The Blast - September 12, 2025

38 days until early voting begins
53 days until the November election
57 days until the 2026 primary candidate filing period begins
87 days until the 2026 primary candidate filing deadline

IN TODAY’S BLAST

• Patrick breaks down Abbott’s EO

• Lege to study school bias following Kirk assassination

• Fallout from Kirk shooting reactions

• Luttrell retiring

PATRICK BREAKS DOWN ABBOTT’S EO

After two days of suspenseful silence, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick today produced a four-page statement today tearing Gov. Greg Abbott’s THC executive order section by section.

Patrick began by reiterating that this isn’t a personal fight with Abbott but a disagreement on important policy. The consumable THC will still reach minors despite the intent of Abbott’s order, which is to ban the sale of those products to those under 21.

“The Governor’s executive order, intentionally or not, has sent a signal to the THC industry that they have a state seal of approval on the current THC market,” Patrick said.

The lieutenant governor revealed an apparent disagreement on the finer points of the executive order. A document that was relayed to The Blast from the executive order discussions outlined that Abbott’s order may have prohibited establishments that weren’t 21-plus from selling THC products. Patrick said they had agreed to prohibit smoke shops, convenience stores with gas pumps and corner stores during discussions last week. Furthermore, they discussed limiting the sale to Texas-grown hemp, banning all smokables and delta-8 and delta-10 synthetic products.

“The executive order does none of this,” Patrick said. “Most of the issues in the executive order are left for agencies to look at in the future.”

Although the order does not mention smokable products, it calls for the Department of State Health Services to account for the fact that THCa — the non-psychoactive acid naturally found in hemp plants — turns to delta-9 THC when you add heat.

The two bills Abbott highlighted in his order were never filed in the Senate, Patrick noted. They never got House hearings, either. Those were House Bill 36, the under-21 purchase and entry ban filed by Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, and House Bill 309, the regulatory approach filed by Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park.

Abbott ordered state agencies to research what it would look like to implement HB 309.

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LEGE TO STUDY SCHOOL BIAS FOLLOWING KIRK ASSASSINATION

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows each created a Select Committee on Civil Discourse and Freedom in Higher Education following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Republicans have accused liberals of celebrating and mocking the shooting of Kirk after he was murdered on Wednesday. Those complaints have targeted educators in particular.

The committees will meet jointly to study and issue reports on bias, discourse and freedom of speech on Texas college campuses.

Patrick called Kirk a friend. He said the assassination was an attack on the First Amendment and that the freedom of religion is paramount among the First Amendment’s freedoms.

“Those who cheered his murder are also cheering for the death of America,” Patrick continued. “We cannot tolerate either at our institutions of higher learning.”

Recommendations from the committees’ report will guide future legislative policy, Burrows said.

“The political assassination of Charlie Kirk — and the national reaction it has sparked, including the public celebration of his murder by some in higher education — is appalling and reveals a deeper, systemic problem worth examining,” Burrows said.

According to Quorum Report’s Scott Braddock, Burrows told radio host Chad Hasty this afternoon that he agrees with everything Kirk ever said.

“I agree with all of it.”

The Senate committee will have:

• Chair Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston

• Vice Chair Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola

• César Blanco, D-El Paso

• Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels

• Bob Hall, R-Edgewood

• Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen

• Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham

The House committee will have:

• Chair Terry Wilson, R-Georgetown

• Vice Chair Richard Raymond, D-Laredo

• Brad Buckley, R-Salado, chair of the Public Education Committee

• Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo

• James Frank, R-Wichita Falls

• Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenville

• Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston

FALLOUT FROM KIRK SHOOTING REACTIONS

One video recorded by a student at the University of North Texas showed other students passing a video of the shooting around a classroom.

The student recording the video asked those students to stop cheering the fact that he was shot then proceeded to repeat the false theory that the shooter was transgender. That student was reportedly asked to leave the classroom, sparking outrage from conservatives, including Texas GOP Chair Abraham George.

State Rep. Andy Hopper, R-Decatur, whose district includes UNT, said his office was in contact with UNT President Harrison Keller about the incident. In a statement last night, UNT said it embraces free and civil exchange of ideas and noted that Kirk visited campus last year.

“The recent actions of a few of our community members regarding Mr. Kirk’s death do not represent the values of our community,” UNT said, saying those who violate the law or school code of conduct will be held accountable.

At the primary and secondary school level, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath sent a letter to superintendents today telling them to document inappropriate comments about Kirk, explaining that the TEA would be investigating.

Earlier this week, Texas State University fired an associated history professor, Thomas Alter, after he was accused of inciting violence in a clipped video from a Zoom speech at the online Revolutionary Socialism Conference.

The announcement also follows complaints made about Texas A&M University English lecturer Melissa McCoul, who was fired after video showed a student confronting her about issues related to gender identity. Gov. Greg Abbott had called for her termination, and system Chancellor Glenn Hegar called for an audit.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Hegar and the Board of Regents should decide the future of school President Mark Welsh.

“His ambivalence on the issue and his dismissal of the student’s concerns by immediately taking the side of the professor is unacceptable,” Patrick said, adding that it wasn’t Welsh’s first lapse. “If President Welsh will not or cannot reflect those values, then change needs to happen.”

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LUTTRELL RETIRING

The game of musical chairs continues, particularly in the Houston area, where U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Magnolia, says he won’t run for reelection.

Luttrell, a second-term Republican, says he’ll be stepping back from public office, but not out of the arena. He cited a revelation he had during the July 4th floods.

“Standing in floodwaters alongside my neighbors, I had a moment of clarity,” Luttrell said. “It reminded me that while the work in Washington is important, my family, my community, and my state need me here — closer to home.”

