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“Texas is working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to protect funding that helps hospitals serve Medicaid patients and keeps critical emergency care available,” Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s spokesman, said in a statement.
The statement comes two days after The Texas Tribune reported that the governor’s office had stepped into a nearly year-long impasse between the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Washington over the funding. The money helps hospitals close the gap between their Medicaid reimbursements and the actual costs they incur for treating low-income Texans. (TX TRIB)
“New polling on data centers shows how the issue could impact the midterms in Texas” via CBS News‘s Jack Fink – With the midterm elections approaching, new polling data shows that data centers could play an important role in competitive elections this year.
A poll released by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin found that a majority of Texans oppose the construction of data centers in their communities. In a sample of 1,200 voters, 30% of respondents strongly or somewhat supported the construction of data centers in their community, while 57% strongly or somewhat opposed.
The poll also found that respondents are worried about the potential impact of data centers on their water supply, energy bills, environment and quality of life. However, they did feel data centers could have a positive impact on the economy locally, statewide and nationally.
Jim Henson spoke with Jack Fink for “Eye On Politics” this week about the results and what they could mean for November. Jack Fink and Jim Henson discussed the issue of data centers, with Henson noting that the issue has become a lightning rod for discontent about the data centers themselves and their impacts on communities, as well as discontent around AI and anti-corporate feelings. Jack Fink also mentioned Gov. Abbott‘s focus on data centers during a property tax relief rally in the Tyler area, which Fink believed was a sign that Republicans are feeling the issue from rural areas. (CBS News) | » BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER: $7/mo | » BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER: $70/yr | » BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER: $70/yr | “Over 1.2 million Texans are on the voter “suspense list”. Here’s how to check your status.” via CBS News – More than 1.2 million Texans, including 410,812 from North Texas counties, currently have a “suspensed”; voter status, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
The good news? Being on the suspense list does not mean you lose your right to vote, but you will need to take a few quick steps to make sure your ballot counts.
County voter registrars place voters on the suspense list when official county mail is returned as undeliverable. Common triggers include:
Voters have until Oct. 5 to update their status. This is the deadline to register to vote. You can do this by visiting the Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need your current driver’s license or ID card, Social Security number and the Voter Unique Identifier Number from your Voter Registration Card. (CBS News)
“Texas Governor Hits the Brakes on Flock Camera Funding” via Governing – Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered all state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras as scrutiny over the AI-powered surveillance devices has mounted.
The order came as The Texas Tribune was preparing to publish an investigation detailing how a state agency has devoted at least $30 million to building up the state’s Flock surveillance network by providing grants to local police departments.
Abbott gave the order on Aug. 26, 2026, to halt state funding for Flock cameras, his spokesman confirmed. “To the extent that cities get any funding for those cameras, most of it comes from the federal government. To the extent any funding comes from Texas agencies, those agencies are clarifying that those funds cannot be used for Flock cameras,” Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement shared first with the Tribune. (Governing)
“Texas hospitals expect to lose $27 million a day in Medicaid funding starting Tuesday” via The Texas Tribune‘s Terri Langford – When the state’s new fiscal year begins on Tuesday, Texas hospitals expect to lose $27 million a day in additional Medicaid funding.
The shortfall is the result of a decision by the Trump administration to withhold approval from Texas for about $9.8 billion in the next year from three programs, the bulk of which affects the Comprehensive Hospital Increase Reimbursement Program (CHIRP). This program gives hospitals additional funding to cover the difference between Medicaid rate payments and the actual costs that hospitals incur to provide services to Medicaid patients. Essentially, hospitals, which often are paid less than what they can spend on Medicaid patients due to outdated payment rates set by the state, are losing out on their additional reimbursement for 2027.
Local governmental entities collect taxes from hospitals — about $4 billion a year, according to the Texas Hospital Association — and under CHIRP, the federal government matches those funds so that Texas hospitals can then use them to cover the actual costs of providing Medicaid services. Hospitals say those CHIRP dollars are critical and if they lose that funding, they will likely have to cut services to patients.
