Austin, TX
Trump's executive orders, Texas school choice: TWITP
Trump’s executive orders & Texas school choice: TWITP
President Trump’s executive orders, Texas school choice, and DEI changes were hot topics in This Week in Texas Politics.
AUSTIN, Texas – This Week in Texas Politics included the start of a new state and federal team that went beyond immigration. There was also movement under the capitol dome on school choice legislation, one of the hottest topics this session.
A longer discussion can be found on the FOX 7 YouTube page and on FOX LOCAL
Texas headlines
What they’re saying:
RUDY KOSKI: Strokes from a presidential pen and a pen from the governor, as well as a beefed-up repackaged school choice plan dominated this cycle. This week in Texas politics. Let’s get our headlines from our panel. And we’ll start first with Patrick Svitek from The Washington Post. Patrick, your headline?
PATRICK SVITEK: Well, you know, I’m coming to you from Washington where everyone’s been talking about the tragic plane crash that happened here. So, my headline is this, Tragedy on the Potomac.
RUDY KOSKI: Political analyst Karina Kling, your headline for the week.
KARINA KLING: Yeah. No surprise here, but in Texas, Education Savings Accounts are on the fast track in the Texas Senate.
RUDY KOSKI: Mark Jones from Rice University, your headline for the week.
MARK JONES: I’ll say, Shock and Awe.
President Trump’s executive orders
Trump order could deport pro-Palestine college students
President Trump is expected to sign an executive order which would deport non-American college students who participated in pro-Palestine rallys.
Local perspective:
RUDY KOSKI: President Donald Trump went through a lot of ink this week, signing multiple executive orders. The orders range from deportations to dumping DEI. Patrick, several congressional members from Texas want to take those executive orders and make them law, codify them into law. Which ones are you tracking?
PATRICK SVITEK: Some of these executive orders reflect, you know, generally speaking, ideas that have already been implemented in Texas. And so, in some ways, Texas has taken the lead on some of these issues, particularly related to immigration. I know the state is constantly trying to push the envelope on that.
RUDY KOSKI: Karina, the governor sure is talking a lot about border security, and that’s probably going to be a big issue Sunday during his State of the State address. Right.
KARINA KLING: I think Governor Abbott is just really doubling down. He asked the federal government last week for reimbursement of the $11 billion for what the state has pumped into Operation Lone Star, the border security efforts here. But I think that this is just Governor Abbott saying we’re moving forward, we’re moving ahead.
MARK JONES: So, Texans have a nuanced view of immigration. If we’re talking about deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions, nine out of ten of them favor doing that. If, on the other hand, the Trump administration begins deporting Dreamers as well as undocumented immigrants who have U.S. citizen children and spouses, that’s where you start to sort of not go against majority opinion, but you have a much larger share of the Texas population that is not on board with that.
Latest on school choice in Texas
‘School Choice’ fight underway at State Capitol.
On Tuesday, a hearing lasted late into the night on the “School Choice” fight at the State Capitol. FOX 7 Austin’s Chief Political Reporter Rudy Koski has a look at some of the key points.
Local perspective:
RUDY KOSKI: A Senate committee this week passed the latest attempt at school choice here in Texas. That was followed by President Trump on Thursday signing a school choice executive order. Patrick, it’s getting big and broader, right?
PATRICK SVITEK: So, Republicans in Texas are going to have much more political cover at the national level to pursue this agenda, this legislative session.
KARINA KLING: And we’re hearing from the lieutenant governor saying this will get passed next week. We’re assuming that Governor Abbott will make school choice education savings account a priority item in a State of the State.
MARK JONES: Well, I think for school choice advocates, they view this as an imperfect plan, but far better than the current status quo, which is no school choice.
Latest in Texas Legislative Session
Local perspective:
RUDY KOSKI: Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick essentially backed a dump truck of bills into the Senate the other day and poured in 25 priority bills and then said, hey, I got a lot more that we’re going to total about 40 of them. Most of it is a collection of red meat. But there is one I think that could be substantial. That’s creating a Dementia Prevention and Research Institute in Texas. Mark, what’s on the list that you are watching?
