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MRT 6/15-17/26 (free): Grid Regulators Near Data Center Vetting Request Approval // Screwworm Cases in TX Reach 11 // Hinojosa Pledges to Fire Morath // RIP Joshua Baer
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
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MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
MONDAY 6/15/2026 - WEDNESDAY 6/17/2026
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TOP NEWS
“As data centers seek to tap Texas’ energy, grid regulators are close to approving a new way of vetting requests” via The Texas Tribune‘s Paul Cobler – If you look at recent forecasts for future demand on Texas’s energy grid, the state must find a way to more than quadruple its energy production in the next six years or risk high energy prices and blackouts.
However, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the energy grid operator that produces the forecasts, says they are wrong thanks to a massive influx of data centers prematurely requesting connection to the grid.
“Our existing process really was not designed for the volume of large load interconnection requests that we have been experiencing,” Jeff Billo, ERCOT’s vice president of interconnection and grid analysis, said at the organization’s June 2 board meeting.
Interconnection requests from “large loads” like data centers, cryptocurrency mines and industrial facilities that use significant amounts of energy have forced ERCOT to revise its planning and approval process to keep pace with a changing world and economy. ERCOT now wants to evaluate data centers in batches, voting June 2 to proceed with its first combined study, or batch, of such facilities, known as “Batch Zero.” (TX TRIB)
“Texas Leads Nation in Economic Growth” via Texas Scorecard‘s Grant Halk – Corporate relocations, job gains, and rapid GDP growth are cementing Texas’ status as the country’s top destination for business investment.
As California continues to impose strict regulations on businesses, many companies have moved to Texas, strengthening Texas’ position as America’s new financial capital.
In a meeting in Houston on Friday, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent spoke on the contrast between California and Texas.
“In California, I saw firsthand what years of failed governance looks like: a tax system that is hostile to ambition. A regulatory state that smothers enterprise. An economic climate indifferent to consequence,” said Bessent according to Fox News Digital. “Here in Texas, meanwhile, the contrast is so striking that it begins to feel like a tale of two states.” (Texas Scorecard)
“New World screwworm cases jump to 11 in Texas” via KXAN – As Texas jumps to 11 confirmed cases of New World screwworm (NWS) across six counties, an animal health commission is setting up “infested zones” to track the spread.
A trading card store in south Austin is recovering from $20,000 in damages after a suspect attempted to break-in to the business last week.
As native Austinite Justin Louviere drove home from Plano Sunday night, it started to downpour, and he suddenly saw “headlights coming [his] way on a one-way service road” off of Interstate 35 in Waco.
The Big 12 Conference has filed a federal complaint, starting a lawsuit against Texas Tech University and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over a dispute tied to the school’s plan to play quarterback Brendan Sorsby. (KXAN)
“Oil and gas supplies could take months to return to normal after Iran deal, energy experts say” via AP — High oil and gasoline prices and energy supply problems won’t be solved overnight, despite an agreement to end the Iran war and open the Strait of Hormuz announced Sunday.
It will likely take months before energy companies can resume operations to the point of meeting the world’s demand, according to energy experts. The slow pace of the process of shipping and refining crude oil, and doubts about the security of traveling through the strait mean the effect won’t be seen immediately, they said.
Ships loaded with crude oil have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for more than three months, unable to safely travel through the waterway, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gasoline supplies typically traveled before the war began.
“It’s going to take time for people to feel comfortable and for insurance to be in place ... particularly to get people on the ground to restart some of these assets,” said Daniel Evans, global head of fuels and refining research at S&P Global Energy. (HOU CHRON)
“Man who died in Texas plane crash was a key figure in seeding Austin’s technology boom” via AP – The man who died when a small jet crashed on a Texas highway was an entrepreneur well-known in the state for being at the center of Austin’s turbocharged evolution as a technology hub.
Joshua Baer, 50, described himself as an “Austinpreneur,” a reference to the state capital and his enthusiasm for getting people into business. He founded Capital Factory, which has grown into an important Austin-based venture capital firm supporting a range of technology startup companies, from robots to autonomous ships.
Baer’s LinkedIn page shows him wearing a black T-shirt and pointing at the message: “I help people quit jobs.” His email had a similar handle. Capital Factory’s downtown headquarters is among the offices of tech giants like Google.
“Whether you’re in technology or not, there’s a hole in the heart of Austin today,” Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, which promotes the local tech industry, said of Baer’s death.
Baer listed his life strategy as, “Plant lots of seeds. Water everyone’s. Repeat.” And people noticed: The Austin mayor in 2023 gave him a key to the city, a symbol of civic honor.
