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- MRT 11/10-11/25 (free) (sponsored by Morning Brew): Abbott Announces for Re-election, Unveils Property Tax Plan // Prop Q Goes Down 63-37 // Families Sue Camp Mystic // Arrington to Retire // Spurs Arena Passes 52-48
MRT 11/10-11/25 (free) (sponsored by Morning Brew): Abbott Announces for Re-election, Unveils Property Tax Plan // Prop Q Goes Down 63-37 // Families Sue Camp Mystic // Arrington to Retire // Spurs Arena Passes 52-48
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
Matt Mackowiak
November 11, 2025
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TOP NEWS
“Greg Abbott launches campaign for record fourth term as Texas governor, pushing property tax relief,” Houston Chronicle’s Benjamin Wermund -- “Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to drive down property taxes, and even eliminate some altogether, as he launched his campaign for a record fourth term in office at an event in Houston Sunday.
The Republican governor proposed an overhaul of the state’s property tax system — from capping local spending and home appraisals to creating rollback elections to lower rates — that he said would give taxpayers more control.
Abbott’s proposal even went so far as to call for a constitutional amendment to eliminate school property taxes, the source of most public school funding in the state and the largest chunk of most tax bills.
“Local property taxes are being hiked by your local governments incessantly. It’s time that we drive a stake through the heart of the ability of local property tax hikes,” Abbott said during an event at a local golf course. “We are going to turn the tables on local taxing authorities and put the power with the people.”
The campaign launch comes on the heels of the most important legislative session of Abbott’s career, capping a decade in the governor’s mansion that has seen Abbott significantly expand the power of the office.
Abbott muscled a new private school voucher program through the GOP-led Legislature earlier this year, claiming a victory that once seemed impossible. Voters this month delivered Abbott another win, approving a full slate of constitutional amendments he supported, including restrictions on bail that he has pushed for years.
And he enters the 2026 race with a whopping $87 million in his campaign account, money Abbott has said he will also use to help elect Republicans in Harris County.
But Democrats see an opening as Abbott’s approval rating has hit an all-time low in recent polls ahead of a midterm election widely expected to energize Democrats in opposition to President Donald Trump.
Abbott is fresh off a series of polarizing battles that underscored his closeness to the president, including redrawing the state’s congressional maps to give the GOP an edge and deploying Texas soldiers to Chicago.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom hammered that point during a rally in Houston Saturday in which he took a dig at Abbott after California voters last week approved drawing new congressional maps aimed at blunting potential GOP gains in Texas.
Abbott shot back on Sunday without naming Newsom.
“In places where Democrats rule, everything is backwards,” Abbott said. “Illegal immigrants stay in luxury hotels while Americans have to struggle to pay their own rent. Rioters wave foreign flags while occupying streets and rampaging our businesses — all of it on the dime of the American taxpayer.”
He also told the crowd that Democratic donors were serious about turning the state blue.
“Tonight, we have a message for those Democrats and their socialist backers: This is Texas. They cannot buy us. They cannot beat us,” Abbott said. “We will see them at the ballot box, and we will win.”
The governor focused his policy proposals on property taxes, which he has said will be his next major legislative target after passing vouchers earlier this year.
Abbott called for spending by cities, counties and other taxing entities to be tied to inflation and population growth, a proposal he pushed unsuccessfully during special sessions this summer. And he said local governments should have to get a two-thirds majority of support from voters to raise rates.
The governor also called for creating a new way for local voters to call a tax rollback election if 15% of them sign a petition.
Abbott said property appraisals should happen only every five years, and he called for lowering the cap on appraisal growth from 10% to 3% for homeowners, and also extending the caps to businesses and other properties.
But perhaps the most significant proposal was the elimination of local school property taxes, which would cut off the main local funding source of public schools and potentially leave the state to foot the entire bill. The state has already spent tens of billions of dollars in recent years paying down those portions of homeowners’ property tax bills, and Abbott said voters should get to decide whether the taxes should be done away with entirely. It is likely a longshot, however, as it would require a two-thirds majority vote in the Legislature to even get on the ballot.
It was no coincidence Abbott kicked off his campaign in Houston. The governor spent much of this year hammering Houston judges who he says were too lenient in granting bail, an issue likely to be central to his reelection campaign.
Abbott has vowed to spend heavily in Harris County to turn the Democratic stronghold “dark red.” Abbott lost the county by 10 percentage points to Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in 2022.
“This is the place where I first ran for public office. We won Harris County then, and we are going to win Harris County again this election,” said Abbott, who served as a trial judge in Houston before serving on the state Supreme Court.
