Here’s a quick recap of what happened over the last week:
Senate Concurs in House Version of Vouchers
The Texas Senate concurred in amendments to the House version of the bill creating Education Savings Accounts (ESA), or vouchers. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk as early as next week where it is certain to get signed into law. The legislature is finally on the cusp of approving a school voucher plan after years of falling short on the issue.
Establishing a private school program voucher program has long been a top priority of Gov. Abbott and Lt. Governor Patrick. Legislation has passed the Senate in numerous regular and special sessions, only to fail in the Texas House when rural Republicans teamed with Democrats to defeat the legislation. This time, the bill versions from the two chambers were largely similar, differing slightly on the amount of money each student would receive and how to prioritize accommodations for students with disabilities. The state will now fund up to $1 billion in voucher payments to students to assist with tuition and other costs associated with attending private schools.
DOGE Legislation is First Bill Signed of the Session
The first bill of the 2025 session was signed this week when Gov. Abbott put his signature on a measure – patterned after the initiative from the Trump administration – designed to reign in regulations on business and streamline state bureaucracy. Senate Bill 14 has been named the DOGE bill, establishing the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office.
The new office – which will be part of the Governor’s office — will identify rules and regulations that it deems no longer necessary and make recommendations to the legislature regarding the need to revise or eliminate those rules. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows joined Abbott at the bill signing that took place in the Governor’s public reception area. All three leaders praised the bill, saying the state will now have a clearer view of the activities of all state agencies and identify areas that need to be cut back or eliminated with the ultimate goal of saving taxpayer dollars.
Lottery Director Resigns
On Monday, Ryan Mindell resigned as Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission after a year full of controversy, legislative scrutiny, and investigations. His resignation follows intense pressure from lawmakers and the public surrounding a fraudulent $95 million jackpot in April 2023, which was won through a large-scale ticket-buying strategy organized by professional gamblers with apparent support from the agency. Mindell had taken over the top role after the unanticipated resignation of former director Gary Grief, inheriting both his predecessor’s legacy and mounting issues tied to online couriers and a lack of regulatory enforcement.
Mindell’s term ends during a time of growing distrust in the commission’s oversight and its tolerance of practices that allowed third-party courier companies to operate freely. These couriers allowed for mass purchases that led to multimillion-dollar jackpots. Despite caving to lawmakers demands and introducing reforms to ban couriers and restrict bulk purchases, Mindell was criticized during hearings where lawmakers accused him of protecting unethical practices and failing to ensure transparency. His resignation came one day after the New York Times published an article detailing the commission’s role in the 2023 jackpot scandal.
The House recently passed their version of the state budget with zero funding for the lottery commission. Additionally, there are multiple investigations underway by the Texas Rangers and Attorney General Ken Paxton, as well as reform bills targeting the commission continuing to advance through the legislature, including one to criminalize courier services. The Sunset Commission, which reviews state agencies, also condemned the commission’s past leadership for exploiting legal gray areas and failing to address growing problems. While Mindell had reportedly raised concerns internally about Grief’s decisions, documents show he previously advised courier companies like Jackpocket.com they did not need a license, a stance now widely unaccepted.
Following Mindell’s resignation, the commission named Chief Financial Officer Sergio Rey as Acting Deputy Executive Director, with plans to begin the search for a new director at their April 29th meeting. This is also the same day the agency is expected to ban couriers from operating in the state. The commission faces an uncertain future, with public trust severely damaged and lawmakers weighing proposals that could either overhaul or terminate the agency entirely.
Abortion Bills Moving, Dying
The “Life of the Mother Act” has been approved by the Senate State Affairs Committee. The bill seeks to clarify the state’s abortion ban and its exception for a mother’s life. The proposed act seeks to establish legal exceptions for abortions that would otherwise be prohibited, allowing physicians to exercise their medical judgment in specific circumstances where the life of the mother is at risk.
But as that bill moves through the process, another abortion related bill was pulled from a committee’s agenda and not considered this week. Legislation by freshman Republican Rep. Brent Money that seeks to afford unborn children the same legal protections as born individuals — thus classifying abortion as murder — was removed from the hearing list for Tuesday’s House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee meeting. Author, Rep. Money and pro-life activists were outraged at the decision, which came just 15 hours before the bill was supposed to be heard. However, one pro-life group, the Texas Alliance for Life, came out in opposition to the bill arguing that the threat of prison time and the death penalty would keep unsure women from seeking help for fear of prosecution.