Bryan Chambers, co-founder and president of Capital Factory, said his business partner was a “true super connector.”
Baer was aboard a business jet that crashed Tuesday on a highway in Laredo, Texas, after the pilots reported mechanical problems and requested to make an emergency landing at an airport. His LinkedIn profile said he had a wife and three children. It wasn’t known whether three young people who survived the crash were family members.
After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he created an email marketing business, Baer moved to Austin in 1996 to work as a software developer at Trilogy Inc. He started Capital Factory in 2009 and regularly held business chats with people at a coffee shop.
“My hobby is startups,” Baer told the Austin American-Statesman in 2012. “I don’t watch sports or anything like that. So this is what I do. ... I want to be an investor in every great tech company that comes out of Austin. That’s probably unrealistic, but I’m going to try anyway.”
Baer often spoke to high school students and had the title of “entrepreneur in residence” at the University of Texas. (AP)
“Officer seriously hurt, multiple people die in separate crashes, SAPD says” via San Antonio Express-News‘s Kelsey Brown – Three separate major vehicle collisions, including one involving a San Antonio police officer and a fiery crash that killed multiple people, happened early Sunday.
Three separate vehicle collisions, including one involving a San Antonio police officer and a fiery crash that killed two people, happened early Sunday morning in different areas of the city’s South Side.
A police officer was driving eastbound around 1:30 a.m. on East Southcross. As he was attempting to pass through the intersection of South WW White Road, a 37-year-old woman drove through a red light and crashed into the officer’s vehicle, according to a preliminary police report.
The officer and the woman suffered major injuries and were taken to the hospital. Police said the woman would be arrested on DWI charges. (SAEN)
“Tropical Cyclone Arthur weakens to a low pressure area along the upper Texas coast” via AP – Tropical Storm Arthur was downgraded to a low pressure area along the upper Texas coast Wednesday night but forecasters expected its remnants to bring life-threatening flooding and days of heavy rains to parts of the southeastern United States, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Arthur was the first tropical storm of the season in the Atlantic basin and it’s expected to keep weakening as it moves inland over southeastern Texas and western Louisiana, then cross the southeast Thursday through Friday. Maximum sustained winds were around 35 mph (55 kph).
All coastal watches and warnings were discontinued Wednesday night, but flooding was likely through Friday over parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, the hurricane center said.
In Louisiana and Mississippi, some communities had set up locations for residents to collect sandbags and cleared debris from drainage systems.
“The main threat from Arthur is going to be a prolonged, multiday, heavy rainfall event that could produce dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding,” National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said.
The storm spun off the Texas coast on the same day a World Cup match took place in Houston but did not disrupt the contest, which was played indoors. Heavy storms in the Houston area earlier in the week had canceled outdoor watch parties and fan events. (AP)
“KUT General Manager Debbie Hiott fired after festival dispute” via The Texas Tribune‘s Jessica Priest and Ayden Runnels – University of Texas at Austin leaders fired Debbie Hiott, KUT General Manager, on Monday, a little more than a month after she publicly challenged safety as the reason why much of the public radio station’s inaugural festival was forced off campus.
Hiott’s firing was announced by Anita Vangelisti, interim dean of UT-Austin’s Moody College of Communication, in an email to KUT staff on Monday. A UT-Austin spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about why Hiott was terminated.
Hiott is a longtime Texas journalist who worked at the Austin American Statesman for 28 years, rising to editor-in-chief, before joining KUT in 2019.
In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Hiott said she was called into a meeting at 3 p.m. with Vangelisti and two other staff members from the university. She described being presented with two letters to choose from. One was a letter of resignation written for her, and the other was a letter of termination stating Vangelisti had “lost confidence” in Hiott after the KUT Festival. Hiott chose the termination letter. (TX TRIB)
2026
“Talarico courted Silicon Valley donors in multi-day Bay Area trip” via Politico‘s Owen Dahlkamp – The Texas Democratic Senate candidate’s appeals to wealthy tech executives complicate his broadsides against megadonors’ outsized role in politics.
James Talarico has campaigned against the influence of billionaires in politics. Yet facing a must-win Senate race that could shatter spending records in one of the country’s biggest states, he’s turning to wealthy tech donors for help.
Talarico attended at least four Bay Area fundraisers with prominent Democratic Party donors with ties to the tech industry in mid-April, according to copies of the invitations obtained by POLITICO, one donor and one Democratic aide with knowledge of the gatherings. They were granted anonymity to discuss private events.