At least three Democrats have said they plan to challenge Abbott: state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a progressive Democrat and former Austin school board member; Andrew White, a Houston businessman and son of the late Gov. Mark White; and Bobby Cole, a rancher and retired firefighter.” Hou Chron ($)
“Families of flooding victims sue Camp Mystic, owners for wrongful death of 13 campers, 2 counselor,” Austin American-Statesman’s Katey Psencik -- “As families filed four wrongful-death lawsuits this week over the July flooding that , attorneys alleged the Kerr County camp’s owners had long known of flood risks — and even petitioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency to remove parts of the property from designated flood zones.
The lawsuits, filed Monday in Travis County, accuse Camp Mystic and members of the Eastland family, which owns the camp, of negligence and wrongful death, claiming that flood warnings were ignored, safety plans were inadequate, and the camp’s “never evacuate” order cost lives.
Austin attorney Mikal Watts is skeptical there is a “viable” lawsuit to pursue over the July 4 flooding. He has put the word out that he will provide free legal representation to Camp Mystic, the Christian girls camp, if it is sued over the flood.
Plaintiffs argue the Eastlands and camp management prioritized expansion and lower insurance costs over the safety of the children in their care, even as past floods repeatedly damaged the property along the Guadalupe River. The families say the July tragedy was not an unforeseeable act of nature but the result of years of dangerous decisions.
“There is no greater trust than when a parent entrusts the care of their child to another,” the lawsuit filed on behalf of the family of 8-year-old Eloise “Lulu” Peck states. “Camp Mystic and the people who ran it betrayed that trust. Camp Mystic’s shocking betrayal of that trust caused the horrific, tragic and needless deaths of twenty-seven innocent young girls, including Eloise ‘Lulu’ Peck. This case seeks accountability for that betrayal and to send a message to other camps — protect the kids in your care.”
According to the complaints, Camp Mystic sought FEMA approval on multiple occasions — including in 2013, 2019 and 2020 — to remove several riverfront cabins and recreation buildings from the official 100-year floodplain. The families’ lawyers allege those moves were intended to “hide this safety risk from the public” and avoid costly insurance and construction requirements.
One lawsuit also claims the Eastlands restructured the camp’s ownership to protect family assets while maintaining control of its layout and management. The filings describe a “web of corporate entities” that allowed the family to separate land ownership from camp operations while still profiting from annual sessions that drew hundreds of girls each summer.
Camp Mystic, which has operated along the Guadalupe River since 1939, has a long history of flooding. The lawsuits cite multiple incidents over the past century that prompted evacuations or damaged cabins, arguing that the family’s awareness of those events makes their alleged lack of preparation in July particularly egregious.
“Camp Mystic’s requests to amend the FEMA map were an attempt to hide this safety risk from the public including the campers and their parents, avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, lower the camp’s insurance premiums, and pave the way for expanding structures under less costly regulations,” the Peck lawsuit states.
Two of the four suits — including the Peck suit — outline the camp’s actions in the hours before the disaster. Attorneys claim that by the afternoon of July 3, camp leaders were aware of worsening conditions yet told staff and campers to “stay put because that’s the plan.”
Some cabins were evacuated to the Rec Hall, located about 300 feet away, but others — including Bubble Inn and Twins, where 24 girls and two counselors died — were not, the lawsuits say. “The camp has no explanation for why it failed to tell the Bubble Inn and Twins girls to walk to Rec Hall at that same time,” one petition states. “It would have saved the lives of 27 young girls.”
All but one of the “Heaven’s 27,” as the victims’ families have begun referring to them, were campers or counselors in Bubble Inn and Twins. Only one camper, Greta Toranzo, stayed in a different cabin — one called “Jumble House.”
The lawsuits describe chaotic scenes as floodwaters swept through before dawn July 4. Bodies of Dick Eastland, the camp’s patriarch, and several campers were later found in a Chevrolet Tahoe that had been carried away by the river. Other victims, including Bubble Inn counselor Chloe Childress and several Twins cabin campers, were discovered downstream the next day.
Attorneys for the families also accuse the camp of poor communication after the flood, saying administrators told parents their daughters were “unaccounted for” hours after learning multiple campers had died. Some families say they did not receive confirmation of their children’s deaths until late that evening.
Another complaint alleges that in the months since the tragedy, camp officials have been insensitive to grieving families — even using the names of Childress and fellow Bubble Inn counselor Katherine Ferruzzo in recruiting material for next summer.
Camp Mystic’s legal counsel, Jeff Ray, said in a statement that the flood “far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes,” was “unexpected” and that “no adequate warning systems existed in the area.” He said the camp will “thoroughly respond” to what it views as inaccuracies in the lawsuits.
“We disagree with several accusations and misinformation in the legal filings regarding the actions of Camp Mystic and Dick Eastland, who lost his life as well,” Ray said.
In a separate statement, Camp Mystic said, “We continue to pray for the grieving families and ask for God’s healing and comfort.”
