Here’s a quick recap of what happened over the last week:
Trump to Endorse School Voucher Supporters
Gov. Greg Abbott told Texas House Republicans this week that President Donald Trump will endorse every member who voted for Senate Bill 2, the recently passed bill establishing private school vouchers. This would include an endorsement of House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who many House Republicans still oppose due to his defeat of the Republican Caucus-endorsed leadership candidate, David Cook. A Trump endorsement could solidify Burrows’ support for the 2027 legislative session.
These endorsements could be beneficial for members who face continued criticism in their district for their support of school vouchers. Some are even facing censures from their county parties. Republican House members would like to avoid a contentious primary season in 2026 after the 2024 primary season saw the defeat of 15 Republican incumbent House members due to their opposition to the voucher legislation.
Cornyn Trails in Senate Poll
Newly released internal polls show incumbent US Senator John Cornyn trailing Republican challenger Ken Paxton in the race for US Senate. Cornyn – who is seeking a 5th term in the US Senate in 2026 – trails current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by 17 points among likely Republican primary voters according to published reports in the Houston Chronicle. According to the report, the Chronicle obtained the internal Republican Party poll showing the huge lead Paxton enjoys over the four-term incumbent.
The poll numbers are consistent with other recent polls that continually show the dissatisfaction Republican voters have with Cornyn. Earlier this year, a poll conducted by Fabrizio and Associates – a firm tied to the Trump campaign – showed Cornyn trailing Paxton by 20 points among Republican primary voters. For the past several years, Cornyn has also consistently had the lowest approval ratings of all statewide elected officials.
The new polling numbers have other Republican elected officials throughout the state very concerned that Cornyn is in a race he cannot win, and if he stays in the race, it will force an unnecessary primary fight that could harm the eventual nominee in the November election. Houston area state Senator Paul Bettencourt – a Republican leader in the Texas Senate – has said it is time for “someone to have a serious talk with Cornyn about whether he really wants to go through a costly campaign that could turn negative and costly.” Bettencourt went on to say, “If I was an incumbent with these types of numbers, I probably wouldn’t run because you can’t win.”
In response, the Cornyn campaign released a statement saying he is not afraid of a primary race, touting his record of winning elections, and that he is “100% committed to running a vigorous reelection campaign.”
The early campaign rhetoric confirms the race – if it happens – will get nasty. Paxton has questioned Cornyn’s conservative credentials and highlights Cornyn’s lack of accomplishments during his 22 years in the Senate. Cornyn has called Paxton a “fraud” and reminds voters of his legal troubles, including his impeachment by the Texas House last summer. Paxton was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing during the Senate portion of the impeachment trial.
Beto Considering Senate Race
Speaking of the US Senate race, former Democratic Congressman Beto O’Rourke has suggested he may once again run for U.S. Senate in 2026. At a recent town hall in Denton, O’Rourke told attendees that he would consider another run only if it was the “highest and best use” of his efforts. While not a formal announcement, his comments clearly signaled that he is genuinely weighing another statewide bid, an especially salient announcement as the Republican primary heats up between incumbent Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
O’Rourke has previously run high-profile statewide and national campaigns, including his narrow loss to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, an unsuccessful presidential run in 2020, and a failed gubernatorial campaign against Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022. Despite these losses, O’Rourke remains a prolific fundraiser and a well-known Democratic figure in Texas politics. In prior campaigns, he raised nearly $180 million total, and an upcoming Senate race is expected to surpass $200 million. As he tours the state with the Powered by People organization which he established, O’Rourke continues engaging with voters and supporting voter registration efforts, signaling ongoing mobilization.
The potential Democratic primary field for 2026 is becoming crowded, with figures like former Rep. Colin Allred and state Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas also considering runs. O’Rourke has expressed support for Allred in the past, but if he enters the race, he would be a formidable contender with statewide name recognition and a strong donor base.
O’Rourke’s comments and continued public engagement suggest he is positioning himself for a major role in Texas politics once again. As the Republican Party experiences internal division and Democrats seek a viable candidate to challenge for the Senate, O’Rourke’s decision could significantly shape the political landscape heading into 2026.