Talarico has vowed not to accept any corporate PAC money and backed a ban on super PACs as his race against Republican Ken Paxton accelerates toward what could be one of the most expensive Senate races in U.S. history and will determine the balance of power in Washington. Donations from the fundraisers, which have not been previously reported, were accepted on behalf of Talarico’s campaign committee, not any super PAC. (Politico)
“To Defeat Democrats, Texas Governor Embraces the Hard Right” via The New York Times‘s Lauren McGaughy – When the Republican Party of Texas held its convention in Houston four years ago, Gov. Greg Abbott did not deliver a speech. Instead, he held his own gathering nearby.
In 2024, he appeared remotely by video instead of speaking before thousands of the most hard-line Texas Republican activists.
But after years of keeping the gathering at arm’s length, Mr. Abbott offered his full embrace on Friday, delivering a keynote speech for the first time since 2018 and, in the process, positioning the party’s hard right at the center of Texas politics.
The delegates greeted him with a standing ovation. (The New York Times)
“Gina Hinojosa says she would fire Texas education commissioner if elected governor” via NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth‘s Phil Prazan – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa says one of her first actions as governor would be firing Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, arguing student performance has declined during his tenure.
During an interview for Lone Star Politics, Hinojosa said she would remove Morath on her first day in office if elected in November 2026.
“Well, under his leadership, I will say Texas has lost ground compared to other states. When it comes to English and reading, Texas is losing ground in the last ten years under Greg Abbott and Mike Morath,” Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa, a state representative from Austin, has made education a central issue in her campaign against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)
“Texas leaders are welcoming data centers. Could it cost them in the midterms?” via Houston Chronicle‘s Benjamin Wermund – The Democrat running for Texas agriculture commissioner won a boost from an unexpected source last week: The Republican he’s trying to replace.
Sid Miller, the outgoing commissioner, appeared at a packed campaign event in Matagorda County for Clayton Tucker and told the crowd he agrees with the Democrat on many things — but especially Tucker’s calls for a statewide moratorium on data centers.
“It’s not a Republican issue, it’s not a Democrat issue,” Miller told the crowd. “This is one of those red, white, and blue issues about protecting our community.”
Texas is on track to be the world’s largest data center hub in just a couple of years. Most Republican state leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have wholeheartedly embraced the rush as a boon for the state’s economy. (HOU CHRON)
“Texas Railroad Commission race pits oil field engineer against energy trader running on culture wars” via The Texas Tribune‘s Carlos Nogueras Ramos – After a Republican primary that focused on fighting Sharia law and diversity policies, the general election for a seat on Texas’ oil and gas regulatory agency is shaping up as a partisan brawl with more talk of issues unrelated to its core functions.
Bo French, a scion of the Texas GOP’s hard-right flank, is now turning his attention to a November matchup with state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, after French ousted incumbent Jim Wright in last month’s runoff. Rosenthal, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, is aiming to upset French and win a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission by touting his two decades of experience as an oil field engineer, betting he can win crossover support from voters turned off by French’s emphasis on the culture wars.
French, a longtime conservative activist who recently chaired the Tarrant County GOP, and whose family runs an oil business in Midland, has said in interviews with conservative media that he’s campaigning on social issues because they resonate with his supporters.
“I ran a campaign because I had to win a Republican primary,” he told right-wing podcaster Jack Posobiec on the heels of the runoff. “Talking about the Islamification of Texas, talking about DEI, talking about LGBTQ issues … I think my victory is a testament to the grassroots folks in Texas who are tired of electing people who aren’t fighting for them on any of these issues.” (TX TRIB)
“First-of-its-kind GOP midterm convention coming to Dallas in September, Paxton says” via The Texas Tribune‘s Gabby Birenbaum – Attorney General Ken Paxton, speaking Monday at a tele-town hall, said the GOP will have a pre-midterm convention in Dallas this September, bringing President Donald Trump to Texas for a high-profile event ahead of the November election.
The Republican National Committee has publicly discussed plans to host a first-of-its-kind gathering for a midterm election year and explored Dallas as a host site. The convention will gather GOP politicians and candidates months before the November election and place Texas — where Republican Paxton and Democrat James Talarico are locked in a competitive Senate race — at the center of the national conversation.
“I know that we are having the midterm convention in Dallas in September,” Paxton said, according to CNN. “I know that we anticipate [Trump] coming to that and speaking.”
