AUSTIN, TEXAS — As Texas House members prepare to cast votes on the largest budget in Texas history, Republicans are once again showing their total detachment from the real needs of Texans. With a staggering $337,401,548,040 in planned expenditures, Texas clearly has the means to make transformative investments. Yet, instead of tackling crises in our schools, healthcare system, or power grid, GOP amendments prioritize extremist crusades, political payouts, and bureaucratic nonsense, directly contradicting their self-proclaimed fiscal conservatism.
Hundreds of Republican amendments reveal the GOP’s true priorities — not taxpayers, just their extreme agenda:
Rewarding Political Cronies:
Rep. Little, once Ken Paxton’s impeachment attorney,** **decided he hasn’t spent enough time in Paxton’s corner — he would give Texas’ impeached, indicted, corrupt AG’s team 10 new staffers, a 6% across-the-board raise, and even give Paxton over $60,000 in back-pay for his lost salary during impeachment. (E890208, E890270, E890226)
Rep. Spiller proposes an enormous vendor giveaway, transferring tens of millions from Texas’ state-run prison system to private prisons that have been found to be ineffective, less rehabilitative, and dramatically understaffed. (E890046)
Obsessing Over Culture Wars:
Republican lawmakers would rather target vulnerable populations than address real Texan needs, with Reps. Money, Guillen, and Holt requiring the Texas Almanac to publish counts of "unlawfully present" individuals, border crossing statistics, and would make the state create PSAs warning about federal immigration laws before entering Texas. (E890382, E890126, E890382)
Republican Rep. Money demands state-funded anti-abortion messaging across multiple agencies, forcing the Facilities Commission to install a "Memorial Plaque for Unborn Texans" at the Capitol while requiring the Almanac to include information about "unborn children" and banning abortion-related information on college campuses — no word on how Texas medical schools should teach about lifesaving procedures. (E890108, E890188, E890106)
Religious freedom apparently only applies to Christianity in Texas, according to Rep. Money, who would require the state to promote only one faith. Money's amendment would force the Historical Commission to provide information on "Christian heritage" in the Almanac while only including Christian and "patriotic" holidays (E890199), completely ignoring Texas' religious diversity.
Rep. Harrison filed nearly identical measures across multiple state agencies to erase transgender Texans and diversity, prohibiting the recognition of more than two biological sexes and banning DEI funding in government, natural resources, and business agencies. (E890245, E890247, E890249, E890253, and more)
Undermining Public Health and Safety:
Rep. Lowe wants to eliminate $175 million in critical vaccination funding, cutting programs that protect vulnerable Texans and prevent costly disease outbreaks across the state. (E890210)
Rep. Oliverson would undermine public health by diverting $40 million from Medicaid services to the anti-abortion “Thriving Texas Families” program, which has been proven to be “riddled with waste” while failing to provide actual healthcare to Texans in need. (E890004)
A xenophobic rider from Rep. Olcott would force hospitals to track and report care provided to non-citizens, creating administrative burdens for healthcare providers and potentially discouraging vulnerable populations from seeking medical treatment. (E890058)
Republican Rep. Cain’s anti-science budget amendment would block Texas’ health agency from administering COVID-19 vaccines without explicit permission from the Governor and Legislative Budget Board, directly interfering with public health officials’ ability to respond to threats. (E890068)
Gutting Essential Services:
Rep. Cain would divert a staggering $11.1 billion from essential state services to fund property tax relief, taking money proportionately from every general revenue-funded program in Texas without regard for critical needs in healthcare, education, and public safety (E890083). Similarly, Rep. **Harrison **would slash state agency budgets by 15% across the board, prioritizing tax cuts for property owners over essential government functions (E890251).
Rep. Harrison would strip TxDOT of its central administration budget to fund property tax compression, continuing a pattern where Texas legislators prioritize tax cuts over maintaining essential government services. (E890261)
"Republicans are showing their hand: they'd rather play political games, reward corrupt politicians like Ken Paxton, and attack our freedoms than pass a responsible budget that meets the needs of regular Texans," said House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu. "Their amendments are a parade of bad ideas: billions in cuts to schools and healthcare, wasteful spending on culture war distractions, and handouts to political allies. Texas House Democrats will fight their absurdity and stand up for a budget that actually works for Texans."