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.”
EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A major change is coming to how vehicles are titled and registered in Texas, with local officials and border-area dealerships bracing for questions, delays and the possibility that some buyers could take their business out of state.
Beginning March 5, 2026, Texans applying for an original vehicle title and registration will need proof of identity and proof of legal status in the United States.
The Texas Motor Vehicle Board approved a new rule requiring county tax offices to verify that documentation before processing those transactions.
“If the person doesn’t have valid ID, we cannot register their vehicle,” said Ruben Gonzalez, the El Paso County tax assessor-collector.
Gonzalez said the rule is mandatory statewide and is not a local policy, but a state mandate he is required to follow as an agent of the DMV.
Under the rule, buyers must present a REAL ID-compliant Texas ID or other federally recognized documents, including a passport or permanent resident card.
Gonzalez said the rule takes effect March 5 for new titles and registrations, but proof of legal status for registration renewals will not be required until Jan. 1, 2027.
“We’re going to give a year’s time for those people to qualify, but more so to allow the entities, businesses like lean holders and dealers and the county offices to be trained on what’s an acceptable form of documentation to accept from people that are renewing online or in our offices,” Gonzalez said.
Destiny Venecia reports on Texas to require proof of identity and legal status for vehicle titles, registrations (Credit: KFOX14)
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Local dealerships said they are working to adapt, but some employees and customers are uneasy about the change.
Luis Fierro, president of the El Paso Hispanic Independent Automobile Dealer Association, said, “My personnel is a little bit scared to make a mistake. Within the dinner community, they’re all scared, they’re all lost in the system. They’re trying to figure out, as we all believe, an ID was a real ID. Now we find out that what we knew that was good to be used is no longer good.”
Border-area dealerships also worry customers could buy and register vehicles in New Mexico, taking taxes and fees out of Texas.
“Customers are scared of the new implementation, that they’re going to take their business to New Mexico, pay their taxes in New Mexico, and handle the registration and renewals in the state of New Mexico and avoid Texas,” Fierro said.
County leaders said the concern extends beyond lost sales to lost revenue for Texas counties.
“It’s going to be a loss of revenue because if they go to New Mexico, we can’t collect our fees that are due because they’re all they’re running using our highways,” Gonzalez said.
County officials said they expect an increase in questions and possible delays in the first few months after the rule takes effect March 5, 2026.
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A middle school in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD is closed Friday after an outbreak of norovirus.
According to the school district, they closed Creekview Middle School in Fort Worth on Friday to sanitize and clean the building. The district said they plan on reopening the school on Monday.
The district said children started to get sick on Tuesday with what appeared to be a stomach virus and that on Wednesday it spread to a larger group.
EMSISD said they reached out to the Tarrant County Public Health Department and that they recommended disinfecting and cleaning the school on Wednesday night and reopening the next day.
More cases continued to be reported on Thursday, so the public health department then recommended that they clean again and close the campus on Friday.
Parents were notified of the district’s decision on Thursday afternoon.
The district has not said how many students and staff were sickened in the outbreak.
Officials with Children’s Medical Center said that because norovirus is highly contagious and resistant to many common hand sanitizers, it presents a unique challenge for families.
The hospital says hand sanitizer isn’t enough and recommends thorough hand washing with soap and water. They also recommend parents keep their children home for a full 48 hours after symptoms stop to prevent further outbreaks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are approximately 2,500 norovirus outbreaks in the United States each year and that they are most common from November through April. For further tips on preventing the spread of norovirus, visit the CDC.
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