House Committee Passes Hemp Regulations
The Texas Senate earlier this session passed legislation that fully bans the sale of all intoxicating hemp products in any form – gummies, liquids, vapes, smoke, etc…
The Texas House State Affairs Committee is taking a vastly different approach in the bill they passed out of committee on Wednesday night. The House version maintains access to THC based gummies and beverages while creating industry regulations for the products along with fees. The House version creates a market that favors specialty stores, as opposed to having the products sold in grocery and convenience stores. The bill also has a provision to allow counties to vote to “opt out” of any hemp related sales, similar to the way counties can vote to be “dry” by prohibiting alcohol sales.
The debate over hemp products has come to a head this year after the industry has grown to an estimated $8 billion in annual sales, with nearly 9,000 registered retailers in Texas. The bill will now head to the House floor, where passage is expected. The battle between the two chambers will then begin in conference committee, which is predicted to be contentious due to the vast difference in the approach to hemp products between the two bodies.
Bills Revising Public Education Mandates
Recently, the legislature approved a bill to establish a statewide private school voucher program, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk this week to be signed. Senate Bill 2 will allocate $1 billion over two years for education savings accounts, enabling families to use public funds for private school tuition and related expenses. The program is set to launch in the 2026-27 school year and has stirred controversy, particularly over its inclusion of higher-income families and lack of requirements for participating private schools to accept all students or follow the state’s standardized testing system.
Simultaneously, the Texas Legislature is considering other contentious education bills, including Senate Bill 10, which would require all public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. Proponents argue this measure reinforces America’s Christian heritage, while critics say it imposes religion on diverse student populations and undermines the separation of church and state. The bill was heard on Tuesday in the House Public Education committee. Hundreds of Texans waited up to 20 hours in the Capitol to testify on the bill, with the hearing starting at 8AM and ending after 6 AM the next day. Opponents testified throughout the night, warning that such mandates exclude non-Christian students and distract from more urgent issues like teacher shortages and funding crises. The bill – which has already passed the Senate – was left pending in the committee. Approval of the measure by the committee is expected next week. The intense turnout and early-morning testimonies underscored concerns over the role of religion in public education and the procedural fairness of scheduling such controversial hearings at inaccessible hours.
Texas lawmakers are also advancing House Bill 4, a proposal that would eliminate the STAAR test and overhaul how the state evaluates student achievement and school performance. Instead of relying on a single annual test, the bill would introduce a national exam and benchmark tests throughout the year. This shift would measure students against their peers, rather than a fixed academic standard, and aims to provide teachers and parents with quicker, more actionable data. Supporters say this would better reflect student growth and reduce the high-stakes nature of the STAAR exam.
Moreover, the Texas Legislature is pushing forward multiple bills targeting children’s use of social media. House Bill 186, which has passed the House with broad support, would ban minors from creating social media accounts and require age verification for all users. It also gives parents the power to request deletion of their child’s account. Supporters argue the bill will protect children’s mental health and reduce online risks. In the same realm, House Bill 499, would require platforms to post warning labels about the mental health risks associated with youth social media use, drawing parallels to cigarette warning labels.
These social media bills are part of a larger national trend of lawmakers seeking to curb the negative effects of online platforms on youth. Additional proposals under consideration include requiring platforms to use third-party safety software and verify user ages more strictly. Though the bills have gained momentum, they are likely to face legal challenges from technology and social media companies on First Amendment grounds. Nonetheless, with bipartisan support and growing public concern, Texas lawmakers appear poised to enact some of the most restrictive youth-focused social media laws in the country.
Abortion Bills Stir Controversy
Senate Bill 2880, recently passed by the Texas Senate, represents a significant escalation in the state’s efforts to restrict access to abortion-inducing medication. Despite a near-total abortion ban in Texas, residents have continued to access abortion pills from out-of-state providers. SB 2880 seeks to discontinue this trend by allowing private citizens to sue prescribers, manufacturers, and distributors, both within and outside of Texas, for $100,000 per violation. It would also extend liability to websites, internet providers, and financial services like PayPal that facilitate or support these transactions. The legislation expands the state’s unique private enforcement structure and adds criminal penalties for those who fund abortions or destroy related evidence.