“It is impossible for a hospital to take a huge loss on a Medicaid side of their portfolio and not have that impact services across the board, regardless of what type of insurance a patient has,” said Sara González, a THA vice president of advocacy, public policy and political strategy. Four million low-income Texans are enrolled in Medicaid, most of them children. Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO of Harris Health, said “The impacts would be catastrophic for Texas’ safety-net healthcare system,” Robert Fries, the chief financial officer for Children’s Health in Dallas said in a statement that this type of funding is crucial for children’s hospitals like Children’s Medical Center. Gov. Greg Abbott sent a pointed letter Aug. 7 to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in which he stated that there’s nothing wrong with the way Texas hospitals’ local taxes are collected. Anna Stelter, the THA’s vice president of policy and Carrie Kroll, THA’s senior vice president of advocacy and public policy, also commented on the issue. (TX TRIB)
“A Texas Banking Billionaire and His Children Are Locked in a Bitter Succession Drama” via WSJ‘s Ben Glickman – A family battle over a billionaire’s fortune, from boats and a jet to Dallas Cowboys tickets, is rankling the board of a small regional bank in Texas.
Texas banking veteran Gerald J. Ford is ensnarled in a legal fight with some of his adult children over a large stake in Hilltop Holdings, the $2.2 billion financial-services holding company he forged.
Four of Gerald J. Ford’s children—including son Jeremy Ford, who took over as chair from Gerald J. Ford in 2025—are suing to wrest away control of their father’s more-than-26% stake in Hilltop, worth some $600 million.
The battle is over the control of Gerald J. Ford’s stake in Hilltop Holdings, which is a significant portion of the company, and the outcome is still uncertain. (WSJ)
“UT Arlington president stepping down to return to teaching” via Fort Worth Star-Telegram‘s Maven Navarro – University of Texas at Arlington President Jennifer Cowley announced Monday, Aug. 31, that she would step down from her role to teaching at the university.
Cowley was the first woman to serve as president of the university, a role she has held since 2022. The change is effective immediately.
“As I conclude my service as president, I do so with tremendous gratitude for what we have accomplished together, deep affection for this community, and great optimism for UTA’s future. I will never lose sight of what a privilege it is to help shape the lives of our students,” Cowley said in a statement.
UTA Chancellor John Zerwas said that when he learned of Cowley’s decision, he felt gratitude for her commitment to stay at the university. (FWST) | | 2026 | “Talarico Is Out-Fundraising Paxton and Flooding the Airwaves in Texas Senate Race” via WSJ‘s Maggie Severns and Elizabeth Findell – Senate candidate James Talarico began August in Massachusetts, standing beside a swimming pool on tony Nantucket, where more than 100 curious islanders gathered in sunglasses and sports coats to see what the bright-eyed Democrat on a hot streak in Texas was all about.
The event, held at the cedar-shingled home of a former Biden administration ambassador, came as James Talarico made a private East Coast swing that included August stops in Martha’s Vineyard, another Massachusetts vacation spot, and New York City, according to invitations that priced tickets between $500 and $13,500. (WSJ)
“Talarico needs to cut Paxton’s edge with rural Texans to win Senate race. Can he?” via Fort Worth Star-Telegram‘s Eleanor Dearman – In 2018, Texas’ Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate sought to run a different type of campaign. For years, liberal candidates had focused on Texas’ most populous areas — cities where Democrats largely resided. It was just a matter of getting them to turn out, the theory went.
But Beto O’Rourke wanted to try something new. He would famously stump in all of Texas’ 254 counties in his 2018 race against Sen. Ted Cruz, zigzagging to communities across Texas, small and large. He lost a close race. However, in some ways, the strategy worked.
James Talarico, the party’s nominee, needs votes from everywhere. He doesn’t have to win rural Texas; that’s practically impossible. But if he reduces Ken Paxton’s advantage in counties concerned about water and private school vouchers, irritated over energy and grocery costs and angry about data centers, he improves his odds.
“We’re determined not to make those [campaign] mistakes of the past,” Talarico said recently, acknowledging Texas Democrats have sometimes neglected areas beyond the cities and suburbs. “It’s why we’re constantly showing up in rural communities, in our small towns. Why are we speaking” to the concerns of voters there. (FWST)
“Dark money in Texas Senate race spurs Talarico complaint to FEC against Paxton” via CBS News‘s Gabe Kaminsky – Earlier this year, a super PAC supporting Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton received four checks totaling over $1 million from an organization called Preserve Texas, Inc.
Preserve Texas is not registered as a political committee and has not filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission that could reveal where the money came from. Instead, it is a Virginia-based nonprofit, incorporated by John Plishka, the treasurer for Paxton’s Senate campaign, according to corporate documents filed in Virginia.