High-profile attorney Mikal Watts, who volunteered in October to assist with the camp’s defense pro bono, said he is confident the camp was not at fault. “I believe deep in my heart that they had nothing to do with why those girls, and frankly their patriarch, died, and I’m ready to demonstrate that,” Watts said.” AAS ($)
“TAMU Regents will vote to ban classes in race, gender ideology without prior approval,” Austin American-Statesman’s Lily Kepner -- “Texas A&M University System regents will vote Thursday to ban classes on “race” and “gender ideology” unless they are approved by the institution’s president or a designee — the latest escalation in a statewide conservative push to rid universities of liberal leaning teaching.
If passed, the Texas A&M System, which serves 175,000 students as the second largest university system in the state, would be the first institution to explicitly bar teaching related to “race ideology.”
The policy proposal describes the term as “a concept that attempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity, accuse them of being oppressors in a racial hierarchy or conspiracy, ascribe to them less value as contributors to society… assign them intrinsic guilt” or promotes activism “rather than instruction.” It defines gender ideology as “a concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing, and disconnected from, the biological category of sex,” though biology and Women’s and Gender Studies scholars for decades have found that not all people fit into male or female categories neatly.
The prohibition, set to be considered at a Thursday board meeting, doesn’t detail the approval process for these courses or what would happen to Texas A&M’s ethnic and LGBTQ studies departments. Both definitions would be added to the “Civil Rights Protections and Compliance” policy, and this would be the first form of prohibited instruction in that policy.
A Texas A&M System official declined to comment on the policy, but said it will be discussed at the meeting. Members of the public can submit written testimony at least 24 hours before the meeting begins.
Opponents of the proposal say the policy will impede academic freedom and hurt Texas A&M University’s quality of education. The Texas American Federation of Teachers and American Association of University Professors chapter said the “unconstitutional” policies would “codify institutional censorship.”
“By considering these policy changes, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents is telling faculty, ‘Shut up and teach — and we’ll tell you what to teach,’” Brian Evans, president of Texas AAUP-AFT, said in a news release. “This language and the censorship it imposes will cause irreparable harm to the reputation of the university, and impede faculty and students from their main mission on campus: to teach, learn, think critically and create and share new knowledge.”
The intensifying political pressure to stop teaching that “belittles” conservative views or encourages “liberal ideology,” boosted in posts on X by Gov. Greg Abbott and a compact deal from President Donald Trump, has pressured universities across the state to reform fast.
Texas Tech University System Chancellor Tedd Mitchell banned classroom instruction that teaches there are more than two genders to comply with a new state law, House Bill 229. Angelo State University reportedly told professors to remove pronouns from their bios and pride flags from their walls to avoid unwanted attention, though it later walked back the directives.
The University of Texas System announced a course audit of gender studies courses for alignment with the law and its “priorities,” and the flagship campus is considering consolidating departments that may have become “overly fragmented.”
But Texas A&M University has been at the epicenter of recent political turmoil. Controversy first erupted Sept. 8 when a state representative posted a video from an anonymous student whistle blower accusing her professor, Melissa McCoul, of breaking the law by teaching there are more than two genders.
McCoul, her department head and college dean lost their jobs within two days of the online controversy, and President Mark Welsh resigned shortly after. Regents agreed to pay him a $3.5 million settlement. Welsh had said McCoul was fired for “academic responsibility” because her class strayed from the approved syllabus, but McCoul’s syllabus, which was public, disclosed she would be covering diverse groups in children’s literature that may at times be controversial.
Another Texas A&M System proposed policy change would require faculty to teach only material consistent with the approved curriculum, but Leonard Bright, a professor at Texas A&M and president of the Texas A&M Chapter of the AAUP, said that standard is unrealistic for a professor. He said it infringes on a professor’s right to craft their teaching based on expertise alone.
The policy, if passed, would also invite subjective restrictions on gender identity and race-related teaching that would impede professors’ ability to accurately teach the full breadth of all fields or answer students questions if they pertain to current events, he said.
“We’re telling people that we’re going to sell you a whole piece but what they’re going to get is half of it,” Bright said. “We’re going to have to tell them that with a straight face that I cannot teach this without getting bullied. It’s going to severely impact our classes in ways that we can’t even we can’t even predict.”” AAS ($)
“The number of whooping cough cases in Texas is the highest it’s been in 11 years,” Texas Tribune’s Stephen Simpson -- “More than 3,500 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, cases have been reported in Texas so far this year, already reaching a 11-year high even though two more highly infectious months are left in the year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The uptick in whooping cough, which is especially contagious in children, has coincided with a decline in vaccination rates for the illness, according to disease experts who urge the best way to control the spread is to get vaccinated. They also say whooping cough tends to spike every few years and that there isn’t a way to completely wipe out the disease.
“We practitioners and public health professionals are concerned because we are seeing a year-after-year trend of a significant increase in cases when this is preventable,” said Hector Ocaranza, a pediatrician and member of the Texas Medical Association’s Council on Science and Health Promotion. “Especially a disease that can have such a severe effect on infants, older people, and those who have chronic conditions.”