Proponents argue the legislation is necessary to protect women and unborn children, portraying the bill as a safeguard against unsafe, unsupervised medical abortions. Critics counter that the bill constitutes a broad overreach of legal norms and poses serious constitutional questions. Opponents have also raised concerns about the bill’s potential to undermine judicial independence–especially provisions that could allow judges to be sued for ruling the law unconstitutional and disincentivize legal challenges by making attorneys financially responsible for legal fees. The bill also extends the statute of limitations for abortion-related wrongful death cases from two to six years.
Though it passed the Senate on a party-line vote, SB 2880 may face more resistance in the House, where its companion bill has gained only partial support.
Healthcare Costs of Immigrants
In November, Texas hospitals incurred $121.8 million in health care costs from more than 30,000 visits by undocumented immigrants, according to data released by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The data collection stems from an executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott requiring hospitals to ask patients about their legal status in the U.S. The governor’s office has used the data to claim that undocumented immigrants are placing a financial burden on the state’s hospital system. However, the report does not compare these costs to those incurred by uninsured U.S. citizens or indicate how much of the care was reimbursed.
Critics argue that the data lacks critical context and raises questions about accuracy and methodology. Additionally, some have pointed out that $121.8 million is minimal compared to the state’s overall uncompensated care costs, which exceeded $3.1 billion in 2023. Many policy experts also caution that the data may underreport or misrepresent the actual number of undocumented patients, given that individuals are not legally required to disclose their status over fear of repercussions. Among these concerns, others also warn that the policy and newly released report deter people from seeking needed care, particularly victims of human trafficking.
Legislation has been introduced to codify Abbott’s executive order into law so the state can have annual costs on immigrant related care. Proponents argue that the state must be aware of the ongoing costs of uncompensated care for undocumented immigrants in light of the dire financial crisis facing rural hospitals across the state that are facing closures. However, the bill has drawn criticism from health and immigrant rights advocates, who argue it risks deterring access to care without contributing meaningful insights into the broader drivers of healthcare costs. In response to these concerns, lawmakers have highlighted that the legislation does not include any immigration enforcement measures, and hospitals have reiterated their commitment to treating all patients regardless of legal status.
The ongoing debate highlights Texas’s broader health care challenges, including the highest uninsured rate in the nation. With around 17% of Texans lacking health coverage, which is well above the national average, the strain on the hospital system stems from a combination of factors, not solely one facet. Analysts argue that more comprehensive and nuanced data collection would be required to accurately assess the sources of uncompensated care across the state.
Harris County Joins Lawsuit Against Trump
Harris County officials will join a lawsuit against the Trump administration in hopes of halting further layoffs in the federal workforce, which county leaders say could impact the county’s hurricane response and funding for public health.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo joined Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee to announce the county has joined local government entities, unions, and other parties in the lawsuit. Hidalgo said “tens of thousands” of federal employees have been fired from 20 agencies. She said through publicly available data, leaks and statements, county officials estimate that number is soon to double in agencies “crucial to Harris County and Houston.”
The announcement of the lawsuit comes as hurricane season approaches, Hidalgo said, adding that “it’s going to be even harder to recover if and when we face another major disaster.” Menefee said Trump is making an “unconstitutional, extra-statutory power grab” and that it would negatively affect Houstonians who depend on services such as Social Security and Veterans Affairs and rely on protections from FEMA and the EPA.
Political Notes
The first candidate to enter the Republican primary race for Attorney General is the first to exit. John Bash, a former US Attorney, announced this week he is dropping out of the race to succeed Ken Paxton, the incumbent AG who will challenge incumbent US Senator John Cornyn in 2026. Bash made the announcement on social media, saying a health scare in his family made him put his focus on family priorities, rather than politics. That leaves on state Senator Mayes Middleton of Galveston as the only declared candidate for next year’s Republican primary.
The Texas House has approved legislation that requires political advertisements to include disclosures if the images used in the ads were substantially altered. The measure was sponsored by former House Speaker Dade Phelan who survived a bruising Republican primary last year during which he had to endure severe personal and political attacks that featured materials altered by AI. The bill faced opposition from conservatives who claim the bill is policing free speech. The bill passed the 150-member House by a 102-40 vote, but faces a stiff battle for passage in the Senate.
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 Monday when both Houses reconvene, there will be 29 days left in the session.