The arrangement, part of the dramatic uptick in American politics of anonymous, big-dollar giving, has now drawn a complaint from the campaign of Paxton’s Democratic opponent, James Talarico, which accused Paxton and his treasurer of violating federal campaign finance rules. (CBS News)
“Affordability crisis takes center stage in Texas races” via The Texas Tribune‘s Joshua Fechter, Paul Cobler, Dan Keemahill, Terri Langford and Kayla Guo – In a state once considered one of the most affordable places in the country, candidates have popped up at barbershops and in voters’ homes vowing to tackle a new problem for Texas: its cost-of-living woes.
“Affordability has become the defining issue of this cycle and the voters want candidates to speak on it,” said Michael Adams, a professor and director of the Master of Public Affairs Graduate Program at Texas Southern University.
From housing to groceries and gas, Texans’ regular expenses have risen considerably in the past several years. As those costs have grown, Texans have increasingly said the higher cost of living is one of the biggest problems facing the state.
In the state’s marquee Senate race, Republican Ken Paxton has floated tax breaks for families to help pay for health care and housing costs, and more ideas. Among the proposals from state Rep. James Talarico, his Democratic foe from Austin: abolishing the gas tax to help Texans’ transportation costs and expanding tax benefits for parents with kids. (TX TRIB)
“Gina Hinojosa focuses on kitchen table issues as polls show the Texas Governor’s race within five percentage points” via CBS News‘s Jack Fink – Statewide polls show the top concern among Texans is inflation and higher prices, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa said her campaign reflects that.
“Everyone’s done with the culture wars. Nobody has, really, the luxury to be focused on this. It’s about kitchen table issues. That’s what this campaign is about,” she said.
A new poll released last week by the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin shows Gina Hinojosa trailing three-term Republican incumbent Greg Abbott by five percentage points, 45-40 percent. 10% are undecided, while 38% of Independents said they’re undecided. Two months ago, the same poll had Abbott leading Hinojosa by seven percentage points. In the Real Clear Politics average of polls between June 3 and August 24, Abbott leads by 4.7 percentage points, 48.6 percent to 43.9 percent.
Last week, Abbott’s campaign began advertising on TV, and the Governor maintains a sizable campaign war chest with about $67 million cash on hand as of June 30th. In an interview, Hinojosa was asked how she is going to keep this a tight race as the Governor starts spending on advertising. (CBS News)
“Former GOP Texas Supreme Court justices back Democrat for attorney general” via The Texas Tribune‘s Eleanor Klibanoff – Two former Texas Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican governors are endorsing Democratic attorney general nominee Nathan Johnson over their party’s pick, Mayes Middleton.
The race to replace outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton as Texas’ top lawyer is, like many races this cycle, running tighter than usual. While Republicans have held the seat since John Cornyn was elected in 1998, several polls have Nathan Johnson within five points of Middleton.
Tom Phillips, who broke the Democrats’ stranglehold on the high court with his appointment as chief justice in 1987, and Deborah Hankinson, an appointee of then-Gov. George W. Bush, say they support Nathan Johnson’s nonpartisan approach to the agency. The attorney general’s office, which defends state agencies and statutes against legal challenges, frequently intersects with the state’s highest civil court, which has the final say on such cases.
“For attorney general, I look at who will follow the law and who will operate the office efficiently,” Phillips said. “That’s been Nathan Johnson’s emphasis, and Mayes Middleton’s has been more about using the office as a political tool to advance certain agendas.” (TX TRIB)
“Despite outrage, Tarrant County approves 30% reduction in voting sites for November” via Fort Worth Star-Telegram‘s Rachel Royster – Tarrant County will have 224 Election Day and 47 early voting polling locations for the November midterm election after numerous calls for more to be added to the original list.
Last month, Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig presented a suggested list of polling locations that offered to use roughly half the number of sites that were used in the 2022 midterm election. The Commissioners Court entirely opposed the slash, saying it was far too drastic.
In their marathon 10-hour meeting Tuesday, the commissioners voted along party lines to approve 29% fewer Election Day and 6% fewer early voting centers compared to the November 2022 lists.
Democrat Commissioner Alisa Simmons requested several sites be added to the early voting list and almost 150 be added to Election Day. The amendment was turned down because many of the early voting sites were unavailable or gave the southern precincts more locations than the northern precincts had. (FWST) | | STATE GOVERNMENT | “Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick targets schools over 2,000 books he says are ‘vulgar’” via Spectrum News – Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced last month that he will try to remove what he deems inappropriate books from school libraries.
His message was clear and simple at an Aug. 19 news conference. “We’re coming for the books,” Dan Patrick said.