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported more than 3,500 cases of whooping cough through October, quadruple the number of cases during the same period last year, which saw a total of 1,907 cases, according to provisional data. The total so far is also 10 times the number of cases for all of 2023. This is the second consecutive year the state’s health agency has had to issue a health alert.
The agency’s most recent alert, published Nov. 3, noted that more than half of last year’s cases occurred in November and December, suggesting whooping cough cases will continue to climb.
Jason Bowling, professor and infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, said this spike is aligning with the holiday season, further increasing the risk of whooping cough spreading.
“Oftentimes parents with a newborn infant don’t feel comfortable telling people to wash their hands or not to visit if they have a cough during the holidays, but they need to feel empowered and comfortable to do that right now,” he said.
Leilani Valdes, the chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, and a spokesperson for the College of American Pathologists, said this year’s spike is noticeably different.
“While an increase isn’t completely unexpected, the size of this one is unusual and something public health officials are keeping a close eye on,” she said.
Valdes said multiple factors are contributing to the increase. She said immunity from the whooping cough vaccine fades over time, and if people aren’t getting their booster shots, they can catch and spread it.
“Some families have also fallen behind on vaccinations, which adds to the problem. And finally, better testing and awareness mean more cases are being identified and reported,” Valdes said.
Whooping cough cases in Texas and the United States were lower than usual during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, but activity has quickly rebounded over the last few years.
“We were not near each other during COVID-19, which meant fewer opportunities for the bacteria to move from person to person,” said Joshua Sharfstein, a pediatric medical provider and a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University. “What is concerning with this spike is the number of small children being affected.”
The recent rise in whooping cough in Texas follows a national trend. In 2024, there were more than 35,000 documented cases, a significant jump from 7,063 in 2023. Two babies have died from the disease in Louisiana this year, as well as a child in South Dakota and an adult in Idaho.
Preliminary data from the Texas health agency indicate that approximately 85% of whooping cough cases in Texas this year have occurred in children, but no deaths have been reported.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious illness caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis. These contagious respiratory illnesses occur when bacteria attach to the upper respiratory tract, leading to swelling of the airways.” Texas Tribune
“3 ex-SAPD officers found not guilty of murder, other charges in connection with Melissa Perez’s 2023 killing,” KENS 5’s David Lynch and Zack Briggs -- “Three former San Antonio police officers were found not guilty on all counts following a monthlong trial over Melissa Perez’s 2023 death.
The jury took less than two hours to deliberate before delivering their verdict and acquitting the trio. For four weeks the jury members listened to testimony from investigators, family members and police officers who responded to the scene of the shooting on June 23, 2023. Perez, 46, was shot and killed by police after authorities said she charged at them with a hammer.
The jury was responsible for determining whether the defendants – Alfred Flores, Eleazar Alejandro and Nathaniel Villalobos – were justified in firing their weapons. The defense had argued the officers were in a vulnerable position as the confrontation escalated and called up witnesses who testified that the ensuing investigation was rushed and biased.
The defendants were arrested and suspended from the force about 16 hours after the shooting. Police Chief William McManus at the time said their actions violated department protocols.
But Ben Sifuentes, who was part of the defense team, said investigators fell short in how they reviewed the incident and who was at fault.
“There was an institutional failure on the part of the police department and the prosecution in how they chose to investigate and prosecute this case,” Sifuentes said after the verdict was read. “None of the command staff looked at any of the videos. How can they make a decision to charge these officers if they didn’t look at the videos and they didn’t do a thorough investigation?”
“We knew what the truth was,” added Nico LaHood, who represented Villalobos. “But you never know until the verdict comes back.”
Flores and Alejandro had each been charged with a count of murder, two counts of aggravated assault and a count of deadly conduct. Villalobos had been charged with a count of aggravated assault and a count of deadly conduct.
They were acquitted on all counts just after 3 p.m., when Judge Ron Rangel read the jury’s verdict. Closing statements were delivered just hours earlier.
Relatives say Perez was suffering a mental health episode when she cut the wires to her apartment’s fire alarm system, triggering an initial law enforcement response for the alleged vandalism. More police officers arrived when a report came in for an officer in trouble.
She was later shot when investigators say she came toward officers with a hammer.
The case marked the first time Bexar County law enforcement officers faced murder charges stemming from an on-duty shooting, according to the district attorney’s office. The office said it “respects the jury’s verdict” and didn’t provide a further comment.
The San Antonio Police Officers’ Association, the local police union, said it was “thankful” for the not-guilty verdict while criticizing the DA’s office for what it called “prosecutorial misconduct” and a “lack of transparency” during the discovery process of the case.
