Texas school choice plan, education funding approved: TWITP

AUSTIN, Texas - In "This Week in Texas Politics," the big story was the passage of Gov. Abbott's school choice plan and education funding legislation.

FOX 7 Austin's chief political reporter Rudy Koski and our panel of analysts discussed that and other hot topics this week.

The full discussion by the panel is on the FOX 7 YouTube page. That discussion includes the upcoming 2026 political primaries.

What they're saying:

RUDY KOSKI: "This Week in Texas Politics closed out with a lot of fireworks underneath the Capitol dome. Let's get the headlines from our panel and we'll begin first with Harvey Kronberg from the Quorum Report. Harvey, what's your headline for the week?" 

HARVEY KRONBERG: "Intimidation works." 

RUDY KOSKI: "Brad Johnson with The Texan News. What's your headline?" 

BRAD JOHNSON: "Abbott's long-awaited win finally realized." 

RUDY KOSKI: "And business analyst, Annie Spilman. What's your headline for the week?" 

ANNIE SPILMAN: "Property tax relief measures progress through the legislature." 

School choice plan and education funding approved

RUDY KOSKI: "The big news of the week, of course, being that on Thursday, Team Abbott getting the win with his school choice plan finally clearing the Texas House. Harvey, you know the fix was in long before this session even began. Do you think that the Democrats just missed an opportunity by digging in?" 

HARVEY KRONBERG: "I think once the President weighed in, whatever Republican support they had evaporated, the only question for the Speaker was how to navigate a way to let them at least get their votes on record. But there was no room left for negotiation." 

RUDY KOSKI: "The other big vote of the week was HB 2, the education funding plan passing with little opposition. Public education supporters say the amount is good, but not good enough to keep pace with inflation. Brad, Robin Hood is still alive. You know, what reforms caught your eye that you think really may make a difference? 

BRAD JOHNSON: "The one that caught my eye, whether anything else though, is we may have talked about this before, but the classroom discipline bill." 

ANNIE SPILMAN: "From a business perspective, I think many don't realize that this legislation also addressed workforce development." 

Bullet train funding pulled

RUDY KOSKI: "Next topic. The Trump administration pulled a big grant that was to help build the Houston to Dallas bullet train. Those against the project celebrated that move, but Thursday, the new owners of Texas Central told the House Transportation Committee, the project is still alive. Brad, this fight has always been about somewhat of a property rights fight, right?" 

BRAD JOHNSON: "I think it's, there's two sides of it. There's the property rights and then there's just paying for the dang thing. You know, it's so expensive. That's why they needed federal funding. And you look all across the country and massive transit plans like this are running into problems because they're so expensive, it's just difficult to do." 

RUDY KOSKI: "Annie, why do Republicans hate trains?" 

ANNIE SPILMAN: "You know, Texas and land and eminent domain and people coming to take their land and you've got especially in rural areas, that's a line in the sand." 

HARVEY KRONBERG: "Rural representation was always able to block any kind of high-speed rail, but their numbers are dwindling, and a lot of these rural districts are turning suburban. And so, I think the writing is ultimately on the wall, but the funding is going to be the critical thing." 

Texas film incentives bill update

RUDY KOSKI: "Lights, camera, action. The Senate this week sent to the House a $500 million bill to help attract film and TV productions to Texas. Annie, you were at the committee hearing in the Senate a couple of weeks ago when Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson testified. But some so-called conservatives are against it. What's your read on SB 22's fate next week in the House hearing?" 

ANNIE SPILMAN: "Listen, this helps support small businesses and local communities like our local florists, restaurants, caterers, print shops, and so on. So, I think anyone that would oppose this seems to have sort of a microscopic view on this and not really looking at ultimately the trickle-down effect on what this could do for Texas communities. 

Latest legislative updates

RUDY KOSKI: "An ugly floor fight broke out at the State House Thursday before the school reform votes took place and involved a memorial resolution for the late Cecile Richards, who once led Planned Parenthood. That abortion debate really wasn't on my bingo card, but there are some pending bills, action in committee on some abortion issues. Brad, does Thursday floor fight kind of foreshadow some problems with those bills?" 

BRAD JOHNSON: "I think it shows two things. First of all, it's a retribution for a couple of things that happened on budget night, or back on the rules. But then I think there is actually a coordinated opposition to the Speaker on certain things." 

ANNIE SPILMAN: "This sets a really bad precedent. You know, these Memorial Bills are sacred resolutions that memorialize lives. They are really things that were untouchable as far as partisan issues." 

HARVEY KRONBERG: "We've essentially got two weeks left for Bills to be set and heard in committee and we're approaching a choke point here right now and we just went to DEF CON 3, if not DEFCON 4."

RUDY KOSKI: "Think that this was the fight of the session there, Brad, and that everything else is going to be kind of maybe smooth sailing?" 

BRAD JOHNSON: "No, I don't think so, but I will say this this does provide an interesting test of the Speaker's metal."

Texas attorney general race

RUDY KOSKI: In the battle for Senator John Cornyn’s U.S. Senate seat, on Friday Ken Paxton posted on social media a list of people endorsing him. That list includes Austin defense attorney Adam Loewy. While Loewy’s name is eye-catching, state Senator Joan Huffman’s name also came up Friday. She may become a possible contender to replace Paxton as Attorney General.

BRAD JOHNSON: "I think the most interesting thing to me is the attorney general's race. That is going to be fascinating to watch. Mays Middleton obviously jumped in, announced with $10 million of his own commitment. John Bash is already in."

HARVEY KRONBERG: "I can toss in a name that just surfaced the last couple of days for attorney general. That's Joan Huffman. She is Senate Finance chair, and it would be a free ride for her. 

BRAD JOHNSON: "Harvey, I just talked to her on the phone this morning, and she said she was seriously considering it." 

ANNIE SPILMAN: "Some other ones that I've heard that might drop; George P. Bush. Eva Guzman. Brandon Creighton, his name has been thrown out there. Chip Roy and one that you kind of are hearing up and down, Mitch Little. He is a new state Rep and he was involved in the Paxton and impeachment trial (on the Defense Team)."

RUDY KOSKI: "Brad, I think last week you had mentioned that this is going to be possibly a reshuffling period for the Republicans here in Texas. You still thinking that?" 

BRAD JOHNSON: "Well, yeah, I mean, there's been pent-up energy for three cycles for three terms at the statewide level because nobody's left. Well, now some people are leaving. Paxton running for Senate. (former Texas Comptroller) Hager going to A&M." 

ANNIE SPILMAN: "You know, I think right now, the minute you start hearing rumors about statewide and then who might throw their name in the hat there, you start seeing movement in the state Senate, and then there's rumors about who from the House is in that Senate district and who's going to move up there."

HARVEY KRONBERG: "The candidate most people want to see is Brian Harrison, decide to run for Congress and leave the House of Representatives. That would have near universal support. "

This Week in Texas Politics wrap-up

RUDY KOSKI: "Let's wrap things up with one final word. Can you believe it? One final word for this week. All right, guys, let's try it. Harvey, what's your one word?" 

HARVEY KRONBERG: "I'm going to go back to tariffs." 

ANNIE SPILMAN: "Reflective." 

BRAD JOHNSON: "Abbott." 

RUDY KOSKI: "And with that, we're wrapping up another Week in Texas Politics."

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