The RNC, which has yet to officially announce the convention or its location, declined Tuesday to address Paxton’s comments. And the Paxton campaign declined to comment further on whether Paxton was referring to the RNC midterm convention and whether Dallas had been confirmed as the location. (TX TRIB)
“Former Lt. Gov. nominee Mike Collier sues over Texas’ onerous rules for independent candidates” via The Texas Tribune‘s Eleanor Klibanoff – Mike Collier, the two-time Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Texas’ system for independent candidates to get on the ballot.
The federal lawsuit, filed in Austin last week, says that the bar for an independent candidate to get on the ballot is so high as to be insurmountable.
“No state in the nation requires independent candidates for statewide office to gather more signatures in less time than Texas, and no other state is even close,” the lawsuit says.
Collier is joined in the lawsuit by several notable political figures, including former U.S. Rep. and Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett, former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, former state Sen. Kel Seliger and Sarah Stogner, a West Texas district attorney. (TX TRIB)
STATE GOVERNMENT
Editorial: “Gov. Abbott directs regulators to protect Texans in managing data center growth” via San Antonio Express-News – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took a positive first step toward an appropriate balance between modern society’s demand for data center capacity and the strain such facilities can put on local and state resources.
Going forward, two key state regulators — the Public Utilities Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas — and the Texas Legislature must act swiftly to implement commonsense measures. And Abbott must continue to exert his considerable authority and political influence in keeping the issue at the top of everyone’s list of priorities.
Abbott issued a letter to PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson and ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas calling for various regulatory measures to manage the unprecedented number of proposed data centers.
More than 480 data centers that would be large electricity users, those consuming as much or more power as 18,750 households, have asked to connect to the grid through 2032, according to ERCOT. Abbott said in the letter that he seeks to “guarantee” that data center development “does not come at the cost of Texans and our local communities.” (SAEN)
“Gov. Abbott issues disaster declaration for 101 counties as severe weather looms over Texas” via FOX 26 Houston‘s Amber Kite – Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties as severe storms, flash flooding and excessive rainfall continue to threaten large portions of the state this week.
The declaration comes as state officials ramp up emergency preparations ahead of several days of expected heavy rain and flooding concerns. Earlier Monday, Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate additional emergency response resources and begin 24-hour operations at the State Emergency Operations Center. The move followed an initial wave of emergency preparations launched last week.
The declaration, announced Monday, makes additional state resources available to local governments responding to ongoing weather impacts. Abbott said more counties could be added if conditions worsen.
“Texas is prepared to respond to the severe weather threats that continue to move across our state,” Abbott said in a statement. “Because of the impact caused by ongoing storms and flood risks, I have issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties to ensure that local officials and communities have access to the full range of state resources and support.” (FOX 26 Houston)
“Special education school voucher awards vary sharply by Texas school district” via Houston Chronicle‘s Elizabeth Sander – For years, public school leaders, advocates and families have complained that state funding didn’t keep up with the actual needs of children with disabilities. But now, they are finding new funding gaps as Texas rolls out its private school voucher program, which offers up to $30,000 for students with disabilities. The voucher program, which follows state funding for special education in public schools, awards students in different districts very different amounts, in some cases by thousands of dollars.
“None of us have ever seen anything like this,” said Andrea Chevalier, director of governmental relations for the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education. “It’s crazy to look at the disparity between some of the districts.”
Take a student who spends most of their time in a self-contained classroom and receives speech therapy. If they’re in Damon ISD, a 90-student district in Brazoria County, they would receive about $22,000 in voucher funds. But if they live in Houston ISD, the largest district in Texas with about 168,800 students, they would receive $5,500 less, according to the data.
In an extreme case, Houston ISD would receive $20,000 less than Brookesmith ISD, a rural district near Waco, to pay for the most expensive placement: a residential treatment center outside the public school system. Because the voucher funding is capped at $30,000, an applicant from that rural district would receive only the maximum and not any extra funds they may be entitled to based on the state’s formula. (HOU CHRON)
“Austin ISD state takeover timeline and key dates” via Austin Current‘s Acacia Coronado – The Austin school district is entering a pivotal stretch that could determine whether the district remains under local control or becomes the next Texas school system taken over by the state.
Three middle schools — Burnet, Webb and Dobie — are awaiting accountability results that could trigger a state-mandated intervention and set in motion a process that has already played out in Houston, Fort Worth and other districts across Texas.
Without the protections district leaders sought through the state’s SB 1882 program, which provides a two-year reprieve from state accountability ratings, the three campuses now face a series of milestones that could shape Austin ISD’s future. Results to state mandated exams that are expected June 16 will provide an early indication of whether the campuses improved enough to avoid another failing rating, while final accountability ratings later this summer could determine whether the district crosses the threshold for state intervention.
