Here’s a quick recap of what happened over the last week:
Abbott Signs School Voucher Legislation
Last Saturday, Gov. Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 2, the legislation establishing education savings accounts – vouchers – in Texas. The signing ceremony was conducted at the Governor’s Mansion and was attended by several Republican Senators and House members, as well as the Lt. Governor and House Speaker.
The creation of a voucher program has been a priority of the Republican Party for many years and has passed the Texas Senate on many occasions over the last several regular and special sessions. Republicans in the Texas House representing rural districts had teamed up with House Democrats to kill the legislation, fearing its negative effect on public school funding. Things changed last year when Abbott used his political power and very large campaign coffers to successfully back a slate of pro-voucher candidates in the Republican primary to oust several Republican House incumbents who had resisted the voucher program.
With the new group of Republican members, the House finally had the numbers to successfully take the legislation across the finish line and send it to Abbott’s desk for approval.
Under the legislation, the state will appropriate $1 billion to a new fund that will allow families to utilize up to $10,000 annually to put towards private school tuition. The program prioritizes students with special needs and families of four making less than $160,000 in annual income.
Agreement on Property Taxes
Texas lawmakers have reached a tentative deal to provide more property tax relief, with most benefits aimed at homeowners. The total amount of property tax relief that will be in the proposed budget this session for the 2026-2027 biennium is $51 billion, which is necessary to offset the loss in revenue at the local level. The agreement would raise the general homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 and increase it to $200,000 for seniors and people with disabilities. Businesses would also see relief, with the exemption on business personal property increasing from $2,500 to $125,000. While the deal reflects the Senate’s preference for homestead exemptions, it strays from the House’s initial push for broader tax rate reductions through compression, which would have lowered school property tax rates across the board.
Though Governor Greg Abbott has not yet weighed in, the deal marks progress on one of his declared legislative priorities. The current agreement omits any new compression provisions, despite past support from Abbott, and instead continues a focus on targeted relief for homeowners. Supporters argue homestead exemptions offer the most equitable tax relief, especially for low-income families. Critics, including lawmakers from both parties, warn that devoting 22% of the state’s total spending — which amounts to approximately $51 billion — to property tax cuts could constrain the budget and limit investment in other urgent state needs. The $51 billion figure in the new budget also includes previous property tax cuts passed last session.
The new plan builds on a contentious 2023 compromise that raised the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000 and added limited compression. That deal followed several special sessions due to disagreement between House and Senate leaders. This year’s agreement appears to avoid that battle by largely adopting the Senate’s approach and limiting new rate reductions. While some lawmakers still favor compression as a fairer method for overall relief, they acknowledge that homeowners are facing the most urgent consequences of rising property taxes.
The legislation still requires final approval from both chambers. If passed, it will represent a mixed victory: homeowners and small businesses stand to benefit directly, while broader structural reform for the future remains unresolved.
Senator John Cornyn Announces Campaign Staff
Incumbent US Senator John Cornyn – trying to seek a 5th term in 2026 – has announced the members of his campaign team as he is digging in for a serious fight against Attorney General Ken Paxton, who last month launched his bid to unseat Cornyn in the 2026 primary.
Cornyn has tapped former Trump campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio to lead polling operations for his 2026 reelection bid, part of a seven-person senior campaign team announced by the Texas Republican on Wednesday. Andy Hemming, a former senior adviser for Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2022 campaign will serve as Cornyn’s campaign manager. Hemming also has ties to President Donald Trump’s political network, dating back to his role as research director on Trump’s 2016 campaign and a stint as the White House’s rapid response director the following year.
Hemming and Fabrizio will be joined by Cornyn’s longtime political aide, Rob Jesmer, who will remain in his current slot as the senator’s general consultant. Jesmer has advised Cornyn since he managed the senator’s 2008 reelection, also serving as executive director of the Senate GOP campaign arm when Cornyn chaired the committee. Also joining Cornyn’s campaign team is former Travis County GOP chair Matt Mackowiak, who will serve as communications director and senior adviser. Mackowiak is a longtime GOP consultant who has worked for an array of candidates in Texas.
