June 22, 2025
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
With unfinished priorities still lingering after the close of the regular legislative session, the Republican Party of Texas is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to immediately convene a special session to address several key issues—including the elimination of property taxes, a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying, and bail reform.
The resolution calls for any state budget surplus to be directed toward compression of school district maintenance and operations (M&O) taxes—ultimately leading to their elimination. It also supports a further-expanded homestead exemption and a complete overhaul of the appraisal system to base values on the purchase price of a property.
On taxpayer-funded lobbying—a priority that failed to receive a vote in the House despite passing in the Senate—the party is asking Abbott to include the issue in a special session call. Taxpayers are set to spend more than $94 million on hired lobbyists next year, who often advocate against conservative reforms.
Another issue the GOP says must be addressed is bail reform. The legislature failed to pass two proposed constitutional amendments that would have allowed judges to deny bail to violent offenders and certain illegal aliens. The failure was due to both measures falling short of the required two-thirds support in the House.
The resolution also calls on Abbott to direct lawmakers to pass congressional redistricting legislation—an item of interest to President Donald Trump’s political team, which has reportedly discussed redrawing maps to secure a stronger Republican majority in Congress.
Pro-life protections are again on the table, with the party urging the governor to back a ban on abortion-inducing drugs. According to the resolution, roughly 19,000 pre-born children are killed annually in Texas through out-of-state abortion pill shipments, with one in ten women reportedly suffering severe complications.
Finally, the resolution calls for the legislature to pass the Women’s Privacy Act, legislation aimed at protecting girls and women in restrooms, locker rooms, and other sex-separated spaces.
The full resolution passed by a vote of 64-0 and now awaits a response from Gov. Abbott, who is the only state official with the power to
call lawmakers back to Austin.
Featured
After years of legal wrangling, the state has officially moved to dismiss the long-standing felony securities fraud charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The charges—first brought by a Collin County grand jury in 2015—accused Paxton of failing to properly disclose financial ties to a tech firm while soliciting investors. But over the next nine years, the case became mired in delays, venue changes, and disputes over special prosecutor compensation.
In March 2024, Paxton and prosecutors reached a pretrial diversion agreement to cancel the upcoming trial. Under its terms, Paxton completed over 100 hours of community service, 30 hours of ethics training, and paid full restitution—reportedly around $300,000—to the alleged victims.
Real Texans
In this episode, we visit with Vanessa Sivadge. She is a nurse-turned-whistleblower who, one year ago, exposed child gender mutilation procedures happening in Texas. Now she’s on a mission to protect Texas children
New interviews with REAL TEXANS every Sunday!
State
Abbott Backs Kelly Hancock as He Steps Into Comptroller Office
Current Comptroller Glenn Hegar will be leaving to take over as chancellor of Texas A&M next month.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform Shakes up Leadership After Disastrous Legislative Session
The internal shakeup follows a bruising year for TLR, both politically and reputationally.
Alleged Noncitizen Voters Under Investigation by Texas AG
The secretary of state identified 33 potential noncitizens who may have illegally voted in Texas elections in 2024.
Local
KP George Switches Parties as Legal Troubles Mount in Fort Bend County
George has switched to the Republican Party, shifting the balance of power on the county commissioners court.
Austin ISD To Reduce Headquarters Staff by Over 20 Percent
The move will help close a $110 million budget deficit.
South Texas School Board President Faces Felony Child Porn Charge
Boling ISD Board President Jerry Svatek is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material showing victims under 10 years old.
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