Good morning,

Yesterday, we asked readers about the historic inflow of political refugees to Texas from Democrat-run states. Find out below what they had to say.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

San Antonio Ends Its Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Travel Program

• Brandon Waltens reports that San Antonio has now shut down its taxpayer-funded abortion travel program following the implementation of a new state law explicitly barring local governments from using public money to facilitate abortions, including travel to other states.
      
• Before the law took effect, San Antonio had created a “Reproductive Justice Fund” that included $100,000 to assist women seeking abortions outside Texas. That move mirrored similar efforts by left-leaning cities, including Austin, which has also since shut down its abortion travel fund.
      
• "It is illegal for cities to fund abortion tourism with taxes." – Attorney General Ken Paxton

Abbott Warns Harris County: Fix Election Issues or Else

• After more than 100 illegal voter registrations in Harris County were confirmed during a review of voter rolls, Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening state action. Addie Hovland has the story.
     
• This came shortly after Secretary of State Jane Nelson informed Harris County's voter registrar that a review conducted of the county’s voter rolls found individuals registering using private P.O. Box-style addresses, a violation of state election law. 
     
• Gov. Greg Abbott has criticized Harris County, calling it a “repeat violator of election integrity.” Besides losing administrative oversight of county elections, Abbott has said legal charges against Harris County should be considered if the situation does not improve.

Texas Cities Take 'Posture of Secrecy'

• Robert Montoya reports on a growing trend in Texas of local governments trying to delay the release of public information through time-consuming appeals to the Office of the Attorney General. 
       
• A report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation found that the number of such appeals by local governments to the OAG increased 54 percent from 2015 to 2023.
      
• “Governments today seem emboldened to obstruct, delay, and deny the release of public information through schemes of every sort,” said James Quintero, one of the report's authors. “Some threaten exorbitant charges to access data and documents. Others respond at a snail’s pace. Still others appeal excessively to state authorities, seeking to withhold what is rightfully ours.”
      
• Some local officials really hate the fact that they work for, and are answerable to, the taxpayers.

Dallas-Area Voters Could Soon Derail DART

• Voters in at least five North Texas cities will decide in May whether to ditch DART, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit service. Erin Anderson has the details.
    
• The 40-year-old DART system operates light rail, bus, on-demand, and disability transportation services in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It is funded by a one-cent sales tax levied in 13 cities. Now, five of those cities have decided to place measures on the May ballot asking voters if they want to exit the costly program.
     
• For example, Plano is the largest contributor to DART funding behind Dallas, sending more than $130 million per year to the transit agency but receiving less than half that amount in services. City officials say DART is not providing a good return on their investment, citing low ridership and inadequate service.

Website Lets Public Monitor Higher Education Compliance

• Adam Cahn reports that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has launched a new website to solicit public feedback about the state’s taxpayer-subsidized higher education institutions. 
      
• The website, www.studentsfirst.texas.gov, includes a portal to submit “statutory complaints” regarding violations of several recently passed state laws. Submissions will be monitored by the Coordinating Board’s Office of the Ombudsman.

Austin Mayor Releases ‘Decision Tree’ to Guide Potential Bond Proposal

• Austin's mayor, Kirk Watson, has released a “decision tree” to guide discussions on a possible bond election this fall. This comes as city officials are still reeling from the landslide defeat of their tax-hike proposal back in November. 

          
• Among other things, Watson wants city officials to determine if existing authorized but unissued bond capacity is sufficient and whether proposed items are appropriate for one‑time bond funding rather than ongoing operating needs.​
       
• The city's budget has grown from $3.3 billion in 2013 to $6.3 billion in 2025. Austin’s municipal spending has long been a subject of criticism, including an explosion of spending on vagrancy services in recent years.

Quote-Unquote

"Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny." – Edmund Burke​

Y'All Answered

As Democrat-run states continue to hemorrhage residents, Texas has once again emerged as the nation’s top destination for Americans on the move. Of course, some folks are worried that these new residents left their home states ... but not the voting behaviors that caused their decline.

So, with tongue lightly planted in cheek, we asked readers if new residents of the Lone Star State should be required to take a Texas citizenship test before registering to vote. Just under 86 percent said some sort of test would be good, while 14.2 percent believe otherwise.

Here's a sampling of the responses we received, ranging from thoughtful to thoughtfully humorous.

• “They should also have to take an IQ test, sing ‘Texas, Our Texas,’ with meaning, and submit to wearing a shock collar.” – Roy Leather   

• “Texas history is unique. New Texans should be aware to appreciate it.” – Dawn Gerstenberger

• “Would we want this if the other party were in charge here? Moot point, as the migration would flow out of Texas if that happened. A tongue-in-cheek ‘yes’ from me.” – Richard Steenson

• “And that test should include eating a half rack of pork ribs.” – Scott Jones

• “No test, but people should register under their party affiliation and only vote accordingly!” – Katherine Kelton

• “[Californians] started building homes all along the Front Range and the price of everything doubled overnight. In 1996, I moved my family back to Texas. Colorado became unaffordable, and seeing the same thing is now happening in Texas. If you want to know how bad things could be in Texas, go visit Colorado.” – Jude Wilson

• “Hopefully, they will remember why they left those blue states and vote against those policies.” – Lani Wilson

• “I am a refugee from my native state of California. I came to Texas to be a Texan. This is the last bastion, and we must defend it.” – Gary Bohannon

• “Don't mess with Texas!” – Kathy Fisher

• “It wouldn't be a bad idea to have all voters take a Texas Citizenship test in order to register to vote! Remember the Alamo!” – Arthur Potter

• “This CA escapee remembers when a billboard was placed just inside the state of Oregon-California line when traveling north on Interstate 5. It said ‘DON’T CALIFORNICA OREGON.’ And yet that is exactly what has happened to Oregon, Washington, and Arizona.” – Sandra Grove

• “As a 2007 IL refugee, I voted yes. Soon after arriving, I could see in the culture that Texas was really a unique place in America. I picked up a copy of TR Fehrenbach’s ‘Lone Star’ and was glad I did. I’m sure that, or many other historical accounts, should be required reading.” – Mike Kruger

• “I see cars in the supermarket parking lot with licenses from CA and other states. If the owner is loading groceries, I sometimes ask them if they are taking their Texan lessons yet. Usually, they laugh ruefully.” – Susan Frensley

• “I drive through the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sierra Blanca every month. Every time I do, I tell the agent on duty that I'm not worried about the Mexicans coming in as much as the Californians! Always gets a laugh.” – Steve Price

• “I’m from CA, but I got here as quick as I could. Also, I’m probably more conservative than most. Florida thought that they had the same problem, but Republican voter registration is through the roof. Have faith!” – Randy Schroder

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* The new congressional boundaries for representational purposes will not take effect until January 2027.

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