Texas
Texas Legislature is primed for red meat issues, but expect some bread and butter, too
AUSTIN – With Republicans firmly in control of the Texas Legislature, the 2025 session could offer plenty of cultural conflict issues that appeal to many GOP voters and activists, but lawmakers are also expected to mix bread and butter with their red meat.
Conversations with nearly a dozen lawmakers and legislative staffers indicate the session could focus on improving the state’s infrastructure and adding safeguards against ever-changing technology, including artificial intelligence.
Last week during a forum sponsored by the lobby group Professional Advocacy Association of Texas, the chiefs of staff for Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan said the legislative session could largely involve bolstering the state’s infrastructure.
Here are some of the major issues lawmakers could tackle during their 140-day session, which starts in January.
Abbott says he has enough votes in the Legislature to approve a plan allowing Texas families to use public money to attend private schools. The proposal, which involves publicly funded education savings accounts, has been defeated in the Legislature by a bipartisan coalition of urban and rural legislators.
The fallout from this year’s hard-fought primary elections, in which Abbott used his resources to oust some House lawmakers who blocked his plan, has led proponents to predict a voucher-style program will pass next year. Such a plan could be joined with increased dollars for public schools and teacher pay raises, as some lawmakers against Abbott’s plan will work to get the best deal possible.
The emergence of a new House speaker could change the calculation in the House on school choice, particularly if blocking the proposal is part of a deal the new speaker makes with Democrats.
“Everybody knows what a priority that [school choice] is for the governor,” said Robert Black, Abbott’s chief of staff.
Other education issues could be top of mind for lawmakers, including discipline in public schools. Some teachers have complained that some students are increasingly out of control.
In 2023 Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, sponsored legislation that would allow a teacher to remove a student based on a single incident of unruly or disruptive behavior. The bill would have let schools suspend students for longer periods and kick them out of traditional public schools for a broader range of infractions.
Civil rights advocates argued that Perry’s proposal would have been a return to the kind of zero-tolerance discipline that disproportionately impacted children of color.
Black said he expected lawmakers to also deal with public school safety and workforce readiness.
Texas can expect another significant budget surplus, so Abbott and some lawmakers are pushing for another major property tax relief package. Last year, lawmakers — after contentious debate — voted for a historic $18 billion property tax cut. With a surplus projected at $20 billion, another relief package is likely.
Lawmakers could consider whether to stop linking public school funding to property taxes. That would provide additional relief but require an overhaul in the state’s approach to public school funding.
Since a 2021 winter storm left millions of Texans without power and water, lawmakers have made fixes to the energy grid. Expect more fortification next year as ERCOT’s meteorologist predicts an elevated chance for extreme weather this winter.
“People want to make sure we have a fortified grid,” said Darrell Davila, Patrick’s chief of staff.
Texas leaders want the grid to be protected against attack while meeting the demand created by data centers and rapid population growth.
Lawmakers could also move to address the state leaders’ need to make sure Texans will have enough water going forward, particularly with its massive growth. Part of the water problem is created by an aging infrastructure. It’s an issue that will take more than one legislative session to solve.
The emergence of AI means dramatic changes in how we live and conduct business, but the new frontier is fraught with risks and dangers. There’s already a special House committee looking into ways to make sure artificial intelligence is used properly.
“We also need to make sure our state is protected from cyberattacks,” Black said.
Access to health care in rural areas has been a growing problem that affects more than health. Small towns have become attractive for companies across the world looking to build plants and headquarters. Not addressing quality of life issues, including nearby hospitals and doctors, could cause potential suitors to look elsewhere.
According to the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, Texas has had 26 permanent or temporary rural hospital closures since 2010, which leads the nation.
“The governor can’t go and sell bringing a manufacturing facility back from China to Texas if there is not water there and there is not a doctor to deliver a baby there,” said Mike Toomey, chief of staff for Phelan. “We have an obligation to help rural Texas.”
A Brazilian fitness influencer has died after getting into difficulty during the swimming portion of an ironman event in Texas.
Mara Flavia Souza Araujo was reported as a “lost swimmer” around 7.30am at the Ironman Texas in Lake Woodlands near Houston on Saturday. According to KPRC 2 News, safety crews could not immediately locate Araujo. The 38-year-old’s body was discovered around 90 minutes later in 10ft of water by divers. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department confirmed her identity in a statement to NBC on Monday.
“MCSO can confirm that Mara Flavia Souza Araujo, 38, of Brazil died while competing in the Ironman event in The Woodlands on Saturday,” the sheriff’s department told NBC News. “Preliminary investigations indicate she drowned during the swimming portion of the event.”
Araujo was an experienced triathlete and had completed at least nine ironman events since 2018. She had more than 60,000 followers on Instagram and had posted about the importance of making the most out of life in the days before her death.