Rounding out the team are three other veterans of Texas and national GOP politics. Jahan Wilcox, a former senior communications staffer for the Environmental Protection Agency under Trump, will be a senior adviser. Vincent Harris, a digital strategist who has run digital campaigns for candidates including Sen. Ted Cruz and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, will direct the campaign’s digital strategy. And Matt Wiltshire, a political operative who has worked for numerous GOP campaigns and elected officials in Texas, will be the campaign’s political director.
Local Bond Elections Get Mixed Results
In a series of high-stakes elections across North Texas and the Houston area last Saturday, voters approved billions in school bonds to address explosive population growth and aging infrastructure. Celina ISD led with a $2.3 billion bond package, with 71.7% voter approval for major construction projects including 11 new schools to accommodate expected enrollment growth from 5,500 to 22,000 students. Melissa ISD also passed an $875 million bond with support for new schools, a childcare center, and technology upgrades. Argyle ISD voters reversed last year’s decision and approved a smaller $423 million package, while DeSoto, Ferris, Mesquite, and Terrell ISDs saw strong support for campus improvements, safety enhancements, and tech upgrades.
In Katy, a growing suburb west of Houston, voters rejected all five proposed city charter amendments, including an effort to extend term limits for city council members. In Montgomery County, a $480 million road bond passed with 56% support, aimed at alleviating traffic through 70 road projects. Galveston County voters approved road and flood control bonds but rejected a $75 million proposal for facility improvements.
Meanwhile, Frisco voters rejected two propositions that would have funded a $340 million performing arts center. Despite major support and planned partnerships, opposition citing high costs led to a 60% plus rejection rate in both Collin and Denton counties. The failure of the measure has led to runoff elections where candidates are split over the center’s future. In contrast, Mansfield re-elected Mayor Michael Evans, who campaigned on community investment and unity, defeating challenger Julie Short.
In other local results, Tomball and Fort Bend ISDs saw successful bond and trustee elections, while city council races in Mansfield and Frisco are heading to runoffs. Across Texas, voters showed a willingness to invest in schools and infrastructure but drew a harder line against projects they saw as costly or politically divisive.
Starbase – Newest City in Texas
Elon Musk’s dream to create a company town has materialized with the successful incorporation of Starbase, a new city centered around SpaceX’s South Texas launch site near Brownsville. On Saturday, voters overwhelmingly approved the measure with 212 in favor and only 6 opposed among a small electorate of 283 people, the majority of whom are SpaceX employees or affiliates. The vote effectively transfers more local governance into the hands of individuals closely tied to the company, including the new mayor and two city commissioners, all of whom have direct ties to SpaceX.
SpaceX and Musk argue that incorporating Starbase will streamline infrastructure development and improve local services like roads and utilities, many of which are already managed by the company. According to SpaceX representatives, the new city status will help make the area a premier living and working environment for those involved in Musk’s long-term space ambitions, including potential missions to Mars. However, many South Texas locals have criticized the move, arguing that it concentrates too much power in the hands of Musk and SpaceX, raising concerns about transparency, land use, and public access to nearby Boca Chica Beach, which must be closed during launches.
Those beach closures are central to new legislative efforts backed by SpaceX which would shift authority for weekday beach access from Cameron County to the newly formed city of Starbase. Local leaders and residents have expressed strong opposition, arguing the beach is a cherished public resource and should remain under broader county oversight. Activists, including environmentalists and Indigenous leaders from the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, have protested the changes, accusing SpaceX of ignoring the cultural and ecological significance of the area.
As SpaceX seeks to expand its launch schedule and footprint, the city will also be subject to state transparency laws, offering the public some oversight into what had previously been a largely private enterprise. Still, many in the region remain wary of the implications for land use, heritage, and public access in a place that Musk now effectively controls.
Military Zone Surrounding El Paso
The Pentagon has expanded its role along the U.S.-Mexico border by designating a second military zone in the El Paso area, extending from Fort Bliss eastward. This move follows the recent establishment of a similar zone in New Mexico, both part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to use the military in curbing illegal border crossings–even when such crossings have significantly declined. Within these designated National Defense Areas, U.S. troops are permitted to temporarily detain migrants and transfer them to federal authorities, effectively creating a loophole in federal law that allows military personnel to support civilian immigration enforcement.
