Sunday, October 26, 2025
News Digest
by Michael Quinn Sullivan
Good morning!
Early voting continues through Friday ahead of the Nov. 4 General Election. The statewide ballot features 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.
Folks often ask why we have so many amendments to our state constitution. The situation is doubly confusing for those from elsewhere, who see the Texas amendments as things lawmakers in other states would have handled.
It boils down to history. Adopted in 1876, the Texas Constitution was designed to keep power as divided as possible. The features of our state government included a weak governor with comparatively few executive appointments, a part-time legislature, and an elected judiciary. Matters of law that, in most states, are handled by statute instead require public assent through constitutional amendments. But even then, there are no citizen-led initiatives or referendums, meaning that the part-time legislature must generate those amendments.
It was all designed to keep government small. How successfully it has done so is another matter, given the size of state spending in recent decades and the steady drumbeat of government expansion.
Various conservative groups have taken positions on the 17 propositions, and you'll find they sometimes differ. Check out their rationale and make your own ballot as impactful as possible.
Featured
by Sydnie Henry
Alamo Trust CEO Kate Rogers has resigned following calls from state officials for accountability after revelations of controversial writings and management by Rogers.
This development is the latest in an ongoing dispute over the stewardship of the state’s most iconic historic site and echoes recent concerns raised previously by Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick regarding the Alamo Trust’s messaging and leadership.
Real Texans
On this latest edition of Real Texans, I sit down with U.S. Rep. Chip Roy to talk about his bid to be the Lone Star State's next attorney general. Among other things, we talk about the threat of Sharia law, his battle against cancer, and what he learned working for John Cornyn, Ted Cruz, and Ken Paxton.
New interviews with REAL TEXANS every Sunday!
State
Texas Higher Ed Board Officially Bans In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens
All applicants for resident tuition status will now be required to prove their lawful presence in the U.S. as defined by federal law.
UT-Austin Bests Texas A&M in National College Rankings on Conservativism
City Journal published new national college rankings of 100 institutions, considering 68 factors. Baylor University and Rice University ranked 23rd and 60th, respectively.
Texas’ Data Center Boom—and the Local Backlash
Data centers are surging in number around Texas—oftentimes to opposition from local residents. State officials must confront the high costs of serving data center companies while protecting local communities and resources.
Local
Harris County Officials Send Tax Money to Groups Defending Illegal Aliens
Democrats on the Harris County Commissioners Court voted to approve more than $1 million in funding for nonprofits participating in an initiative that provides deportation defense services to individuals facing removal from the United States.
Austin Advances Water Project Despite Community Pleas
Disregarding local opposition, the City of Austin is conducting a three-year study of an aquifer storage recovery project in Bastrop County on the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer.
Victims of Locker Room Recording Scandal Sue Celina ISD for Cover-up
In what could prove to be a groundbreaking case, three families have sued Celina Independent School District for gross negligence, alleging it enabled Coach Caleb Elliott’s illicit locker room recording of more than 30 boys while they were undressed and showering.
Federal
Federal Lawsuit Challenges Texas’ New App Store Age Checks
A federal lawsuit is challenging Texas’ new App Store Accountability Act, which forces app stores to age‑verify every user and obtain parental consent before any minor can download or purchase an app.
Trump Nominates State Sen. Brian Birdwell as Assistant Secretary of Defense
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick celebrated the news on X, praising Birdwell’s record of service and calling him “one of the greatest senators ever to serve Texas.”
Quoting...
"Funding government is important. Safeguarding the constitutional rights of Texans is more important. Fundamental rights should never be sacrificed with nonchalance."
- Don Willett
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