Already, America First Policy Institute executive general counsel Jessica Steinman announced that she’ll run in the district, TX-08. Her past experiences include being regional director for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for nearly three years, multiple roles in the first Trump Department of Justice for another three years and a session as the committee clerk and counsel to the Texas House Elections Committee under Chair Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park.

Cain, of course, is running in nearby TX-09. Under the redraw, both are Trump-leaning districts, with TX-08 covering the Houston area’s western periphery and TX-09 covering the eastern side.

Luttrell joins U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and Chip Roy, R-Austin, as the third Texan saying they don’t plan to return to Congress. Doggett got squeezed into a district with U.S. Rep. Greg Casar by the Trump-ordered redistricting and pressured to step aside by fellow Democrats. Roy is running to succeed Ken Paxton as Texas attorney general.

The shifting of district lines will also force tough questions for U.S. Reps. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, and U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston. Green says he’s not running for reelection yet, but if he did, he’d run in TX-18 now that most of his constituents were drawn out of TX-09.

• TX-SEN: A Texas Public Opinion Research poll shows U.S. Sen. John Cornyn leading Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton 32%-26% in the Republican primary. On the Democratic side, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, neither of whom have declared, leads with 27% and 26% over former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas at 13% and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin at 7%. However, the low sample size has raised some questions. Read the story here.

• TX-SEN cont’d: Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, is in San Antonio this weekend for Stevens High School vs. Holmes High School football game tonight and to help kick off Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio and Guadalupe Valley’s fall build.

• TX-08: Jessica Steinman, a lawyer at America First Policy Institute from Montgomery, announced her campaign to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Magnolia.

• TX-18: A Lake Research Polling survey, conducted from Aug. 20 to 25 and released today by Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, shows Menefee and state Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, tied for first at 22%, with Democrat Amanda Edwards and Republican Carmen Maria Montiel tied at 15%. The poll release comes a day after Jones put out her own internal poll, conducted by Blueprint Polling this week, that shows her leading with 25% to Montiel’s 19%. Menefee and Edwards follow at 14% and 10%.

• SBOE-6: Conroe ISD trustee Tiffany Nelson launched a primary campaign against Republican Will Hickman, who she accused of voting to diminish the American Revolution in classrooms and injecting “DEI and gender ideology” into the curriculum. She called that a betrayal to conservatives. She launched with support from several conservative members of the Texas House and fellow Conroe ISD trustees.

• HD-9: Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC endorsed former Angelina County commissioner Rocky Thigpen to succeed state Rep. Trent Ashby, who is running to succeed state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville.

• HD-94: Republican Mike Ingraham of Bedford joined the race to succeed state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, who is running for Tarrant County commissioner.

• HD-126: Kelly Peterson, state director for retiring state Rep. Sam Harless, R-Spring, announced her bid to succeed him, with his endorsement.

• HD-129: TLRPAC endorsed Scott Bowen in the race to succeed state Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Houston. Paul is running for the seat being vacated by state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, to run for attorney general.

The Rio Grande Valley region has helped power Texas’ economic growth in recent years. But the current political climate, drought and an uncertain global economy present new challenges.

On Sept. 24, Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Matthew Watkins will talk with local business leaders from Edinburg and McAllen about the outlook for the region and how to prepare the Valley for continued economic success.

Speakers include: 

• Bob Anderson, vice president for supply chain and operations, Alps Alpine North America

• Julia Coronado, president and founder, MacroPolicy Perspectives LLC; member, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Academic Advisory Council

• Ramiro Garza Jr., mayor of Edinburg

• Nick Rhodes, president and CEO of Rhodes Enterprises

Doors open at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance at 11:30 a.m. and the one-hour conversation begins at noon. The Tribune will provide lunch and coffee.

RSVP today

We’ll also be in Brownsville on Sept. 25 to talk with business, education and political leaders about how to prepare the region’s young people for the homegrown jobs of the future. Learn more and RSVP.

• Politico reported in its Morning Score newsletter that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s personal financial disclosure does not list his homes in Florida and Oklahoma. Paxton provided Politico with documents showing that the homes were transferred to a blind trust. However, county records do not show the transaction, according to Politico.

• Following conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, the Austin Republican who is running to succeed Paxton, led several Republicans, including Keith Self of McKinney and Brandon Gill of Flower Mound in a letter to House leadership calling for a select committee to follow the money and influence behind the “radical left’s assault on America.”

• U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, will join ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox will also be on the show.

Do you or someone in your office have a new job you’d like mentioned? Email us.

• Josh Archote joined the San Antonio Report last month as health reporter. He previously covered local government for the Post and Courier in Columbia, South Carolina.

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“‘Operation Lone Star 2.0’: DPS arresting thousands of undocumented immigrants across Texas to aid Trump’s mass deportation” by Alejandro Serrano of The Texas Tribune

“Texas AG is caught in shocking sex scandal as details of secret affair with married Christian influencer mom-of-seven are exposed” by Maryann Martinez of the Daily Mail (paywalled)

“AT&T searching for office space outside of downtown Dallas” by Nick Wooten of The Dallas Morning News

Do you or someone in your office have a birthday you’d like mentioned? Email us.

(Sept. 12) State Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth
(Sept. 12) State Rep. Marc LaHood, R-San Antonio
(Sept. 13) U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Weatherford
(Sept. 14) State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado
(Sept. 14) Former state Rep. Jacey Jetton, R-Richmond

SPONSOR MESSAGES 

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Disclosure: AT&T, Politico, Texas A&M University and the University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.