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Nov. 9, 2026
Election News
Data centers, minimum wage and Medicaid legislation open bill filing for a divided Texas Legislature

(Texas Tribune) A new era of lawmaking under a Democratic governor and divided Texas Legislature kicks off Monday when the window opens to file bills for consideration in the 2027 legislative session. The 90th session of the Texas Legislature will convene Jan. 12, and bill filing will continue through March 12.

Texas Democrats plan to undo GOP’s work on State Board of Education

(Houston Chronicle) Democrats say they have a majority on the State Board of Education, and now want to revisit the Christian-infused reading lists and social studies standards passed by Republicans in recent years.

Texas’ blue wave didn’t extend to school bonds and special tax elections. Here’s why

(Houston Chronicle) Affordability may have mattered more than party politics in school funding votes. Why Texans widely rejected school bonds and tax increases — and what districts face next.

Senfronia Thompson says she has the votes to become the first woman and first Black Texas House speaker

(Texas Standard) State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the longest-serving woman and the longest-serving Black legislator in any state, said Friday that she has enough votes to win the Texas House speaker’s gavel when the Legislature convenes in January.

State-appointed managers in Texas takeover school districts brace for imminent removal

(Texas Tribune) Appointed school board managers in some of Texas’ districts under a state takeover said Friday that they are preparing to be out of a job as soon as January. Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa is selecting a new education commissioner, who would have the power to replace any or all appointed board managers.

Houston ISD’s appointed board of managers will meet with elected trustees, district says

(Houston Chronicle) Houston ISD announced Friday that its state-appointed board of managers will meet with elected trustees “to support future transition” after Democrats swept statewide elections this week, ending decades of Republican leadership in Texas.

Hinojosa vowed to end Fort Worth, Lake Worth ISD takeovers. The question now is, how soon?

(Fort Worth Report) Gina Hinojosa’s election as governor has raised hopes of ending the state takeovers of Fort Worth ISD and Lake Worth ISD, but it won’t happen right away. State law requires the schools that triggered the takeovers to show sustained academic improvement before elected boards can fully return, and only lawmakers can change that. Replacing Education Commissioner Mike Morath also requires approval from the Republican-controlled Texas Senate. For now, the appointed boards and superintendents remain in charge.

Texas’ school voucher program could be “unrecognizable, if not extinct,” says Democratic lawmaker

(Texas Tribune) After Democrats won nearly every statewide office in Texas, Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa vowed to undo Greg Abbott’s education agenda, including firing Commissioner Mike Morath, ending school takeovers, and scrapping the new voucher program. Ending vouchers will require the Legislature, where Democrats now control the House but Republicans still hold the Senate. In the meantime, incoming Comptroller Sarah Eckhardt plans to audit the program and make more of its data public. Voter frustration with vouchers helped Democrats gain ground in rural areas, where many Abbott-backed Republicans lost.

Terms of university systems’ regents to expire weeks after Hinojosa takes office as Texas governor

(KCBD) Gina Hinojosa is scheduled to take office as Texas’ next governor in January. In the next few weeks that follow, the terms will expire of 11 regents with voting power at public university systems across the state.

Texas officials acknowledge problems with voter registration system, will work with locals on a fix

(Texas Tribune) After more than a year of complaints, Texas officials are acknowledging the state’s upgraded voter registration management system hasn’t met performance expectations. The state is planning an audit of the system, and on Thursday told county election officials it would also create working groups aimed at improving its function.

Student-aged voters helped turn Texas blue. UT Austin shifted even further left

(Austin American-Statesman) Young Texas voters, especially at the University of Texas at Austin, swung strongly toward Democrats in the 2026 midterms. Nearly 96% of voters in UT’s campus precinct backed Senate winner James Talarico, and turnout hit a record 73%. Experts linked the shift to cost-of-living worries and student frustration with conservative changes at UT.

Crusading Billionaires Tried to Buy Texas This Election. Can Dems Now Do Something About It?

(Texas Monthly) Elon Musk sunk millions into keeping Texas red this cycle, but the state has a long history of money influencing politics on the right and left.

Attorney General-elect explains how he’ll enforce Texas abortion law, whether he’ll investigate Ken Paxton, more

(KBMT) Democrat Nathan Johnson won the Texas attorney general race by nearly 650,000 votes and will be the state’s first Democratic AG since 1999 when he takes office in January. He says he’ll stop using abortion law to target people, won’t sue out-of-state abortion doctors, and will drop Ken Paxton’s politically motivated lawsuits while keeping the ones with merit. He doesn’t plan to go after Paxton but will act if he finds provable wrongdoing. Related:

Huffines Wants ICE to Investigate Every Government Agency in Texas

(Texas Scorecard) The outgoing comptroller says decades of federal employment verification failures could leave taxpayers on the hook for $5 million.

Muslim Teen Elected to Round Rock ISD School Board

(Texas Scorecard) Ayaan Moledina, an 18-year-old first-generation American Muslim, is keen on protecting DEI programs on Round Rock ISD campuses.