MARK JONES: What I think will be interesting is the Senate is likely to pass the large share, if not all of those. And then what will be fun to watch or at least, you know, intellectually interesting to watch is, what is Dustin Burrows do with this conservative avalanche of Bills that are going to arrive in the House sometime in mid, you know, late, late March and to mid-April. And what, it’ll be, it’ll be a good sort of test case for his alliance with Texas Democrats in terms of how much of that he effectively pushes through and how much of it he blocks.
RUDY KOSKI: On Patrick’s list is an item establishing Texas as America’s film capital. Ironically, on Thursday, a coalition of Texas actors, including Matthew McConaughey, launched a campaign to tap into the budget surplus. For that, you know, I don’t know if state lawmakers will be starstruck over all this, but, you know, it could be interesting. Patrick, anything on the Lieutenant Governor’s list that has caught your attention.
PATRICK SVITEK: Yeah, two things. I mean, I saw some items on there that seemed to echo what Republicans are pursuing nationally. There was the state level effort to do a Department of Government Efficiency. I also saw one of the bill titles was Make America Healthy Again. And so, you know, clearly reflecting the moment we’re in that now Republicans control the White House. You’re going to see Texas Republicans continue to try to complement or augment policies that Republicans are pushing at the national level.
Wrapping up This Week in Texas Politics
Local perspective:
RUDY KOSKI: Let’s wrap it all up with one word for the week. And we’ll start first with Karina, your word for the week.
KARINA KLING: It’s been a long week, so I’m going to say, Weekend.
MARK JONES: I’ll stick with the theme of, Blitzkrieg.
PATRICK SVITEK: Yeah, I’m going to stretch it and do, Déjà vu. Because we have the Lt Governor releasing a long list of priorities early in the session. People are swearing there’s only going to be one session this year. It sounds a lot like what we’ve heard every two years in Texas.
RUDY KOSKI: All right. And that is This Week in Texas Politics.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski
You can watch “Texas Eats” on Saturdays at 10 a.m. on KSAT 12, KSAT.com, and KSAT Plus, our free streaming app.
This week on Texas Eats:
Ramen Tatsu-Ya
1600 E 6th St., Austin, Texas 78702
Ramen Tatsu-ya is an Austin staple known for serious Japanese ramen, crafted by chefs Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto. Their broths are slow-cooked, complex, and authentic, and their noodle bowls are rich, comforting, and widely praised by locals and critics alike.
Otto’s Ice House
111 Newell Ave., San Antonio, Texas 78212
Otto’s Ice House, located in the Pearl District, mixes the chill vibes of a Texas ice house with upscale touches. From street tacos and bratwurst to creative cocktails and live music, it’s a place to kick back with friends outdoors or by the river. The menu is casual but well-executed, and the owner Levi Goode brings in a reputation for quality and storytelling.
Texas Bistro
1932 S Seguin Avenue #209, New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Texas Bistro is a New American restaurant in New Braunfels that focuses on fresh, thoughtfully prepared dishes in a relaxed but refined environment. It draws praise as one of the area’s standout places for dinner.
Goode Co. BBQ
5109 Kirby Drive, Houston, Texas 77098
Goode Co. Barbeque is a long-standing Houston institution (since 1977) specializing in Texas-style barbecue slow-smoked over mesquite wood. They serve tender brisket, ribs, sausage, and classic sides, often paired with their signature pecan pie. The vibe is down-home, rustic, and welcoming — a place built around tradition, smoked meats, and a sense of genuine Texas BBQ hospitality.
Canje
1914 E 6th St. Ste C, Austin, Texas 78702
Canje is a vibrant Caribbean-inspired restaurant founded by Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph. Located in East Austin, it blends Caribbean and Guyanese traditions with modern techniques, emphasizing fresh, regionally-sourced ingredients and sustainable practices. The atmosphere is lively and colorful, with bold flavors and inventive dishes that reflect the broader diaspora of island cuisines.