Dan Patrick said this latest effort comes after school districts were not following the law — Senate Bill 13 — which called for districts to create more transparency over what books are in their schools’ catalogs. Dan Patrick said over 2,000 titles are subject to removal. If the districts choose not to remove the books, Dan Patrick said he will urge the Legislature to consider another law that, if passed, could mean some districts could be taken over by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
Among the 2,000 titles was “Let’s Talk About It ” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan, a sex education book created for teenagers. “So filthy, so dirty, so vulgar, so pornographic, and for the ladies here, I wouldn’t even want to show you,” Dan Patrick said. Bonnie Wallace of the religious values-based group Recover America provided a list of 14 school districts in Texas that have the book. Spectrum News was able to independently verify that at least 12 of the districts have the book, including in some of the state’s major metro areas like Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, as well as McAllen, Killeen and Galveston. (Spectrum News)
“At least 14 Texas districts at risk of school takeovers next year” via The Texas Tribune‘s Megan Menchaca – More than a dozen Texas public school districts are at risk of triggering a potential state takeover if they do not improve student academic performance before the next year’s A-F accountability ratings, data shows.
At least 14 districts had at least one campus with a fourth consecutive failing grade, according to the preliminary 2026 ratings. That includes the Clarksville, Cleveland, Coldspring-Oakhurst, Elgin, Judson, Kingsville, Manor, Nacogdoches, Poteet, Runge, San Angelo, San Antonio, Spring and Waco school districts.
The majority of the at-risk districts are concentrated in the Austin, Houston or San Antonio metro areas, with an average enrollment of about 11,700 students. Nearly every school eligible to trigger future state action has a larger percentage of low-income students than the state average, as well as higher rates of Black and Hispanic students. (TX TRIB)
“Texas’ divisive overhaul of high school social studies lessons set to conclude this week” via The Texas Tribune‘s Jaden Edison – A rewrite of what Texas high schoolers learn in history, government and geography is expected to receive final approval this week.
The Texas State Board of Education will decide, for example, whether public school students must learn how “biblical imagery and founding principles of equality and justice from the Declaration of Independence” connect to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
The board members will debate a recommendation that students learn about early Islam through the lens of “the Prophet Mohammed’s brutal military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes, the normalization of slavery, and the taking of female captives as harem slaves.”
Another proposal would ensure students graduate with the ability to describe arguments against “the modern welfare state that emerged from continued expansion of Great Society programs.” The Great Society refers to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1960s policy agenda that sought to abolish poverty and inequality. (TX TRIB)
“Gov. Abbott announces $138B investment in Texas transportation” via Community Impact‘s Ashton Yeaman – The office of Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $138 billion investment in Texas transportation infrastructure, including projects in the Greater Houston region, according to an Aug. 27 news release from the Texas Department of Transportation.
The Unified Transportation Program was approved during an August meeting of the Texas Transportation Commission.
The program’s funding is divided into two portions, $95 billion for transportation projects across the state, and $43 billion which is reserved for routine maintenance and development. The total of $138 billion is intended to be spent on projects and maintenance over the next 10 years, according to the news release. (COMMUNITY IMPACT)
“Gov. Abbott, White House launch cybersecurity project to secure Texas water” via KXAN Austin – Gov. Greg Abbott, White House launch cybersecurity project to secure Texas water
In a roundtable discussion today with cybersecurity experts, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Project Watershed 250, a joint effort between the U.S. Government, Texas Government and private sector partners to provide free cybersecurity services to local water utilities across Texas.
The project will exclusively be in Texas for the next six months as a pilot program.
No additional information is provided about the project’s future plans or expected outcomes. (KXAN) | | #TXLEGE | “Lawmakers added $1 to Texans’ car insurance policies. The money paid for thousands of Flock cameras.” via The Washington Post‘s Ayden Runnels – In 2023, the Texas Legislature unanimously passed a law raising auto insurance costs for Texans by $1 to combat rampant catalytic converter theft. Three years later, a little-known state agency has devoted at least $30 million of that fee toward supercharging the state’s Flock surveillance network, placing cameras along highways and streets from El Paso to the Louisiana border, an analysis by The Texas Tribune found.
The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, led by a board mostly appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, has turned the $1 fee hike into at least 3,200 Flock cameras. The agency has awarded no fewer than 95 grants to help law enforcement agencies purchase and maintain about 2,000 Flock cameras. Another $15.9 million is helping the Texas Department of Public Safety add almost 1,200 more.
Miguel Rodriguez, chair of the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, said during an August 2023 meeting that he hoped to use proceeds from the fee increase to “cover the entire state” with cameras. Rodriguez, who is also the Laredo Police Chief, sees the cameras as a powerful law enforcement tool, particularly to combat criminal organizations.