“We have complained about the double-standard within the department and the fact that wrong decisions are being made due to political pressures,” SAPOA President Danny Diaz said in a statement. “DA (Joe) Gonzales and co-prosecutors Daryl Harris and David Lunan have no place representing our communities.”“ KENS 5
“2 teens drowned after kayak overturns on Texas river, father remains missing,” via AP -- “Two teenagers drowned in a Texas river after their kayak overturned and the father of one of the boys who jumped in to try to save them remained missing, authorities said Tuesday.
The two teenagers were close to a boat ramp near the town of Camilla and south of Lake Livingston Dam when choppy conditions on the Trinity River caused their kayak to overturn on Sunday evening, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office said.
The father of one of the boys jumped into the river to try to rescue them. All three went underwater and did not resurface, the sheriff’s office said.
The bodies of the two teenagers, ages 14 and 15, were recovered later Sunday night, according to Texas Game Wardens, the law enforcement division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts go out to this family and everyone affected. We ask our community to join us in prayer for comfort and strength for the loved ones involved,” San Jacinto County Sheriff Sam Houston, whose agency is helping in the search, said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Texas Game Warden’s underwater search and recovery team as well as the sheriff’s office and the Cape Royale Volunteer Fire Department were helping in the search for the missing man.
“Finding the victim remains our top priority,” Texas Game Wardens said in a statement.
Authorities did not immediately release the names of the two teenagers or the missing man.
Camilla is located about 65 miles northeast of Houston.” AP
2025
“‘A taxpayer revolt:’ What Prop Q’s defeat says about Austin’s current politics,” Austin American-Statesman’s Tony Plohetski and Chaya Tong — “When she went to the polls during early voting, Rachel Walker felt pressure from some fellow progressives to support Austin’s Proposition Q tax increase, believing it would help fund crucial services, including ongoing initiatives to address homelessness.
But the 39-year-old waitress who lives in East Austin also questioned whether years of city spending had really helped that many people get off the streets, and feared her landlord could raise her rent to offset the tax hike.
“I’m already working seven days a week, and I can’t work eight,” she said. “And I don’t know what the City Council is doing with their money, so there is cynicism there for sure.”
The resounding defeat of Prop Q on Tuesday showed Walker’s concerns were widely shared.
The outcome, which served as a litmus test for how residents view the performance of local government in Austin, laid bare months of growing distrust that will continue to reverberate through City Hall and shape multiple City Council races next year.
Prop Q’s 63% loss among Travis, Williamson and Hays County voters represents harsh disapproval of the City Council’s ability to manage its finances, according to political experts, voters and city leaders themselves. Those mounting concerns came amid recent revelations that the city spent $1.1 million on a rebranding effort that produced a widely unpopular new logo and ongoing reporting by the American-Statesman that questioned discretionary spending among city officials that was out of step with their peers – and at times, the city’s own rules.
But the defeat also occurred amid an era of distrust in government that political observers say has trickled from national to local – and what voters such as Walker perceive as broader instability that made them less willing to open their wallets to a tax increase of about $300 a year for the average Austin homeowner.
A ‘tough environment’ for Prop Q
As a whole, Americans are concerned about affordability and the economy, Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, said.
“The reality was that Prop Q landed at a tough time in a tough environment,” he said. As a whole, he added, Americans are concerned about affordability and the economy.
“Any measure that would ultimately increase the cost of housing was going to face an uphill battle, even if Austinites on the whole agreed with the goals for that money,” he said.
Some fear the result could represent the first step to a shifting landscape in Austin, eroding a long-held liberal value of helping vulnerable populations. City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes said in a statement that city programs could face cuts “at a time when many people in our city need more help, not less.”
Austin-based political consultant Jim Wick said that although it is too early to make that determination, the election could be a harbinger of a potential rightward shift in the Austin electorate.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, who has worked in local politics for almost three decades, laid bare many of the implications in a 500-word statement issued late Tuesday after early results showed the measure was likely doomed.
“Voters want stable, efficient governance,” he wrote. “At a time when people are losing faith in all levels of government, including local government, as evidenced by the election outcome, our city needs to show it can act in a thoughtful, trustful way.”
“Trust needs to be restored,” he added.
Why Prop Q failed
Prop Q’s defeat represents a reversal in how Austin voters have typically viewed requests from City Hall to pay more for city services or projects.
The measure would have added $110 million to the city’s budget to offset a loss in property tax revenue that was largely caused by state-mandated caps on property tax growth.
The proposition got off to a rocky start — and only worsened from there.
“I think the problem was a messaging problem,” said Austin attorney Adam Loewy, who spent $20,000 on three anti-Prop Q billboards around the city. “If you asked people what the money was for, it was a different answer. It was totally vague.”
The city said it would divide the $110 million among homeless programs, park maintenance and public health and safety.
But Loewy said specifics were absent: “They weren’t saying they were going to buy more ambulances – something people could understand.”
Then came news that the city spent $1.1 million on a rebranding initiative centered on a logo that many design-conscious Austinites deemed lacking and the Statesman’s revelations that council members had used funding from their office for extravagant meals, international trips, donations to political causes and other expenses — spending that reinforced perceptions of a wasteful and frivolous spending culture.