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“Enjoy this ride on the bullet train that is life,” she wrote in Portuguese. “And even with the speed of the machine blurring the landscape, look out the window – for at any moment, the train will drop you off at the eternal station.”
Organizers of the race expressed their condolences on Saturday.
“We send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the athlete and will offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time,” race organizers said in a statement on Saturday. “Our gratitude goes out to the first responders for their assistance.”
A glamorous triathlete who drowned during an Ironman competition in Texas shared a photo from a swimming pool during a final training session just two days before the tragic race.
Brazilian influencer Mara Flávia, 38, shared the shot of her on the edge of a pool on Thursday — two days before she vanished during an open-water swim in The Woodlands Saturday morning.
“Just another day at work,” Flávia, 38, wrote in Portuguese alongside the pic of her wearing a matching pink swimming costume and cap.
The influencer, who had more than 60,000 followers online, chose the Robin S track “Show Me Love” for her post with the hashtags “triathlon,” “swimming” and “triathlete.”
Flávia vanished during an open-water swim in The Woodlands Saturday morning – the first of three grueling trials that competitors face during the 140-mile race.
Fire crews were told about a “lost swimmer” at around 7:30 a.m., one hour into the pro-female swim, KPRC reported.
Rescuers battled challenging visibility conditions before Flávia’s body was pulled from the water just after 9:30 a.m.
Montgomery County Sheriffs confirmed that the victim “drowned while participating in the swim portion of the event,” according to a statement. The office said its Major Crimes unit will continue the investigation “per normal protocols.”
Shawn McDonald, a volunteer, recounted the commotion before the swimmer’s body was recovered.
The dad, who volunteered with his daughter Mila, 12, said a group of younger volunteers in a kayak raised a flag and blew their whistles, “yelling for help.”
“I heard them say she went under,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I had Mila hand me the paddle and I started calling out to the athletes around us to stop so I could cross. I made my way over in about 30 seconds.
“When I got there and asked what happened, they all said the same thing: She went under. Right here. Right below us. The panic and fear on their faces won’t leave me for a long time.”
The volunteer recalled how one man had a “thousand-yard stare” on his face – before diving into the water in a desperate bid to find Flávia.
“I dove in immediately and began searching. After about a minute underwater, I felt her body with my foot. I surfaced, took what seemed like the deepest breath I have ever taken and went back down. She was gone.”
Boats with sonar combed the area – and McDonald was told to leave the water before the body was recovered.
“The victim was found in about 10 feet of water on the bottom of the lake,” Buck said. “The dive team accessed the victim, brought her up about 9:37 and then brought her over to the shore where she was pronounced DOS [deceased on scene],” Palmer Buck, the Woodlands fire chief, said.
It’s not known what caused the triathlete to go under the water.
Journalism grad Flávia previously worked in radio and television before pursuing a sporting career at age 28.
She previously twice won the Brazilian Grand Prix, and finished third in the Brasilia triathlon event.
Lady Vols basketball is looking to add more pieces to its 2026-27 roster with high-level experience. After completing her junior season at Texas A&M, Fatmata Janneh has emerged as a Tennessee target for her final year of eligibility. According to her Instagram story on Sunday night, she is in Knoxville.
With the Aggies a year ago, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 11.4 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field. She also showed off an ability to hit from range, posting 1.1 makes per game on 33% shooting from three.
Perhaps Janneh’s biggest strength is her rebounding, though. She ripped down 9.7 boards per contest, good for the fifth-most in the SEC. This featured 2.6 rebounds on the offensive end per outing.
Janneh also averaged 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. She appeared in 27 games, starting in each.
More From RTI: How Watching The NCAA Tournament Drew Terrence Hill Jr. To Tennessee Basketball
Janneh started her career with a pair of seasons at St. Peter’s. As a sophomore, she averaged a double-double, posting 18.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. This made her a sought-after transfer in the portal before landing at Texas A&M as the nation’s leading defensive rebounder. As a freshman, she averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.
The forward is from London, England, attending Barking Abbey Sixth Form for her prep ball. She would be the second player from England to join the Tennessee roster if she committed. UT also added the commitment of incoming freshman and former Boston College signee Irene Oboavwoduo this offseason.
So far, Caldwell and the Lady Vols have landed five transfers in this portal cycle. This features Liberty guard Avery Mills, Northern Arizona guard Naomi White, Stanford forward Harper Peterson and Georgia forward Zhen Craft and guard Rylie Theuerkauf.
Tennessee will also roster a pair of incoming freshmen. Four-star recruit and top-50 prospect Gabby Minus is staying true to her signing despite the roster overhaul and assistant coaching changes, along with the addition of Oboavwoduo.
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