But on Friday evening, after multiple requests for comment from the Tribune about its findings, Abbott’s office said the governor was pausing all state funding for local grants to be used for Flock cameras. “To the extent that cities get any funding for those cameras, most of it comes from the federal government. To the extent any funding comes from Texas agencies, those agencies are clarifying that those funds cannot be used for Flock cameras,” Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott spokesperson, said in a statement shared first with the Tribune. (WAPO)
“Comptroller requests doubling Texas school voucher program to $2 billion” via Houston Public Media‘s Kyle McClenagan – Texas’ chief financial officer requested that lawmakers double the amount of money available for the state’s private school voucher program, resulting in a total of more than $2 billion.
In the appropriations request for 2028–29 biennium, Texas Comptroller Don Huffines asked the Legislature to raise the program’s base funding by $1 billion so more families can use taxpayer money to cover private school or home schooling costs.
Officials from the comptroller’s office noted Thursday that the request was based on the number of current participants and students on the waitlist, as required by state law. Huffines also wants for an additional $226 million to accommodate funding increases for families currently participating in the program, which launched this school year.
The Texas State Teachers Association on Thursday criticized the budget request, saying taxpayers need more information on who has signed up to receive voucher funding before raising the program’s price tag. Recent state data shows that 70% of families who joined or have pending invites to the program already attended a private school or home-school. (Houston Public Media)
“4 in 10 Texas homeowners pay no school taxes. State leaders want to go further.” via Houston Chronicle‘s Sam González Kelly – Nearly 40% of Texas homeowners paid nothing in school property taxes last year after a decade of incremental increases to homestead exemptions, according to a analysis presented Tuesday by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston.
The finding foreshadows a key focus for lawmakers in the coming months, as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in March directed the Senate Local Government Committee , which Paul Bettencourt chairs, to assess the impact of the increased homestead exemptions with an eye toward raising them even further in the 2027 legislative session, which starts in January. Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, has his own plan to eliminate homeowners’ school taxes , leaving only businesses to foot that bill.
The Legislature last year raised the homestead exemption — the amount a homeowner can deduct from the taxable value of their residence — to $140,000 for most homeowners and to $200,000 for those over age 65 or with disabilities. It was the fourth time lawmakers have raised the homestead exemption since 2015, when it was just $15,000 for standard homeowners and $25,000 for seniors.
Paul Bettencourt’s committee staff found that 39% of all homeowners did not pay any school property taxes following the latest hike to the homestead exemption, up from 28% in 2024. Among seniors and disabled Texans, 61% of homeowners paid no school taxes. These homeowners’ school tax bills also have long been frozen at the amount they paid in the first year they qualified for either exemption. State Sen. Molly Cook said renters don’t benefit from the higher homestead exemptions, and argued the state cannot always rely on hefty surpluses to fill in the gaps left by lost tax revenue. (HOU CHRON) | | LOCAL GOVERNMENT | “Corpus Christi, still in need of long-term water sources, again rejects desalination plant” via The Texas Tribune‘s Colleen DeGuzman – The Corpus Christi City Council voted 5-3 Tuesday night to reject, again, an almost billion-dollar water treatment plant after a decade of effort and its long-term water supply still in question.
The proposed desalination plant was intended to provide a drought-proof source of drinking water, but opponents questioned its high cost and the environmental impact of its salty discharge on Corpus Christi Bay.
The vote was being watched by Gov. Greg Abbott, who criticized the City Council after it rejected the plant one year ago, saying the state might have to “micromanage” the city to protect the region’s water supply.
Before Tuesday’s vote, Abbott chief of staff Robert Black called the proposed desalination plant “a tremendous opportunity to finally get ahead of the curve and be proactive to solve their long-term water challenges.” (TX TRIB)
“Austin spent $719K managing homeless encampments in 26 days” via Austin American-Statesman‘s Chaya Tong – Austin spent $719,361 on homeless encampment management between May 11 and June 5, averaging $1,577 per site visit across 456 site visits, city staff told council members Wednesday. Outreach teams visited some sites multiple times, and most of the costs came from staff salaries and contractor payments.
That was one of the key takeaways from a presentation Austin’s Homeless Strategies and Operations office gave the city council’s public health committee Wednesday.