“I don’t think they are willing to try to be more efficient,” said Ryan Saunders, a 38-year-old board member for the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Contact Team who voted against Prop Q. “They just want to do what they want to do and they don’t want anyone to tell them ‘no’ is what it seems like.”
Proponents of the measure tried to inject partisanship into the debate, but the effort fell flat among the city’s liberal base.
In the lead-up to the election, Prop Q proponents, including Travis County Democratic Party Chair Doug Greco, said the measure offered residents a chance to push back against Republican efforts to intervene in local politics, including a 2019 law limiting how much a Texas city can raise taxes without an election. But he also said that the measure was primarily a “pragmatic thing” that would have provided funding for much-needed programs.
“After years of Republican attacks on government at all levels, it’s understandable, but unfortunate, that distrust has made its way to the municipal level,” he said Wednesday.
But Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist and co-founder of the influential Save Austin Now PAC, said: “This is not ideological. This is not partisan. This is a taxpayer revolt.”
Mackowiak and other opponents ran an aggressive anti-Prop Q campaign, raising $288,812 as of Oct. 27, while a PAC formed by supporters brought in only $67,998.
The fundraising gap forced proponents to take a more grassroots approach that involved social media posts, neighborhood meetings and group chats.
The day before the election, South Austin resident Bridget Tobin asked her Facebook friends to support Prop Q.
Tobin said she is disappointed by the result and fears that it could usher in a new period of “individualism” in Austin politics where voters are less concerned about others.
She said the defeat “is a really historic moment for Austin and really just shows how the class divide is widening, and part of that is that we have more millionaires and billionaires who have moved to Austin and are out of touch.”
Even among council members, many were muted in the lead-up to the race as the political winds appeared to shift away from Prop Q. Some council members met with neighborhood groups and advocated for the budget that triggered the tax rate election on social media, but others chose to step away from actively campaigning.
Watson said in his statement that his position throughout the campaign was that “it was time to trust the voters,” adding that “I trust their decision. And I hear them.”
Prop Q is dead. Now what?
Most immediately, council members must craft a new budget for a fiscal year that has already begun.
In his statement, Watson said city leaders should “adjust the original proposed budget, if it all, modestly. This is not the time to engage in or relitigate significant, drawn out, divisive policy fights in the budget.”
But he said city leaders must go further, developing a “systematic evaluation to better balance the cost of services with the need for those services.”
Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward’s University, said the real test now is whether the diverse coalition that opposed Prop Q can find common ground on where council should trim.
Prop Q’s defeat, he said, doesn’t solve Austin’s budget problem and could lead to more disagreements about how to cut expenditures.
Other council members also acknowledged they must work to earn back the public’s trust.
Council Member Marc Duchen said he wants the city to conduct an independent efficiency study to identify ways to save money without relying on tax increases.
He said he thinks that effort would help restore trust.
“We have to acknowledge this reality,” he said. “This is a wake-up call.”
Council Members Paige Ellis, Zo Qadri, Ryan Alter and Jose Velasquez are each running for reelection next year. Observers say the outcome could also negatively affect incumbents on next year’s City Council ballot.
Selena Xie, former head of the Austin EMS Association, supported the measure because she said it would have funded new ambulances and additional 911 dispatchers. She is running against Ellis next year.
“A rejection of Prop Q is a signal to council that the city wants council to take spending more seriously,” she said. “The result underscores how concerned people are with rising taxes without getting the results that we were promised.” AAS ($)
2026
“President Donald Trump endorses Gov. Greg Abbott for reelection,” Texas Tribune’s Sneha Dey -- “President Donald Trump endorsed Gov. Greg Abbott for reelection on Tuesday, applauding the governor’s help in redrawing congressional redistricting maps this summer in his stamp of approval.
Abbott announced his bid for an unprecedented fourth term on Sunday.
“Greg Abbott has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election,” Trump said on his social media site, TruthSocial. “He is an exceptional Governor and man — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Abbott thanked Trump for the early endorsement Tuesday, saying they would work together to “build a stronger, safer, more prosperous Texas and America.”
The governor has closely aligned himself with the president. After he got a call from Trump, Abbott put mid-decade congressional redistricting on his agenda for this year’s special legislative sessions. It set off a tense fight that garnered national attention and involved Democrats fleeing the state to deny the Legislature the needed quorum to vote. Abbott eventually signed into law a new map that is set to add five additional GOP-leaning congressional seats.” Texas Tribune
“U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, announced he will retire after serving out his current term,” Texas Tribune’s Gabby Birenbaum -- “Lubbock Republican Rep. Jodey Arrington announced his retirement after a decade of service at the U.S. House, ending an impressive career that saw him rise to the rank of Budget Committee chair and opening up yet another congressional seat in Texas.