State takeovers of public school districts are more popular than ever across Texas. Critics argue the motivations for interventions in large, Democratic-leaning cities have political undertones. Proponents say the takeovers lead to improved academic outcomes. (Austin Current)
“Texas schools are adopting AI. What rules are in place?” via San Antonio Express-News‘s Sophia Veneziano – An Austin private school made national headlines last year for its fully artificial intelligence-powered learning model. Officials with the Alpha School have said the school uses AI to condense a day’s learning into two hours and boasted “personalized learning, done by lunch.”
But AI in education has been a growing movement across the state, not just in select private schools.
The Houston Independent School District announced it will launch nine AI-focused schools next year. Superintendent Mike Miles said he envisions 100 HISD campuses with AI-focused programming in the future.
With a vast tech industry and a $500 billion investment in Abilene data centers, the state has become a global leader in AI. Even the Texas Education Agency uses AI to grade standardized tests. TEA began releasing spring scores from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exams last week. (SAEN)
“State Board to Consider More Christianity in Classrooms” via Houston Press‘s April Towery – Are public school third graders in Texas going to be taught that Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a whale and lived to tell about it?
That’s a real possibility, as the State Board of Education is expected to take a final vote this month on revised Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills curriculum standards for social studies. Additionally, a required reading list that includes five texts from the Bible — including the stories of David and Goliath, Jonah in the belly of the whale, and the apostle Paul’s conversion to Christianity on the Road to Damascus — is up for discussion.
If the TEKS curriculum is approved, it will become effective in the 2030 school year and be in place for 10 years. A 2023 state law authorized the reading list, and if approved this month, it will be the first statewide mandatory reading index in Texas history.
The increasing effort to “Christianize” public schools is concerning for Frank Strong, an English and journalism teacher who started his career in Spring Branch ISD. Strong now lives in Austin and teaches high school seniors at a charter school. His daughter just finished her freshman year at Austin ISD’s McCallum High School. (Houston Press)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“Property tax exemptions impacting counties in Texas” via Spectrum News – At a March Commissioners Court meeting, David Smith, Bexar County manager, and his team revealed that the number of properties with tax exemptions increased by 50,000 since last year, resulting in less revenue for the county.
“A lot more properties were able to access that exemption compared to last year,” Tanya Gaitan, Bexar County budget manager, said. “That is about $10 billion lost in property values, which is pretty significant.”
Property taxes make up 80% of the county’s general fund. Gaitan said the property tax exemptions that Texas voters approved in the fall will take their toll.
“The most significant one was they expanded the business personal property,” Gaitan said. The law allows Texas businesses to exempt up to $125,000 in personal property taxes annually. (Spectrum News)
“More than just a fight over City Hall” via Dallas Morning News‘s Devyani Chhetri – Dallas is bracing for a $51 million shortfall in its next annual budget, and City Hall’s fate could be tied to how the city balances its books. Lower sales tax collections, population decline and rising costs have only deepened the city’s financial stress at the same time the City Council considers costly options on what to do about City Hall.
After deliberations on renovations last week, Mayor Eric Johnson called for yet another meeting Wednesday to move a step closer to relocating city services from the iconic building. Two items, if approved, will allow the city to draw federal COVID-19 pandemic relief dollars to negotiate and prepare sites to potentially house emergency and city operations.
Council members Adam Bazaldua, Paula Blackmon and Cara Mendelsohn sued their own city to stop a meeting, an extraordinary step and a public sign that disagreements over city processes had metastasized. The lawsuit argued the city was trying to rush a decision on City Hall’s future. Mendelsohn withdrew her name from the suit hours before the hearing.
The City Hall dispute unfolded as the mayor and City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert were grappling with anxieties that downtown, the city’s economic engine, was in freefall. Recent setbacks involving moves by the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars and AT&T are boosting concerns that the region’s center has shifted away from Dallas and is moving north. They’ve also raised questions about the mayor and city manager’s ability to build support for major initiatives, including the mayor’s push to leave the government building. (DMN)
“Houston’s homelessness strategy faces a test. So far, the numbers are holding.” via Houston Chronicle‘s R.A. Schuetz – The number of Houston-area people staying in shelters and living in tents, cars and other places not meant for habitation has held remarkably steady during a time of turbulence for homelessness strategy and funding.
Over 2,050 people slept in shelters in the Houston region, and 1,270 were living without shelter on a single night in February, the Coalition for the Homeless in Houston and Harris County announced Friday morning.
