All articles tagged with #greg abbott
In Temple, Texas, conservative voters—including Twyla Lowry—are pledging to vote for Democrat Gina Hinojosa against GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, reflecting a growing “break rank” sentiment over Abbott’s policies and data-center issues. The race remains competitive, with implications for Texas politics and potential national impact in the 2026 elections.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defended new guardrails and a moratorium on data-center construction to curb grid strain and water use after rapid growth that outpaced state coordination with local authorities; he previously touted Texas as an AI hub with Google’s $40 billion investment and incentives. The state hosts about 335 data centers with hundreds more planned, and the rules require water-use disclosure, prohibit drawing power directly from the grid, and aim to keep electricity affordable for consumers. Critics point to swift approvals for some centers, while Abbott says state input will be required to connect to the grid, a point highlighted as elections approach.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott escalated his campaign against Muslim ablution stations at Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental airports, asking the Justice Department to investigate the facilities as discriminatory and pressing the Department of Transportation to withhold grants until they’re closed. Airport officials paused or halted expansion plans amid the controversy, while Muslim leaders and legal scholars accuse the move of targeting Muslims and see it as part of a broader pattern of anti-Islam rhetoric in Texas ahead of his reelection.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott accusing him of withholding extradition for a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged with shooting an immigrant during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. The agent, Christian Castro, is being held in a Texas jail, and the suit seeks to compel extradition and prevent his release, underscoring tensions between state and federal immigration enforcement.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to claw back state and federal funding from Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston airports after plans for ablution facilities used for Muslim prayer surfaced; he sent letters to airport chiefs and to the U.S. Transportation Secretary seeking investigations, arguing the facilities discriminate based on religion. DFW canceled its planned station, while Houston’s facility has existed since 2024. The move fits a pattern of anti-Islam rhetoric in Texas GOP politics, with Abbott spotlighting funding leverage to press issues favored by his base.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched a review that could revoke current state funding and block future funds for Houston’s IAH and Dallas–Fort Worth’s DFW airports over Islamic ablution stations and a prayer room, arguing the facilities may constitute illegal religious discrimination and urging a federal review; DFW says it will not move forward with the project, though Abbott’s action could still affect funding.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed a review of state grants to Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston’s IAH after DFW scrapped a plan to install Islamic ablution washing stations, arguing government airports cannot favor one religion. He referred both airports to the USDOT for investigation and signaled grant revocation if discrimination is found; IAH already has similar facilities, and DFW says the project was accelerated by public interest but ultimately would not deliver operational benefits.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled a student-safety plan proposing a mandatory 10-year prison term for educators who have improper relations with students, plus mandatory sex-offender registration and removal of parole or deferred adjudication until 10 years have been served; current penalties range from 2 to 20 years and do not always require registry. Abbott cites about 1,600 allegations in 2025 and a Lubbock case to push lawmakers, who will reconvene in January 2027, to strengthen laws and improve reporting, with resources like the RAINN hotline for survivors.
President Trump criticized Texas’ anti-data-centers stance as a 'mistake' while Gov. Abbott paused approvals for data centers connecting to the grid and ordered audits of their power/water use, cooling plans, tax breaks, and ownership to protect grid reliability amid local opposition and a major industry investment.
Governor Greg Abbott ordered audits of all data centers seeking connection to the ERCOT grid, pausing approvals until the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT verify details on tax breaks, electricity, water use, cooling, local impacts, and ownership; with more than 1,800 projects in the interconnection queue (about 90% data centers) the move could slow hyperscale development and heighten calls for transparency and tighter regulation.
Three days after a Houston ICE shooting, Texas Republican leaders largely stayed silent on calls for an independent investigation, even as Democrats pressed DHS and ICE for evidence; witnesses dispute ICE’s claim that the driver weaponized his van to ram officers, noting no front/behind officers and saying Salgado Araujo was not the target. Rep. Sylvia Garcia said ICE told her Salgado Araujo wasn’t the operation’s target, fueling demands for outside scrutiny, while Sen. Ted Cruz publicly backed the federal probe and Gov. Abbott had previously urged recalibrating ICE operations. Some Republicans did not respond to requests for comment as the incident drew renewed scrutiny of immigration enforcement policy.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state’s Health and Human Services Commission to probe Mission Regional Medical Center after it advertised Spanish-language “Birth Packages” near the U.S.–Mexico border, including pricing for natural births and C-sections; the hospital has since removed the billboards and a related website. Abbott said citizenship is not for sale and vowed to pursue potential state-law violations, with referrals to the attorney general or local prosecutors as needed, as lawmakers consider edging birth-tourism restrictions in the wake of ongoing birthright citizenship debates.
State Rep. Nate Schatzline, a Fort Worth Republican and hardline conservative, resigned from the Texas House to become Gov. Greg Abbott’s senior adviser on election policy, leading policy development and legislative strategy on election integrity. The role is expected to shape next-session priorities, including efforts to close primaries and tighten voting rules; Schatzline had been floated as a potential secretary of state, a job Abbott sought to fill.
Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Don Huffines, a former Republican state senator, to be Texas comptroller for the rest of the year after acting head Kelly Hancock resigns; Huffines, who defeated Hancock for the GOP nomination, is running for a full term against Democrat Sarah Eckhardt in November and would oversee taxes, spending audits, contracts and the state’s $1 billion Education Freedom Accounts voucher program.
Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock will resign at the end of July, a year after taking the job appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Hancock oversaw the rollout of Texas Education Freedom Accounts, the state’s $1 billion school-choice program. He lost his bid for a full term to Don Huffines, who will face Democrat Sarah Eckhardt in November. Hancock remains confident the agency will continue to function smoothly and that Huffines will build on the ongoing work.