While the military cannot directly enforce civilian law, an exception known as the “military purpose doctrine” enables this limited involvement. Critics argue that the militarization of the border perpetuates a misleading narrative about current crossing levels, despite an 87% drop in crossings in the El Paso sector since August 2024. Migrants caught in these military zones now face additional federal charges for trespassing on military property, with potential penalties of up to a year in prison. The Department of Defense has also assumed control of a 170-square-mile corridor along the New Mexico border, now treated as part of Fort Huachuca.
Advocates and legal scholars have raised concerns about the long-term implications of this strategy. Many warn that this escalation unnecessarily further criminalizes asylum-seekers but may also hinder humanitarian efforts, especially amid a sharp rise in migrant deaths in the El Paso sector. In 2024 alone, 176 migrant deaths were reported, a stark contrast to just one in 2014. Meanwhile, legal experts note that this approach allows the executive branch to bypass Congressional approval while expanding military involvement in immigration enforcement.
Ultimately, while proponents celebrate the enhancement of border security, opponents argue this is a troubling shift toward militarized domestic policy, fueled more by political optics than practical necessity.
University of Texas System Chancellor Leaving for California
University of Texas System Chancellor James B. Milliken is stepping down at the end of May to become president of the University of California system, effective August 1. Milliken’s appointment to lead the 10-campus, nearly 300,000-student UC system marks a significant transition, as other major Texas higher education leaders, including the presidents of UT-Austin and UT-Dallas, are also departing. Milliken, who joined the UT System in 2018, has been praised for expanding access to higher education, increasing enrollment, and boosting research expenditures to nearly $5 billion annually.
During his tenure, Milliken emphasized affordability and equity, advocating for expanded financial aid and efforts to support low-income and first-generation students. He also navigated politically charged challenges, including Texas’s 2023 ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at public universities. In compliance, the UT System shuttered 21 DEI offices and eliminated hundreds of jobs. His departure comes amid ongoing political scrutiny of Texas universities, with lawmakers pushing controversial reforms on curriculum content and responses to campus protests.
John Zerwas, the UT System’s executive vice chancellor for health affairs and a former Texas legislator, will serve as acting chancellor starting June 1. His appointment reflects confidence in his leadership as the UT System continues facing both internal transitions and external pressures from state politics. As Milliken prepares to take the helm of the UC system, he inherits a university network grappling with federal investigations into alleged antisemitism and race-conscious admissions practices, as well as reduced federal research funding.
Political Notes
State Rep. Dennis Paul, a Republican from Clear Lake, is the first to announce his campaign for Senate District 11. Current incumbent Mayes Middleton of Galveston will not seek reelection in 2026, instead he has announced he will run for Texas Attorney General. Paul is in his sixth term in the House and is a staunch conservative. Immediately after his announcement, he received the coveted endorsement of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, which will all but assure his nomination in the Republican primary next year. The move also will likely discourage two other state Representatives from entering the race. Rep. Briscoe Cain of Deer Park and Rep. Greg Bonnen of Friendswood had also been considering the race.
Senate District 11 is a heavily Republican district south of Houston, running from Galveston and up to Baytown, then moving west to cover areas in northern Brazoria County. Middleton is in his first term and is seen as wanting to move up the political ladder. He was the first to announce his candidacy for Attorney General, shortly after incumbent AG Ken Paxton announced he will challenge US Senator John Cornyn in next year’s Republican primary.
The most high-profile race from Saturday’s slate of local elections was for mayor of San Antonio. Incumbent Ron Nirenberg was forbidden to seek reelection due to term limits. Voters signaled a desire for change by advancing two political outsiders, Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos, to a June 7 runoff for mayor. Jones and Pablos bested the four current city council members in the race who failed to gain significant support. Jones, a former Biden administration official, led the field with 27% of the vote. While Pablos, a former Texas secretary of state, followed with approximately 16%. The election marks a shift in a city that has traditionally promoted council members to the mayor’s office and sets the stage for a potentially partisan showdown in what has historically been a nonpartisan race.
Pablos is running as a fiscal conservative and is backed by major donors and Republican-aligned PACs, while Jones has drawn support from national Democratic groups. San Antonio has not elected a Republican mayor since 1997. Additionally, with a newly adopted four-year term instead of the usual two, the runoff is drawing widespread attention and significant campaign spending from both parties.
What’s Next??
The House has a full floor calendar today and tomorrow. Presumably, they will take off Mother’s Day and return on Monday. The Senate is in session today and will adjourn 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 21 days left in the session, which ends June 2nd.