Arrington will serve out his term, which ends in January 2027, but will not seek reelection.
Arrington, 53, is a fiscal hawk who has amassed considerable power leading the budget panel. He was a key cog in the passage of Republicans’ tax-and-spending megabill, which bore his name and passed through his committee earlier this year. He was recently in the running to succeed former Texas Tech University System Chancellor Tedd. L Mitchell, who announced his retirement earlier this year. The system ultimately selected former state Sen. Brandon Creighton for the job.
The West Texas native had already received President Donald Trump’s endorsement for next year’s election. But in a retirement video, Arrington said he felt it was time to pass the torch.
“I believe, as our founding fathers did, in citizen leadership — temporary service, not a career,” Arrington said. “And it’s time to do what George Washington did, and to ride off into that big, beautiful West Texas sunset, and to live under the laws that I passed.”
In the video, Arrington listed numerous local accomplishments — including getting cotton back under Title I of the 2018 farm bill, expanding Interstate 27 and bringing a B-21 “Raider” bomber aircraft to Dyess. He named the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as a distinct highlight, calling it “the most consequential piece of legislation in modern history.”
“It was my highest privilege to author and lead President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ the principle legislative vehicle for advancing the America First Agenda, which included the largest tax and spending cuts, largest single investment in national and border security, and most significant welfare reforms in U.S. history,” Arrington said in a statement. “Let me be clear, I haven’t lost an ounce of passion for promoting West Texas values in Washington or a shred of fight for defending our freedoms and way of life, but I believe it’s time for this chapter in my journey to come to an end.”
He did not announce his next steps, saying that he planned to spend more time with his family and will “look forward to my next leadership challenge.” Arrington has said he wants to pass another Republican spending bill — the GOP still has a year of a guaranteed trifecta before the midterms.
The Lubbock Republican’s retirement ends a lengthy political career. Arrington worked in George W. Bush’s gubernatorial administration and then as a senior advisor in the Bush White House. He went on to be chief of staff for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and worked on the federal effort to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
Arrington then returned to Lubbock to work under then-Texas Tech Chancellor Kent Hance, who had previously represented Arrington’s same West Texas district in Congress. Arrington began serving as the Texas Tech University System’s chief of staff in 2006, then was tapped to be vice chancellor for research and commercialization in 2011. After a stint leading a health care innovation company and an unsuccessful Texas Senate bid, Arrington entered Congress in 2017.
Arrington quickly rose through the ranks of the Budget Committee and became its chair when Republicans took the majority after the 2022 midterm election. Long focused on efforts to reduce the national debt, he has advocated for various plans to significantly cut spending and balance the budget — a stance that has at times led to conflict with fellow Republicans.
Arrington will leave behind both the powerful Budget Committee chairmanship and a safely deep-red GOP seat, creating an opportunity for a Republican successor to begin a lengthy congressional career. Situated in rural West Texas and including Abilene and Lubbock, the 19th Congressional District, which was left untouched by Republican map-drawers in the Legislature’s recent redistricting, voted for Trump by a 52-point margin in 2024, his best performance in all 38 Texas congressional districts. But prospective Republican successors will need to make quick decisions — the filing deadline is Dec. 8. Democrat Kyle Rable first announced his campaign in May.” Texas Tribune
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“San Antonio Spurs’ planned downtown arena gets green light from voters,” AP’s Tim Reynolds — “The San Antonio Spurs are a major step closer to getting a new downtown home, after voters in Bexar County, Texas approved a plan Tuesday to allow officials to commit up to $311 million in venue taxes to help build a multipurpose arena.
County officials said just over 52% of voters supported the measure, which had considerable opposition from some lawmakers and other groups.
The Spurs have said they will commit at least $500 million toward construction of an arena, plus cover all overruns — which could be significant. They would also be paying rent at the new arena, and that money will help offset what is a proposed $489 million contribution from the city.
“We love this city, we love this county, and the county and the city love us back,” Peter J. Holt, the chairman of Spurs Sports and Entertainment. told reporters Tuesday night.
Another piece of the plan: The Spurs are promising that about $1.4 billion in private development around the new arena will happen. And a separate measure that also passed Tuesday could lead to more rodeos in San Antonio — with lawmakers now able to devote about $200 million for that purpose.
“We’re ready to do something really special that’s going to help the Spurs, it’s going to help the rodeo, it’s going to help all sectors of the community and it’s going to be right in the heart of our city,” Holt said. “This is something we deserve. Our fans deserve it. Our community deserves it. We’re going to believe and execute big things.”
The Spurs made a simple case to voters: venue taxes are primarily paid by visitors to the area through things like their hotel and rental car bills, will not cause any hike in property taxes for San Antonio residents and by state law can only be spent on things like arenas.
Still, polling done as recently as last month suggested it would be tough for the Spurs to get a win. And the city’s major, Gina Ortiz Jones, has said she wants more analysis about the plan, including the city’s contribution toward the project.
