from the program.   Homeschool families will receive their full annual $2,000 award, while private school students will receive the first 25 percent now, with the remainder being awarded throughout the rest of the school year. view article

Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced Wednesday he plans to step down from his post later this month, dealing a shakeup to the agency as it rolls out the state’s fledgling private school voucher program.  Gov. Greg Abbott shared a copy of Hancock’s resignation letter on Wednesday and thanked the former state senator for his service. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott chose the former GOP lawmaker for the role last year, giving him the reins of Texas’ $1 billion school voucher rollout. Hancock was defeated in his bid for a full term in March.  Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock will step down from his post as Texas’ chief financial officer at the end of July, according to a resignation letter he submitted to Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday.  Hancock’s departure notice, first reported by Texas Bullpen and confirmed by Abbott, comes one year to the day after he took over the agency. He was chosen by the governor after the previous comptroller, Glenn Hegar, stepped down to become the chancellor of the Texas A&M University System.  Hancock oversaw the beginning of the state’s $1 billion program to offer parents vouchers to send their kids to private schools, one of the agency’s biggest and newest responsibilities.  view article

While touting Texas’ economic growth, Abbott warns that rapid data center expansion cannot come at the expense of Texans. view article

Benjamin Flores, the Democratic nominee for Texas land commissioner, said Friday that he is in remission, two weeks after his campaign revealed he had been diagnosed with leukemia.  Flores provided the update on his health while addressing Texas Democratic Convention attendees in Corpus Christi. He has said he intends to remain in the race while he receives treatment at MD Anderson in Houston.  In a statement announcing his diagnosis earlier this month, Flores said his mother “taught me to never bow down.” view article

A required reading list before the State Board of Education would present a predominantly Christian perspective to public school students, Jewish leaders say. view article

The outgoing lawmakers have cast doubt on whether their respective primary opponents, Ken Paxton and James Talarico, can win in November. view article

Priorities for Republican leadership last legislative session have either been stuck in the courts or left to linger in the state rulemaking process.  Last year, Texas became the first state to require warning labels on thousands of food and beverages containing common 44 dyes or additives, cleared the way for ivermectin to be sold without a prescription and approved a $3 billion fund for dementia research. All three were headline-making in their own right.  But nine months later, all three bills — considered health priorities by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows — have run aground, either stuck in the courts or left to linger in the state agency rulemaking process.   Of the three, the Dementia Prevention Research Institute (DPRIT) has been the only one sidetracked from the get-go, blocked for now by a lawsuit filed by two voters who claim there were voting irregularities last fall when Texans overwhelmingly approved it. P view article

Stopping Sharia, eliminating property taxes, and closing the primary are among the GOP's priorities for 2027.  Signaling where grassroots activists want lawmakers to focus efforts in the next session, the Republican Party of Texas announced Thursday the eight legislative priorities chosen by delegates at last weekend’s state convention.  According to a letter sent to State Republican Executive Committee members by new Chair D’rinda Randall, the list still awaits formal review by the Legislative Priorities Committee, but these are the issues that rose to the top of delegate voting. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott and state party leaders want a Texas law allowing only registered Republicans to vote in GOP primaries.  During the Texas Republican Convention last week, Gov. Greg Abbott publicly backed a push to close primaries and require voters to register with a party.  “We are going to make clear that in the future, only Republicans vote in Republican primaries,” he said Friday, addressing the convention in Houston. view article

Texas senators approved a bill April 23 that they said would save seniors and people with disabilities about $950 on their annual property tax bills. Senate Bill 23, by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, would raise tax exemptions to $200,000 for homes owned by people who are over 65 years old or have a disability.  The current homestead exemption is $100,000 for most homeowners and $110,000 for seniors and people with disabilities.    SB 23 would apply only to taxes levied by public school districts. The state would spend $1.2 billion to ensure districts do not lose revenue due to the increased exemption, Bettencourt said.  "It’s a win for the taxpayer, it’s a win for the school districts—and we’re spending our surplus to do it," Bettencourt said on the Senate floor. "[Seniors and people with disabilities] are the people that need our help the most to stay in their homes, and I think it’s a fabulous investment."   view article