In addition to an analysis of the city’s homeless encampment management efforts, staff also highlighted progress on the new South Austin homeless navigation center, investments in staffing, an expected increase in emergency shelter units and a projected decrease in rapid rehousing stock. (AAS)
“Dallas police to shut off 321 Flock cameras after Abbott pauses state funding” via Dallas Morning News‘ Chase Rogers – Dallas police will deactivate almost half of the Flock license-plate cameras across the city this month after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a pause in state agency funding for the technology, the department announced Tuesday.
The AI-powered cameras will be turned off Sept. 15. The change affects 321 cameras, police said, while more than 300 will remain in operation.
Department officials learned of the funding change during a meeting with state officials Tuesday, said spokesperson Allison Hudson.
Dallas has 684 cameras across the city, according to an online “ transparency portal ” that Hudson said was recently updated with information about how the police are using the technology. (DMN)
“Central Health could raise property taxes. Here’s what it would cost” via Austin American-Statesman‘s Nicole Villalpando – Central Health, the Austin and Travis County hospital district, is considering up to an 8% increase in property taxes for its 2027 fiscal year. That increase represents a $44 annual increase in property taxes for a median home value of $372,638.
The highest the tax rate could be is 13.5195 cents per $100 home value. The current rate is 11.8023 with an annual bill of $460 for a home with the median value. If an 8% increase is approved by the hospital district’s board of managers on Sept. 9 and then by the Travis County commissioners on Sept. 15, Central Health’s budget will hit the $1 billion mark for the first time. In the 2026 fiscal year, the budget was $875 million.
Central Health is tasked with caring for people making less than 200% of the federal poverty level. That 200% is $31,920 for a single person and $66,000 for a family of four. Central Health mainly does this through its Medical Access Program, which is similar to an insurance program for people who do not qualify for or can’t afford another kind of insurance. Each year, the hospital district has been offering more direct care through its specialty care clinics, which began in 2022; a medical respite center that opened in 2025 and its CommUnityCare federally qualified health centers, which grew out of the city and county clinics. (AAS)
“Brownsville faces higher tax bills as SpaceX presence grows” via The Texas Tribune‘s Berenice Garcia – Home values in Cameron County more than doubled over a six-year period, and property tax bills are going up along with it, according to research from the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.
SpaceX’s arrival in 2014 has led to the area’s rapid rise in wealth, which researchers suspect also contributed to the rise in property values. And with the expansion of SpaceX and other industries in the Brownsville area, researchers expect home values to go up even further.
For longtime residents of Brownsville, the largest city in the county, rising property values could mean rising tax bills. And for some, that means being priced out of their homes, one local real estate agent warns.
Bob Torres, a real estate broker in the Brownsville area for 42 years, said he’s alarmed that clients have told him that they want to sell their homes because they can’t afford to pay their property taxes anymore. “This is the whole big dilemma — who is SpaceX benefiting dollar-wise and who is it affecting negatively dollar-wise?” Torres said. Alan Guard, the Brownsville city manager, said not all home values are rising. “Definitely some of the houses we have are more expensive,” Guard said. Lynn D. Krebs, an economist with the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, said the increase in property taxes could similarly be attributed to newer, more expensive homes built during that time. (TX TRIB)
“Lubbock City Council hosting public hearing, 1st vote on budget, tax rate” via Lubbock Avalanche-Journal – The Lubbock City Council will host public hearings on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to hear from the public on its proposed tax rate and budget for the upcoming year.
The public hearings and the first vote on the two items will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, at the Citizens Tower council chambers, 1314 Ave K.
Before heading there, here’s a quick overview of what you need to know about the proposed tax rate and budget. At a meeting on Aug. 11, the Lubbock City Council set the proposed maximum tax rate at 51.3421 cents per $100 property valuation, which is effectively a 9.83 percent increase in the tax rate, according to data provided by the city. (LUBBOCK A-J) | | BUSINESS NEWS | “SpaceX to fund up to $220M in Brownsville water projects in exchange for land” via The Texas Tribune‘s Berenice Garcia – Brownsville could receive up to $220 million from SpaceX for water and wastewater projects after the city agreed to remove roughly 445 acres of land from its city limits.
During a special meeting over the weekend that lasted six hours, Brownsville city commissioners unanimously voted to de-annex the land, which is located near the Port of Brownsville. In exchange, SpaceX agreed to give the city up to $220 million for water and wastewater projects.
Sheila McCorkle, SpaceX’s vice president for Starship legal and regulatory issues, told the commissioners during Saturday’s meeting that the company sought deannexation because the city was not providing any services to the area. Those services, she said, could be brought online through the city of Starbase faster and more economically.
