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

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

Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa came through North Texas on a tour to “save Texas public schools.” She speaks with Lone Star Politics about the stakes ahead of the election and her promise to fire the Texas Education Commissioner on day one, if she defeats incumbent Governor Abbott. view article

HOUSTON—The Republican Party of Texas will have new leadership after delegates elected D’Rinda Randall as party chair and David Covey as vice chair during Senate district caucus meetings Friday at the state convention in Houston.  Randall defeated incumbent Chairman Abraham George, under whom she had served as vice chair.  Under Texas law, the party’s chair and vice chair must be of opposite genders. With Randall elected chair, delegates selected Covey to serve as vice chair.  The leadership elections came as thousands of delegates gathered in Houston to adopt the party platform, select legislative priorities, and chart the party’s course ahead of the 2026 general election and the 2027 legislative session. view article

The Republican Party of Texas’ meeting in Houston offered a look at the state GOP’s next chapter and messaging heading into the fall’s midterm elections. view article

State Representative Gina Hinojosa says she’ll put a stop to state takeovers of local school districts if she’s elected governor of Texas.  The Austin Democrat held a press conference on Monday at a closed elementary school in downtown Austin. Hinojosa is challenging Republican Governor Greg Abbott in November, and she’s making public education a focus of her campaign.  On Monday, she called for the removal of Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, head of the Texas Education Agency.State Representative Gina Hinojosa says she’ll put a stop to state takeovers of local school districts if she’s elected governor of Texas.  The Austin Democrat held a press conference on Monday at a closed elementary school in downtown Austin. Hinojosa is challenging Republican Governor Greg Abbott in November, and she’s making public education a focus of her campaign.  On Monday, she called for the removal of Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, head of the Texas Education Agency. view article

Committee members examined allegations that cities have failed to update local ordinances while discussing potential "Death Star 2.0" reforms ahead of the next legislative session.   Texas lawmakers are examining whether local governments are complying with a state law designed to prevent cities and counties from regulating in areas already governed by state law—and whether stronger enforcement tools are needed to ensure compliance    The Texas House Select Committee on Governmental Oversight held its first hearing Thursday to review implementation of the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, a 2023 law that limits local regulations in broad areas of state law. Supporters say the measure helps businesses by ensuring consistent rules across Texas, while opponents argue it restricts local control. view article

The Republican said he agreed to speak at the event prior to Clayton Tucker’s involvement because it was “the right thing to do.” Both are critics of data center construction in Texas.  At least 248 data centers are currently planned to be built in Texas, almost half of which are set to be built in unincorporated areas, a Texas Tribune analysis found. The state currently has 335 existing data centers. view article

The spot will stream throughout the Spurs-Knicks series on ESPN+, depicting Gov. Greg Abbott as a basketball-playing string puppet committing “turnover after turnover of our money to his donors.” view article

Republicans are grappling with a stunning Democratic upset: a swing of 30+ points away from the G.O.P. in a deeply conservative part of the state. While the race was local, political operatives are already gaming out the impact on the midterms, how it could scramble the fundraising race, and what it portends for the Hispanic vote in the age of ICE. view article

The former state senator will leave office July 17 after overseeing seven statewide elections and a high-profile legal fight over Texas' primary system.  Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced Tuesday that she will step down from the position on July 17, ending a three-and-a-half-year tenure leading the state’s elections and business filings agency.  “It has been an honor to serve the people of Texas in this role,” Nelson said in a statement. “My time as Secretary came at an important moment for Texas, and I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish as an agency in under four years.”  Gov. Greg Abbott praised Nelson’s service, calling her “a true champion for the people of Texas and an extraordinary Secretary of State.”  “I am deeply grateful for her long and loyal service and outstanding leadership,” Abbott said. “She has represented our state with grace and honor across the globe, and Texas is better because of it.” view article

Adrian Reyna’s childhood is marked by memories of running around the halls of Brewer Elementary School where his mother was principal during the 1990s. Decades later, Brewer Elementary is now called Brewer Academy and sits closed on the West Side of San Antonio, and Reyna is a master teacher at San Antonio Independent School District, working in a grant-funded position meant to strengthen teaching pipelines.   As of Tuesday night, however, Reyna appears to be on his way to a seat in the State House of Representatives to represent Texas House District 125, a district his father Arthur “Art” Reyna represented from 1997-2001.  view article

Reaffirming a statewide tuition freeze first announced in 2024, Abbott told higher education leaders they may not raise undergraduate tuition or fees. view article

The proclamation will order state lawmakers to convene in Tallahassee starting June 1.  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 27 called for a special legislative session to pass his plan to exempt homeowners from paying property taxes on their permanent residence.  The Republican governor revealed his plans to sign a proclamation that would require state lawmakers to convene in Tallahassee and discuss his “Save Our Homes” proposal starting on June 1.  “Taxing something that you own repeatedly, which is a property tax, is the worst way to do taxation,” DeSantis said in a news conference on May 27. view article

Thomas Smith has won the Republican nomination for Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 after defeating Alison Fox in Tuesday’s Primary runoff election. The CCA is Texas’ highest criminal appellate court.  The May 26 runoff followed the March 3 Primary in which none of the candidates secured more than 50 percent of the vote. Fox received 31.3 percent while Smith took 30.7 percent, forcing the two top vote-getters into Tuesday’s runoff.  Incumbent Judge Bert Richardson chose not to seek reelection to the statewide court, leaving the seat open. Richardson—who was first elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2014 and reelected in 2020—is instead running for Chief Justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio. view article