House State Affairs Agenda Friday
The House Committee on State Affairs is set to hear four bills focused on cultural issues this Friday. Among them is House Bill 229 by Rep. Ellen Troxclair of Lakeway, which would standardize the governmental approach to information collection by restricting sex to only two options – male or female. Another measure, House Bill 3990, authored by Rep. Hillary Hickland of Belton, proposes limiting flags allowed at a government building to the US flag, state flag, and county or city flag. This is targeting other political flags such as lives matter flags or LGBTQ flags. The committee will also review House Bill 5082 by Rep. Jeff Leach of Allen, which would establish a civil penalty for local governments who fail to comply with state drug laws. This is targeting cities like Austin who have decriminalized low level possession of marijuana, or progressive District Attorneys who decline to prosecute low level drug offenses. Finally, House Bill 5510 by Rep. Leach cracks down on abortion access in Texas by limiting online abortion pill distributors and introducing new criminal offenses for facilitating out of state travel for an abortion.
Investment in Border Continues
Despite a significant decline in illegal border crossings in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott is continuing to push for more border wall construction. In Laredo, local officials recently authorized leasing land to the state for a new stretch of border wall, sparking community backlash from constituents who accuse the state of using manipulative tactics to gain access. City leaders, however, argue that cooperating with the state may give them more control over wall placement in more sensitive areas.
Governor Abbott’s state-led border security initiative, Operation Lone Star, has already constructed 60 miles of barrier and secured land for 100 more. Now, with Republican lawmakers largely in agreement, the Texas Legislature is prepared to approve another $6.5 billion for border security. This would bring the total spending since 2021 to nearly $18 billion. This would also largely overshadow the $3.4 billion spent in the 14 years prior and comes at a time when federal authorities report near-total operational control of the border and falling arrest numbers.
The continued investment has raised concerns among some local officials and Democrats, who question the necessity of such large expenditures as a situation to a stabilizing border. Critics argue the funding could be better used elsewhere and warn of a growing burden on local taxpayers. Even some conservative voices — supportive of border security — are calling for more transparency and accountability in how the money is used. Proposals to audit Operation Lone Star have stalled, and questions linger about whether such a massive deployment of state resources remains justified given current conditions.
Measles Cases Continue to Rise
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 624 cases of measles on Tuesday, including the deaths of two school-aged children. Experts said the outbreak is difficult to forecast for a variety of reasons, but it has not shown any signs of abating. If the virus continues to spread, Texas could reach or exceed 1,000 measles cases in a single year for the first time in more than 30 years.
The state also has ongoing measles transmission in 10 counties, and larger cities like Lubbock and El Paso have begun to see infections. One crucial variable is the vaccination coverage within a community that is exposed to measles. It’s difficult for the virus to spread in communities where at least 95% of the population is protected by the MMR vaccine or prior infection. But it can cause a surge in cases in communities that are under that threshold.
Experts noted that many Texans remain susceptible to measles because they are not protected by the MMR vaccine or a prior infection. Many Texas communities have “pockets” of such individuals at schools, daycares, or other settings the virus could spread, experts said. Health experts encourage vaccinations to eventually put an end to the spread.
Political Notes
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick recently announced he would seek a 4th term next year. Yesterday, he announced the endorsements of all 20 Republican members of the Texas Senate. As Lt. Governor, Patrick presides over the Senate and said he is “honored” to have all Republican Senators join his reelection campaign. Patrick can also tout the endorsement of President Trump, who was the first to endorse his 2026 campaign.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire – an elected Democrat during his 50+ years in the Texas Legislature – is taking heat from Harris County Democrats for his decision to attend a fundraiser for Houston area Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw. Around 30 precinct and Congressional chairs with the Harris County Democratic Party signed a resolution Tuesday to admonish Mayor John Whitmire, accusing him of undermining the “values and mission of the Democratic Party”. As Houston’s newest mayor, he sits in a nonpartisan seat and ran a nonpartisan election where he garnered a base of progressive and conservative voters alike to overwhelmingly clinch the seat. Whitmire has defended his decision to attend the fundraiser, saying he works closely with those who help bring the city needed resources.
In the 2026 Republican primary race for Texas Comptroller – current incumbent Glenn Hegar leaving in June to become Texas A&M System Chancellor – Dallas car dealer Don Huffines is securing key endorsements. Huffines can already tout the endorsement of US Senator Ted Cruz. He can now add 44 of the 62 members of the State Republican Executive Committee to his growing list. His only declared opponent is Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick. State Senators Kelly Hancock and Paul Bettencourt are also rumored to be considering a campaign.
What’s Next??
The House has a full floor calendar today and will then adjourn until Monday. The Senate has adjourned until 11AM on Monday.
A listing of all committee hearings for next week can be found here: https://www.legis.state.tx.us
On Tuesday when both Houses reconvene, there will be 36 days left in the session.