Also Reported
Barbers Hill ISD reaches settlement in 6-year legal battle over hair policy

(KPRC) The district’s Board of Trustees voted Friday to approve a settlement in a lawsuit filed in May 2020 by former students De’Andre Arnold and Kaden Bradford, who challenged the district’s dress code. The district agreed to a small, undisclosed payment in exchange for dropping all claims. The money will come from the Texas Association of School Boards’ risk management fund, not directly from district tax dollars. The district says a federal judge recently rejected all claims in a similar lawsuit and upheld the constitutionality of the district’s dress code.

Exclusive: TEA orders Houston ISD must fix special education program bugs or face more state sanctions

(Houston Chronicle) The Texas Education Agency has ordered Houston ISD to fix problems in its special education program or risk losing state funding. The state will review 650 student records, and if many are wrong, HISD may have to meet individually with thousands of families by February. The district must also train staff, hold town halls, and create a parent advisory group, while it faces a federal investigation and a possible end to the state takeover under the incoming governor.

Without property taxes, school districts on military bases find ways to survive

(San Antonio Report) Three San Antonio school districts located entirely on military bases get no property tax money and rely on federal Impact aid for about half their budgets, funding that is often short and stops during government shutdowns. They also struggle with Texas’s voucher program, a state armed-guard mandate they can’t easily meet on base, and no ability to issue construction bonds. Even so, they outperform nearby districts academically.

Grand Prairie ISD responds to theater play cancellation lawsuit, says ‘uncertainty’ guided decision

(KERA) Grand Prairie ISD has responded to a lawsuit filed by a female student who’s casting as a male character in a play led to it being cancelled. The district said an “uncertain legal landscape” and “enforcement environment” played into their decision.

Cracks in Fort Worth ISD elementary school prompted decision to vacate the campus, officials say

(WFAA) Students at South Hi Mount Elementary have been temporarily relocated to a closed campus after an engineering assessment and recommendation, Fort Worth ISD officials said. The relocation is being done as a “precautionary measure,” according to the district. Engineers visited the campus after staff observed cracks in the building that indicated movement on the northeast end of the campus. The impacted sections of the building have been cleared and are no longer being occupied while further evaluations are made, officials said.

Former Frisco ISD student sues district, city, alleging excessive force and disability discrimination

(WFAA) A former Frisco ISD student and his parents have filed a federal lawsuit alleging school employees and a school resource officer used excessive force against him and failed to accommodate his disabilities. The lawsuit, filed in September, stems from two alleged incidents in which school personnel and a school resource officer ignored the student’s known disabilities, used force against him and violated his constitutional rights. The complaint also names the city of Frisco, alleging it failed to train school resource officers on autism, disability accommodations, de-escalation techniques and crisis intervention.

Arlington ISD personnel information affected by third-party national data breach

(Arlington Report) Arlington ISD schools were among the thousands nationwide faced with a data breach that included sensitive information such as Social Security numbers from a third-party data software company in August, according to a letter sent to some residents in late October obtained by the Arlington Report. On Aug. 14, Frontline Education, a school administration software company, faced a breach from one of its third-party software products. A statement posted to the company’s website more than two months later said the breach was closed the day after.

Howe ISD athletic director, coach, reinstated after investigation

(KTEN) Howe ISD reinstated athletic director and football coach Jacob Smith after an outside investigation found no legal violations, though it said he should improve how he communicates with students and staff. He had been accused of aggressive behavior toward a student and inappropriate communication with coworkers.

Richland Springs ISD athletic program, coaches sanctioned by UIL committee

(San Angelo Live) The UIL penalized Richland Springs head football coach James McIntyre with a reprimand, three years’ probation, and a two-game suspension in 2027-28 for letting a college student practice with the team in August. Assistant coach Adrian Rosales and the school’s athletic program also got reprimands and probation, with a warning that another violation could shut the program down. The team, ranked No. 2 in its division, avoided forfeits and will still play in the postseason.

“Don’t interrupt the court when I’m speaking”: Judge Stevens warns convicted Beaumont ISD electrical contractor Calvin Walker

(KFDM) Convicted former Beaumont ISD electrical contractor Calvin Walker found himself on the receiving end of Judge John Stevens’ wrath when he briefly interrupted court during a status hearing Friday on the staggering $1 million+ that Walker owes the district.

She should be celebrating Senior Night. Instead, this El Paso teen is in Dilley ICE detention

(El Paso Matters) Two months ago during homecoming celebrations, Michell Germán was crowned Lady-in-Waiting at El Paso High School, donning a white “Hoco Court” sash over her Tigerettes dance team uniform. Michell planned to participate in Senior Night festivities Friday, a celebration honoring senior student-athletes, performers and participants in extracurricular programs. Instead, the 17-year-old and her father, mother and sister are sitting in the South Texas Family Residential Center near Austin after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on their way to school two weeks ago.

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National School Lunch and National Breakfast Program contracting entities — that are not contracted with a food service management company — may now opt in to be reimbursed for up to $30,000 to…

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