John Cowen Jr. told the Tribune on Monday, “This investment will allow us to reduce or completely eliminate our reliance on the Rio Grande River,” “So if the Rio Grande River goes dry for any reason, we are assured water sustainability for generations to come.” (TX TRIB)
“Tesla launches steering-wheel-free Cybercabs in Austin” via AP – Elon Musk sent dozens of self-driving Cybercabs without steering wheels or brake pedals onto the streets of Austin on Thursday, betting that Americans will overcome their fears of rides with “no control” and hop inside.
The rollout of the gold-colored Teslas, which give passengers no way to take control in an emergency, comes as the company prepares to launch the service in other cities. Tesla shares have suffered amid a slump in vehicle sales, but they rose more than 5% Thursday on hopes that the futuristic-looking taxis will catch on quickly.
“No steering wheel, no pedals,” Tesla teased on X before the launch. Elon Musk followed with a post showing a giant Cybercab floating above the Austin skyline and later wrote, “A Storm of Cybercabs.”
Tesla trails self-driving taxi leader Waymo in the number of cabs deployed and trips completed. To catch up, it must demonstrate that its camera-only system can safely navigate streets and avoid pedestrians. By contrast, Waymo and another rival, Amazon’s Zoox, supplement cameras with radar and a laser-based technology called lidar. (TX TRIB)
“Tesla advances Austin chip facility as Musk’s Texas Terafab takes shape” via Austin American-Statesman‘s Andrea Guzmán – “Elon Musk’s vision to build the world’s largest chip manufacturing plant is moving ahead. Dubbed Terafab, the semiconductor project calls for a massive manufacturing plant in Grimes County, east of College Station, while Tesla is developing a related research operation at Gigafactory Texas outside Austin.
Now, new state records offer fresh details about work on the Austin semiconductor facility and the timeline for the Terafab plant. Construction filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation detail $150,000 in planned work across several projects at Tesla’s Austin campus, including work on its semiconductor facility.
One project filing lists $50,000 in ground-up construction and an interior finish-out for what Tesla calls its “Austin semiconductor fab.” Another project, dubbed “north campus manufacturing,” similarly lists new construction work on Harold Green Road. On Robotic Avenue amid its sprawling Austin campus, Tesla describes new construction for Cortex 2.0, the name the company has given to its AI training supercluster.
First announced in March, SpaceX and Tesla’s Terafab project aims to make chips for artificial intelligence and space data centers. In July, the rural school districts where the massive facility will be built signed off on school tax breaks for the project. Gov. **Greg Abbott** also signed off on the incentive shortly after. Now, a new filing posted by the Texas comptroller offers more about Terafab’s timeline and economic impact. (AAS)
“Southwest Airlines picks Austin for one of its first-ever airport lounges” via Austin American-Statesman‘s Alex Driggars – Southwest Airlines will open its first-ever airport lounges next year — and flyers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will be among the first to try one out.
The Dallas-based airline will initially open four lounges in Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu and Nashville, Tenn. It plans to build at least seven more in coming years “across high-demand business and leisure markets,” the company said Wednesday.
Southwest is partnering with JPMorgan Chase to launch a new high-end, airline-branded credit card next year, and cardholders will be granted access to the new lounge network.
“Southwest Airlines has built one of the most trusted brands in travel by delivering authentic Hospitality that Customers value. Our lounges will be a natural extension of that experience, offering Customers a place to relax and experience the Southwest brand in a new way,” Tony Roach said in a statement. “The introduction of a lounge network represents a strategic investment in Rapid Rewards and deepens our 30-year partnership with Chase.” (AAS)
“State Agency Approves First ‘Permian Basin Reliability Plan’ Transmission Lines as Paxton Joins Opposition” via The Texan‘s Isaiah Mitchell – The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) approved two high-voltage transmission lines proposed as part of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan last week, clearing the way for a project that’s drawn fire from a coalition that now includes the state’s chief legal officer.
The PUC, the state agency responsible for economic regulation of the state’s electric and water utilities, voted unanimously on Friday, August 28 to amend Dallas-based electric company Oncor’s certificates of convenience and necessity — a permit that authorizes a company to provide a public service — for two of the five 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines that make up the drafted Permian Basin Reliability Plan network. Oncor’s lines are the first of the five to gain approval.