Best Quality Daughter
602 Avenue A, San Antonio, Texas 78215
Best Quality Daughter is an Asian-American restaurant in the Pearl, founded by Chef Jennifer Dobbertin. It showcases flavors from her heritage and her travels, offering dishes that blend comfort with creativity in a welcoming space. It’s earned acclaim locally and has become a key part of San Antonio’s emerging food scene.
McAdoo’s Seafood
196 N Castell Ave., New Braunfels, Texas 78130
McAdoo’s is an upscale seafood restaurant in downtown New Braunfels housed in the old post office building. They offer a mix of fresh seafood, authentic Cajun-Creole dishes, and Texas Creole favorites. The setting includes a courtyard and intimate bar, and the menu combines fine dining touches with hearty, flavor-forward preparations.
La Tequila Mexican Restauarnt
90 Crossroads Blvd., Balcones Heights, Texas 78201
La Tequila Jalisco offers auténtica comida mexicana in Balcones Heights with a menu full of Jalisco-style dishes like enchiladas, fried shrimp, and classic tacos. Its warm, family-friendly setting makes it a go-to for locals craving hearty, approachable Mexican food.
Follow Texas Eats and David Elder on Facebook and Instagram for more food info, pictures, videos and giveaways.
Copyright 2025 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) — The records in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce case have been unsealed.
Judge Robert Brotherton, who is presiding over the case, signed an order Friday morning allowing the records to be made public. The decision came after Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, announced that they had come to an agreement late Thursday to unseal the documents.
Tyler Bexley, an attorney for a group of media organizations fighting for the records to be released, celebrated the decision as a win for transparency.
“We’re certainly pleased with the result,” Bexley said after the hearing.
The move was an abrupt about-face for the couple, who had fought to keep the records secret. It’s unclear exactly what brought on the change.
The records were released before noon. They show the Paxtons have entered mediation, and their blind trust had doled out $20,000 to each of them to pay for their attorneys. The documents also show that earlier this month, Angela Paxton asked her husband to produce records pertinent to the case. They also show multiple judges recused themselves from the case before it was given to Brotherton, a visiting judge based in Wichita Falls.
The Texas Newsroom previously published copies of several records — including Paxton’s general denial of his wife’s divorce petition — before they were sealed.
The records did not shed more light on the couple’s financial situation, division of assets or the alleged affair that led to the divorce — but additional filings will be made as the case continues. Bexley said the media organizations agreed to redactions only of personal information like Social Security numbers and home addresses.
State Sen. Angela Paxton filed for divorce in July alleging adultery. Soon after, she asked for the court record to be sealed. A previous judge handling the case agreed and put all of the records under seal. Ken Paxton initially supported the decision, filing a court document that accused the press of attempting to unfairly invade his personal life.
Eight media organizations and a nonpartisan nonprofit opposed the sealing. The media group argued Paxton’s divorce records should be public because he is an elected official running for office who has faced repeated allegations of corruption. The attorney general’s finances, which are a subject of the divorce case, have been central to the misconduct allegations against him. While he has been charged with multiple crimes during his decade in statewide office, Paxton has never been convicted.
Paxton is now challenging John Cornyn in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
Laura Roach, one of Ken Paxton’s lawyers, said after the Friday hearing that the attorney general had always wanted the record to be unsealed.
“Mr. Paxton has always wanted us to actually unseal it,” she said. “Attorneys get on a path and we think that that’s the right way to go and we were finally able to get everybody on the same page.”
When asked why he initially opposed it so strongly, she added, “that’s just legal stuff. … His attorneys said that.”
Angela Paxton had asked the records be sealed because doing so would “not have an adverse affect on the public health or safety.” Her representatives declined to respond on Friday.
Michael Clauw, the communications director for the nonprofit Campaign for Accountability that also sought the release of the records, said he does not believe Ken Paxton actually wanted them to be made public.
“It’s ridiculous to believe that Ken Paxton ‘always wanted’ his divorce record to be unsealed,” he said. “Only when it became apparent he likely would lose in court did he change his tune.”
Roach said she expects the case to be resolved amicably soon. Neither Ken Paxton nor Angela Paxton appeared at the court.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans – and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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