Those numbers represented less than a 1% change from the year before, despite COVID-related federal funding drying up and the unemployed population rising by more than 15,000.
The fact that the numbers have stayed so similar “tells you that the system as a whole is doing what it’s supposed to do,” said Kelly Young, chief executive of the nonprofit Coalition for the Homeless, which coordinates the homeless strategy and federal grant applications for Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties. That system includes the region’s longtime focus on moving chronically homeless individuals with disabilities into permanent housing and providing them with case workers, as well as a more recent strategy of directing some resources to creative, less costly interventions to people who have only been homeless for days or weeks. (HOU CHRON)
“Porches to penthouses: Rainey Street reflects Austin’s transformation” via Austin American-Statesman‘s Ana Gutierrez and Karina Kumar – Long before Rainey Street became known for luxury towers and nightlife, it was a small residential neighborhood sitting at the edge of Downtown Austin.
Former Austin City Manager Toby Futrell says the change over the past two decades is striking. Cranes crowded the skyline, high-rises multiplied, and the neighborhood that once felt open became engulfed in downtown’s growth.
Futrell, who served the city for 31 years and led it as city manager from 2002 to 2008, describes pre-boom Rainey Street as a “unicorn” — one of the last surviving Mexican American neighborhoods west of Interstate 35 as downtown development intensified around it.
“It was a close, tight-knit community of color,” Futrell said. “And all around it grew downtown.” (AAS)
#TXLEGE
“Property tax relief among Republicans top priorities for election, legislative session” via The Center Square‘s Bethany Blankley – Property tax relief is among the top priorities of Texas Republicans heading into the next legislative session, and Gov. Greg Abbott highlighted that and other priorities that voters should support in the November election.
Speaking to thousands of Republican delegates attending the Republican Party of Texas Convention over the weekend, Abbott also touted bills he’s signed into law over the last 10 years that he argues made Texas a more conservative state.
Abbott called on Republicans to support two key legislative priorities next year: his five-point property tax reform plan and additional measures to fight crime.
When it comes to reducing property taxes, he said, “The past few sessions, we’ve addressed priority taxes by increasing homestead exemptions, but Texans simply are not feeling the relief. As I traveled the state of Texas, I’ve talked to tens of thousands of people. Not one of them has come up to me and said, ‘Hey, governor, I’m perfectly happy with my property tax appraisal.’ And there’s a reason for it. It’s because local governments spend more and tax more and your appraisals are going through the roof. (The Center Square)
TEXANS IN DC
Matt Mackowiak guest column: “Congress shouldn’t let Brendan Sorsby’s enablers rewrite college sports” via Houston Chronicle — College athletics has become the Wild, Wild West, with seemingly little ability to self-regulate or enforce its own rules. It’s a system that desperately needs reform — but be careful which reforms you support.
Never has this been clearer than the recent embarrassing saga surrounding Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who transferred from Cincinnati after receiving $5 million in Name, Image and Likeness funding, supported by a billionaire Texas Tech booster.
While a college football player, Sorsby admitted he placed thousands of bets totaling nearly $100,000, including at least 40 bets on his own team, Indiana, when he was a freshman.
The most important rule in sports is that you cannot wager on your own team, and you really shouldn’t be wagering at all. These rules are drilled into the heads of college athletes.
So it makes sense that the governing body for college sports, the NCAA, banned Sorsby from competing for violating this obvious rule so flagrantly.
End of issue, right?
No. Sorsby sued in West Texas, and Judge Ken Curry of the 99th District Court in Lubbock County issued a temporary injunction allowing Sorsby to play during the 2026 season, suspending him for only the first two games. The next hearing in the matter is conveniently scheduled after the season ends.
The NCAA immediately and strongly condemned the ruling, stating it “undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports.” But that doesn’t stop a judge from setting a dangerous precedent for betting on one’s own contests. Any player, coach or school that disagrees with an NCAA ruling can just sue and override it.
To state the obvious: The NCAA must be able to enforce its own rules without being undermined by a local judge in a college town.
The billionaire booster who enabled Sorsby’s transfer to Texas Tech and is cheerleading for his reinstatement is Cody Campbell, who has gone so far as to threaten lawsuits against anyone who attempts to punish Texas Tech.
Sorsby is apparently putting an end to the entire saga by leapfrogging college football and entering the NFL supplemental draft.
But Campbell hasn’t given up. He’s currently selling Congress a bill he claims will fix college sports chaos — while actively proving it won’t. This legislation, the Protect College Sports Act, opens the door to more cases like Sorsby’s by leaving intact the legal avenue that he used. Campbell’s bill deserves to be dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate.
