Good morning, 

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Lawsuit Alleges Smart TVs Are Spying on Texans

• A series of new lawsuits filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton accuse major television manufacturers of secretly surveilling Texans inside their homes. Brandon Waltens has the story.
       
• Paxton has filed suit against Samsung, Sony, LG, Hisense, and TCL. He alleges these television manufacturers have unlawfully collected and monetized detailed viewing data from consumers without meaningful knowledge or consent. Two of the companies named in the lawsuit, Hisense and TCL, are based in China, a fact Paxton says raises additional concerns about data security under China’s National Security Law.
     
• According to the lawsuit, the companies embedded Automated Content Recognition technology into their smart televisions. The software allegedly captures screenshots of the user’s television screen as frequently as every 500 milliseconds. The attorney general’s office alleges that the data is transmitted back to the companies in real time, used to build detailed consumer profiles, and then sold or shared for targeted advertising purposes.
      
• "This conduct is invasive, deceptive, and unlawful. The fundamental right to privacy will be protected in Texas because owning a television does not mean surrendering your personal information to Big Tech or foreign adversaries." – Ken Paxton 

Mexico Agrees to Uphold Treaty Obligations

• Addie Hovland reports that Mexico has agreed to release water to the Rio Grande Valley to fulfill its part of a 1944 treaty, after years of failing to do so. The announcement was made by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
     
• Under the treaty, Mexico is required to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the Rio Grande Valley. In turn, the U.S. delivers 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River. Mexico, though, has failed to deliver its full water allocation multiple times since 1994.
      
• Under pressure from the Trump administration, Mexico has agreed to both comply with the treaty and to send water to repay the previous cycles' deficit. Release of water from Mexico into the RGV is set to begin this week.

Azle ISD Coach Arrested Again for Sex Crime Against Student

• A now-former Azle High School girls’ sports coach has been arrested again for alleged sex crimes against an underage female student who has since graduated. Erin Anderson has the details.
     
• Carlos Alberto Font Santiago was first arrested in April and charged with the felonious improper relationship between an educator and student. Late last week, he was arrested on a charge of sexual assault of a child. Font Santiago had worked for Azle ISD for seven years as a Spanish teacher and a coach for various girls’ sports, including basketball, volleyball, and softball.
      
• An alleged victim is suing the coach, school district, and several school officials in federal court. She alleges other coaches raised concerns about Font Santiago’s behavior around female students, but those concerns were never reported.

Trump Declares Fentanyl A ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’

• President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday formally designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as “weapons of mass destruction.” As Sydnie Henry reports, this dramatically escalates how the federal government treats the deadly synthetic opioid and the cartels that traffic it.
     
• Trump ties fentanyl production and distribution to organized criminal networks, foreign terrorist organizations, and cartels whose operations include assassinations, terrorist acts, and insurgencies that erode U.S. security at home and along the southern border.
     
• Classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction could give federal authorities broader justification for intelligence-driven operations against cartels operating across Texas, as well as new leverage against foreign governments and banks that tolerate or facilitate precursor exports.​
      
• According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, there have been 606 fentanyl poisoning deaths so far in 2025.

Harris County Democrats Deny Future Endorsements for Houston Mayor John Whitmire

• Accusing John Whitmire of failing to challenge Republicans with sufficient fervor, the Harris County Democrats passed a resolution making the incumbent mayor no longer eligible for endorsement. As Michael Wilson reports, outgoing Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo reportedly encouraged Democrat precinct chairs to approve the resolution.
     

• The measure followed months of internal complaints from party organizers and was triggered, in part, by Whitmire’s attendance at a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican who represents parts of northeast Harris County. More than 100 precinct chairs had previously signed on to statements criticizing the mayor for working with state officials and for not publicly confronting the Trump administration’s federal immigration policies.

     
• After the party vote, Whitmire pushed back on those claims by emphasizing his long-standing ties to the Democrat party; he served as a Democrat in the Texas House and for another four decades in the Texas Senate. He rejected accusations that Houston operates as an arm of federal immigration authorities.
       
• Not all the Democrat officials and party leaders in Harris County were on board with the resolution. Opponents warn that the attack on Whitmire could deepen internal fractures and weaken the party’s outreach efforts.

Real News, Real Texans, Real Impact

The only way Texans can make an effective impact on the government and culture of the Lone Star State is to be truthfully informed. This is why Texas Scorecard exists. Unlike other news outlets, we are not beholden to government grants or corporate advertising. We don’t put our content behind a paywall. Texas Scorecard exists because of your generous, tax-deductible support!

Quote-Unquote

"Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness."

– Thomas Jefferson​

Y'All Answered

In 2026, the race to be the Republican Party's nominee for the state's agriculture commissioner pits incumbent Sid Miller against Dallas businessman Nate Sheets.

Yesterday, we asked readers who they would support if that election were held now. More than 80 percent said they would vote for Miller, while 19.7 percent are supporting Sheets.

Here is a sampling of the responses I received:

• “I would continue supporting Ag Commissioner Miller. I feel he has served Texas with a heart for Texas.” – Carol Doucet
      

• “I have known Sid Miller since 2011. He has my family’s total support and VOTE!” – James Pierce
     

• “We need a new perspective in agriculture, so I'll support Nate Sheets.” – Merryl Redding
          

• “I believe Nate Sheets was encouraged to run against Sid Miller by Abbott and other RINO folks. As a Texas rancher, Sid has my husband's and my vote!” – Kathryn Geesaman
      

• “Since Sid Miller’s name has never been in the news for any illegal, immoral, or stupid reasons, I stand by the adage — ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’” – Steve Sullivan
      

• “A small successful farmer, Rick DeVito in Alvord, Texas, and I are working to get a Farm to Table program in schools, community colleges, prisons, and even backyards! Our food future is at risk, and Sid has turned a blind eye to attempts with programs like these to help get our Texas families trained in small farming practices resulting in self-sufficiency, sustainability, and better nutrition.” – Jennifer Tellef
      

• “Incumbency hath its merits. Miller is a known quantity, whereas Sheets is not.” – Arthur Potter
      

• “Sid Miller all the way.” – Dana Kay
      

• “As far as I can see, [Miller] is doing a great job in finding markets for Texas agricultural products. We need more Texas officials like him.” – Bruce Delater
      

• “I would vote for Sid Miller because, why mess with success?” – Julie Chisholm
    

• “I support Nate for two reasons: one, he is a fellow beekeeper, and two, I don't vote for incumbents.” – Mike Tayloe

Directory of Your Current U.S. & Texas Lawmakers

This information is automatically inserted based on the mailing address you provide to us. If you'd like to update your contact information, please visit our subscriber portal.