“We’re going to work together to get something special done,” Holt said.
There is no proposed timetable for construction. and Holt said the Spurs are “at the very beginning of the design stage.” The team’s lease at its current home, Frost Bank Center, runs out in 2032.” AP
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> DMN: “Senate approves bill to end the shutdown, sending it to the House“ DMN
> HOU CHRON: “Remember Enron? White-collar crime used to be bad. Now it’s pardoned.“ HOU CHRON
> DMN: “Supreme Court rejects call to overturn same-sex marriage“ DMN
> FWST: “Trump pardons dozens of political allies including Giuliani, Meadows, Powell“ FWST
> THE TEXAN: “Lt. Gov. Patrick Announces Audit of Texas Southern University, Alleges Widespread ‘Misuse’ of Taxpayer Dollars“ THE TEXAN
> TPR: “‘We’re scared’: Texas providers urge state to reconsider Medicaid cuts to medical supply services“ TPR
> FWST: “Trump teases $2,000 tariff dividend, Bessent says details still unclear“ FWST
> HOU CHRON: “Mexico arrests a new suspect in 1994 assassination of a presidential candidate“ HOU CHRON
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: “Northwest ISD to hire high-need campus positions after tax rate election“ COMMUNITY IMPACT
> HOU CHRON: “Ted Cruz says he helped shape Trump’s new idea to replace Obamacare“ HOU CHRON
> TPR: “Rep. Castro is a ‘no’ vote on funding federal government and shares his plans for political office“ TPR
> HOU CHRON: “A look at prominent people pardoned by Trump after they tried to overturn his 2020 election loss“ HOU CHRON
> THE TEXAN: “Texas Highway Patrol Enters Into ‘Task Force’ Agreement to Enforce Immigration Law“ THE TEXAN
> TPR: “Heating help delayed in shutdown as cold snap arrives“ TPR
> TPR: “BBC head resigns after criticism about the editing of a Trump speech“ TPR
> TPR: “Supreme Court to consider challenge to Mississippi mail-in ballot law“ TPR
> TX TRIB: “Parents of flood victims suing Camp Mystic for negligence“ TX TRIB
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: “San Marcos extends labor agreements, increases pay for police and fire“ COMMUNITY IMPACT
> THE TEXAN: “Tension High at TEA Public Meeting on Fort Worth ISD Takeover“ THE TEXAN
> SAEN: “Medical examiner issues ruling on fiery death of Rep. Tony Gonzales aide“ SAEN
> THE TEXAN: “Dallas Police Chief Declines to Enter Immigration Enforcement Agreement“ THE TEXAN
> HOU CHRON: “Texas City Dike water rescue leaves child dead, injures 6 firefighters“ HOU CHRON
> FWST: “Where do Sonny Dykes, TCU football stand after collapse vs. Iowa State?“ FWST
> DMN: “‘Landman’ actor Billy Bob Thornton talks divisive season 1 monologue on Joe Rogan podcast“ DMN
> FWST: “Millions Waking Up To The Coldest Air Of The Season“ FWST
> HOU CHRON: “Ex-Baylor doctor accused of taking upskirt photo of co-worker at Texas Children’s Hospital“ HOU CHRON
> DMN: “Muslim-centric EPIC City development gets new name. Here’s why“ DMN
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: “Foundation Christian Ministries aids Bastrop’s growing need for home ramps“ COMMUNITY IMPACT
> HOU CHRON: “IAH and Hobby airports to reach 6% cancellations“ HOU CHRON
> KXAN: “Car-dominant Texas needs more public transit to meet mobility demands, TxDOT report says“ KXAN
> MRT: “Energy deals surge as data centers flock to Texas energy hubs“ MRT
> MRT: “Families accuse Camp Mystic of ignoring risks in Texas lawsuit over flood deaths“ MRT
> FWST: “Where service members can get meals, discounts in North Texas for Veterans Day“ FWST
> KXAN: “New home restores independence to Texas veteran“ KXAN
> HOU CHRON: “UH vaults to No. 1 in Associated Press college basketball poll after 2-0 start“ HOU CHRON
EXTRA POINTS
Last night’s sports scores:
> NBA: Milwaukee 116, Dallas 114
> NBA: San Antonio 121, Chicago 117
> NCAAM: TCU 78, Lamar 65
Tonight’s Texas sports schedule:
> 6pm: NHL: Dallas at Ottawa (ESPN+)
> 7pm: NCAAM: Murray St. at SMU (ACCN)
> 7pm: NCAAM: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Kansas (ESPN+)
> 7:30pm: NCAAM: #11 Texas Tech at #14 Illinois
Tomorrow’s Texas sports schedule:
> 7pm: NBA: Washington at Houston
> 7pm: NBA: Golden State at San Antonio
> 7pm: NBA: Phoenix at Dallas