Stories that affect all of Texas: the Legislature, the Governor's office, state agencies, and statewide policy.
Where Your Tax Dollars Go: The 2026–27 State Budget
The Texas Legislature finalized a $338.5 billion all-funds budget for the 2026–27 biennium — the largest in state history, up from $332.9 billion originally proposed. Nearly 70% of it goes to two categories: public education and health and human services. Here's the full breakdown by budget article, per the Legislative Budget Board's final funding tables.
| Budget Article | Amount | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| III — Agencies of Education | $134.7B | 39.8% | |
| II — Health & Human Services | $105.7B | 31.3% | |
| VII — Business & Economic Development | $48.5B | 14.3% | |
| V — Public Safety & Criminal Justice | $19.8B | 5.9% | |
| I — General Government | $11.9B | 3.5% | |
| VI — Natural Resources | $8.1B | 2.4% | |
| VIII — Regulatory | $6.7B | 2.0% | |
| IV — Judiciary | $1.2B | 0.4% | |
| IX — General Provisions | $0.9B | 0.3% | |
| X — The Legislature | $0.5B | 0.2% | |
| Total, All Funds | $338.5B | 100% |
Inside the two biggest lines: Education's $134.7B includes $75.6B for the Foundation School Program (the main PK-12 funding formula) plus $9.1B in contingent items. Health & Human Services' $105.7B includes $82.3B for Medicaid, with the state share growing as federal matching funds decline. Article VII also covers highway construction alongside business subsidies, and roughly $6.5B statewide is earmarked for border security. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice budget grows to $9.8B, driven by correctional officer pay raises and reopened units.
Lawmakers Study Election Tech, Early-Voting Rollout in Interim Hearings
The House Elections Committee spent the first week of August reviewing new voting technology and how the state is implementing SB 2753's early- and Election Day-voting integration.
Abbott Orders Statewide Audit of Data Centers' Power, Water Use
The governor directed ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission to audit every data center in the state's interconnection pipeline; QTS Data Centers is the first operator to commit to the new standards.
State Extends SNAP Replacement-Benefit Deadline After July Flooding
Texas Health and Human Services won federal approval to give flood-affected households more time to apply for replacement benefits after food was lost or destroyed in July's flooding.
School Voucher Applications Triple Capacity of New State Program
More than 274,000 families applied for Texas's new Education Freedom Accounts before the program's first deadline — nearly three times its 90,000-student first-year capacity — triggering a tiered, income-based prioritization system.
Abbott Appoints Fossett to Lubbock's 137th District Court
Former Assistant District Attorney Laura Beth Fossett takes the bench today, filling the Lubbock County district court seat by gubernatorial appointment.