On the same day, Ken Paxton, this year’s Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, called on state authorities to pause further action on the plan. “The Legislature must be afforded the time to review the Plan and its potential impacts so it can then enact additional legislation to provide whatever additional guidance it deems fit,” Paxton wrote. (THE TEXAN)
“Ferguson completes $1.6B acquisition of Texas valve distributor” via Virginia Business‘s Josh Janney – Ferguson Enterprises announced Tuesday that it has completed its $1.6 billion acquisition of Houston-based FloWorks from private equity firm Wynnchurch Capital.
The deal closed Monday after customary closing conditions were satisfied. FloWorks, which generated about $1 billion in revenue in 2025, is an industrial distributor and service provider of valves and flow control solutions. Ferguson previously said the acquisition is expected to create additional revenue opportunities and about $45 million in annual cost savings.
“We are pleased to officially welcome the FloWorks team to Ferguson,” Ferguson CEO Kevin Murphy said in a statement. “Together, we strengthen our ability to serve customers across the non-residential market by combining our national scale and distribution expertise with FloWorks’ deep technical capabilities in valves, automation, rotating equipment and fluid handling.” (Virginia Business) | | QUICK LINKS | FWST: “Hinojosa promises to recover TX public schools from Abbott’s tenure as governor” FWST | SAEN: “Trump OKs disaster declaration for July flooding, approving some FEMA aid” SAEN | TPR: “Federal disaster aid approved 7 weeks after South Central Texas floods; Bexar windstorm assessment begins” TPR | The Texas Observer: “Who Stands Between Texas and a Fascist Railroad Commission?” The Texas Observer | AAS: “UT proposes cutting more than 100 ‘narrow’ courses from core this spring” AAS | TX MONTHLY: “How Residents of a Tiny Texas Town Stopped Trump’s Border Wall” TX MONTHLY | GAL CO DAILY NEWS: “Texas City approves 1,318-acre Latitude Margaritaville Galveston Bay community” GAL CO DAILY NEWS | FWST: “Former Johnson County officer gets three life sentences in child sex abuse case” FWST | AAS: “Is the former 3M campus becoming a data center? Here’s what a new filing says” AAS | AAS: “Manor police stop using Flock license plate cameras after Austin shootings” AAS | Mays Business School: “Mays Business School Names 12 Finalists for AI Venture Velocity Challenge, $100K on the Line” Mays Business School | | EXTRA POINTS | Recent Texas sports scores:
Monday 8/31
> MLB: Texas 8, Athletics 1
>MLB: Houston 6, Chicago White Sox 3
Tuesday 9/1
> MLB: Texas 8, Athletics 5
> MLB: Chicago White Sox 5, Houston 1
Wednesday 9/2
> MLB: Athletics 9, Texas 2
> MLB: Houston 2, Chicago White Sox 0
Thursday 9/3
> MLB: Texas 6, Tampa Bay 0
> MLB: Houston 6, Chicago White Sox 2
Friday 9/4
> MLB: Tampa Bay 7, Texas 6
> MLB: Houston 3, Arizona 1
> NCAAF: Oklahoma 51, UTEP 0
Saturday 9/5
> MLB: Tampa Bay 6, Texas 3 (10 inn.)
> MLB: Arizona 4, Houston 3
> NCAAF: Texas 59, Texas State 7
> NCAAF: Texas A&M 50, Missouri State 0
> NCAAF: Texas Tech 33, Abilene Christian 10
> NCAAF: Houston 33, Oregon State 20
> NCAAF: Auburn 17, Baylor 16
> NCAAF: Indiana 52, North Texas 16
> NCAAF: UTSA 45, UTRGV 16
> NCAAF: Rice 31, Houston Christian 3
> NCAAF: Troy 24, Sam Houston 21
> MLS: FC Dallas 4, Sporting Kansas City 3
> MLS: Austin FC 1, San Jose 1
> MLS: Charlotte 0, Houston Dynamo 0
Sunday 9/6
> MLB: Texas 8, Tampa Bay 6
> MLB: Arizona 3, Houston 2
Monday 9/7
> NCAAF: SMU 27, Florida State 24
Today / tonight’s Texas sports schedule:
> 5:40pm: MLB: Houston at Philadelphia
> 8:40pm: MLB: Texas at Seattle
Tomorrow’s Texas sports schedule:
> 3:10pm: MLB: Texas at Seattle
> 5:40pm: MLB: Houston at Philadelphia | | TEXAS SPORTS HEADLINES / LINKS | DALLAS COWBOYS: “Projecting the Dallas Cowboys’ 53-man roster ahead of cut-down day” FWST
TCU FOOTBALL: “TCU player hospitalized for 3 days with brain bleed after assault, warrant says” FWST |
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