That’s because this is anything but a neutral reform effort. The bill is coming not just from Campbell, but from a coalition of billionaires and investors using Washington to rewrite rules to protect their business interests. Drafters include New York Yankees President Randy Levine and Gerry Cardinale, founder of RedBird Capital — the same firm that struck the first conference-wide private equity deal in college sports with the Big 12.
Back here in Texas, we still have to deal with the fallout of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton absurdly injecting himself into the whole fight. The attorney general sent a formal letter to Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark threatening the conference with legal action if it sanctions Texas Tech for playing Sorsby, claiming that any sanction would be a “per se violation of federal and state antitrust laws.”
Never mind that conferences can set and amend their bylaws at any time. And reportedly, that’s exactly what’s going on: The other members of the Big 12 were considering a range of options, including canceling all conference games with Texas Tech and expelling the school from the league.
But Paxton’s letter — signed by the chiefs of the Texas attorney general’s office antitrust and litigation divisions — claimed any Big 12 sanction would be a “per se violation of federal and state antitrust laws.”
Paxton threatened the conference by stipulating its financial exposure at “substantially more than $200 million” in lost revenue, alumni contributions, recruiting damages, and attorneys’ fees — plus separate breach-of-contract and tortious-interference claims for any altered games.
His letter landed one day after Campbell teed it up on a sports podcast, calling potential boycotts “antitrust violations.” Paxton — the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas — swung the same bat for him by threatening litigation.
Paxton’s lawsuit threat may be moot at this point, the contradiction remains: Campbell is asking Congress to grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption so it can enforce rules without being sued, right after wanting to use antitrust law to stop a conference from enforcing rules against him.
He wants antitrust immunity when it shields his interests, and antitrust liability when it shields his quarterback. Senators should ask which Cody Campbell will show up the day after this bill passes.
Campbell is selling the Protect College Sports Act as the solution to exactly this kind of chaos — but his own bill expressly preserves state contract law from federal preemption.
That is the precise legal lane Sorsby’s lawyers used to win his reinstatement.
The act also includes a provision to pool college sports media rights — opening the door for private equity megadeals — deals that could be structured by the same RedBird Capital that co-drafted the bill.
Congress should not hand an antitrust exemption and the keys to college sports to the people actively ensuring that the bill can’t deliver what they promise.
College sports need a legal framework that restores the NCAA’s ability to enforce its own rules — not a government takeover engineered by boosters and private equity investors looking for a return.
The Sorsby ruling shows exactly what happens when money overrides integrity. The Protect College Sports Act puts the people responsible for that misalignment in charge of fixing it. Congress should demand better.
Matt Mackowiak is president of Potomac Strategy Group, which is based in Austin and Washington, D.C. He’s a former senior advisor to three U.S. senators and a governor.
“Former employee’s ethics complaint alleges age discrimination in Rep. Troy Nehls’ office” via The Texas Tribune‘s Gabby Birenbaum — Rep. Troy Nehls is facing an age discrimination complaint from a former employee, who told the House Ethics Committee that he is one of three staffers alleged to have faced unfair treatment over their age while working for the Richmond Republican.
Kevin Countie, who served as Nehls’ deputy chief of staff from 2021 to 2023, filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee in 2023 alleging that Nehls and his chief of staff, Robert Schroeder, created a hostile work environment for older employees. Countie, hired by Nehls at age 63, said he was subject to derogatory remarks about his age and saw his job duties reassigned to younger employees before eventually being pushed out.
In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Countie said he believes he was pushed out because of his age and recounted feeling insulted by age-related comments from Nehls and Schroeder. He said he raised concerns about his treatment, and about Schroeder’s conduct, directly with Nehls on multiple occasions, but nothing changed.
The committee appears to be reviewing the allegation. Countie said he was interviewed by the Ethics Committee about his complaint, which was shared with the Tribune, in June 2025. The Tribune also reviewed scheduling and follow-up emails confirming the interview. In addition, an email sent last month from a lawyer with the congressional Office of Employee Advocacy — which is representing Countie in the matter — advised Countie on publicly discussing “the investigation into your Ethics complaint.” (TX TRIB)
BUSINESS NEWS
“3 Texas hospitals receive $2.5M in grants for mobile stroke units” via KXAN‘s Julianna Russ – — Three hospitals in Texas received a combined $2.5 million in grant funding toward mobile stroke units aimed at increasing access to stroke care. A stroke occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is blocked or reduced. According to the governor’s office, mobile stroke units were ambulances equipped with CT scanners to help identify strokes and begin treatment faster.
“Timely stroke care can make a life-changing difference for Texans and their families,” HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said.
Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas at Austin received $1.25 million to establish a new mobile stroke unit. To expand their existing mobile stroke units, University Medical Center of El Paso was given $500,000, and Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston received $750,000.
“Texas will ensure Texans across our state can access swift and practical medical care,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott. “This $2.5 million investment into mobile stroke units will enable hospitals to better provide vital care without delay in the event of a stroke. I thank HHSC for their ongoing efforts to support our hospitals and the health of all Texans, no matter where they are.” (KXAN)
QUICK LINKS
HOU CHRON: “Houston drone use at World Cup prompts federal charges, DPS says” HOU CHRON
American Legislative Exchange Council: “Strong Jobs Report, Texas Business Boom, and California Election Delays: Jonathan Williams on The Hugh Hewitt Show” American Legislative Exchange Council
TX TRIB: “USDA partners with DHS, researchers to kill screwworm” TX TRIB
SAEN: “Archaeology staffers unearth second Battle of the Alamo-era cannonball” SAEN
SAEN: “SpaceX unveils $60B acquisition days after going public” SAEN
The Free Press: “Could a Libertarian Tip the Texas Senate Race?” The Free Press
KXAN: “This Texas app store law could reshape online access as Supreme Court considers challenge” KXAN
TX TRIB: “Texas students saw slight gains in math, stalled progress in reading, STAAR results show” TX TRIB
AAS: “Why the Texas GOP keeps running off its leaders” AAS
TPR: “First ‘Super’ Veterans Business Outreach Center opens in San Antonio” TPR
GovTech: “Texas Universities Fuel Semiconductor Research, Expansion” GovTech
AAS: “Austin ISD takeover risk grows as STAAR scores lag at three middle schools” AAS
AAS: “Two Austin officials repaid taxpayers for meals. Now oversight is changing.” AAS
Fortune: “Two mayors, one $10 billion AI data center, and a growing divide in small-town Texas” Fortune
DMN: “H-E-B set to open first namesake store in Dallas County Wednesday” DMN
DMN: “Downtown Neiman Marcus eliminating over 65 positions with closure” DMN
HOU CHRON: “The untold history of Riverside General, Houston’s first Black hospital” HOU CHRON
FWST: “Fort Worth firefighter’s funeral is this week. Wife continues search for kidney” FWST
AAS: “Emails show UT leaders’ involvement before Debbie Hiott firing” AAS
AAS: “Waymo’s Austin operations see double digit crash count in May” AAS
SAEN: “San Antonio simulation of lunar surface links city to humanity’s Mars future” SAEN
DMN: “Stars CEO Brad Alberts weighs in on future of AAC amid changing North Texas landscape” DMN
FWST: “Not just for athletes: TCU’s new institute targets performance under pressure” FWST
FWST: “Koe Wetzel and Fort Worth company partner on new clothing collection” FWST
SA REPORT: “San Antonio author Dora Ramírez wins James Beard Media Award” SA REPORT
DMN: “Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki hopeful iconic statue will move from AAC to Valley View” DMN
FWST: “Dallas Cowboys legend calls team’s business priorities a distraction (Video)” FWST
HOU CHRON: “For new UH baseball coach Will Davis, changing perception starts with winning games” HOU CHRON
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports scores:
Monday 6/15
> MLB: Minnesota 4, Texas 2
> MLB: Detroit 9, Houston 3
> WNBA: Dallas 96, Las Vegas 66
Tuesday 6/16
> MLB: Minnesota 12, Texas 2
> MLB: Houston 4, Detroit 2
Wednesday 6/17
> MLB: Houston 4, Detroit 2
> WNBA: Golden State 91, Dallas 80
Tonight’s Texas sports schedule:
> 1:35pm: MLB: Minnesota at Texas
Tomorrow’s Texas sports schedule:
> 2pm: WORLD CUP: USA vs. Australia (Fox)
> 7:05pm: MLB: San Diego at Texas
> 7:10pm: MLB: Cleveland at Houston
TEXAS SPORTS HEADLINES / LINKS
TEXAS RANGERS: “Rangers headed for rotating cast in center field with Evan Carter, Michael Helman out” DMN
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL: “Brendan Sorsby plans July workout for NFL teams before supplemental draft, AP source says” AP
TEXAS ATHLETICS: “How the Texas Longhorns won Director’s Cup as nation’s best athletic program“ AAS
AUSTIN FC: “3 things to know about new Austin FC coach Jim Curtin” AAS
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