Texas politics: Weekly legislative round-up

Greg Abbott backs Trump’s tariffs, vouchers move through the Senate, and measles makes a comeback thanks to anti-vaxxers. Here’s everything you missed in Texas politics this week—and what to watch for

Well, we made it through the year that was January.

There’s a constant firehose of news that feels impossible to keep up with, and that’s by design. Trump and Republicans are flooding the zone with chaos, bad policy, and outright cruelty, hoping we get overwhelmed and tune out. Taking breaks is essential and I hope you've taken time this weekend to do so and find joy. Remember, rest is an act of resistance, too.

My commitment to you remains the same: I’ll deliver the news you need—no fluff, no rage bait, but full of the necessary snark to get us through it.

Here’s what you may have missed while just trying to survive this week: Governor Greg Abbott signaled support for Trump’s tariffs and challenged Canada (who is buying the groceries at the Governor’s Mansion?), the voucher scam is pushing through the legislature, and thanks to MAHA anti-vaxxers, measles is back. Oh, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick released his priorities for the Senate, an unsurprising, far-right wish list. Greg Abbott will release his priorities in tonight’s State of the State address. Let’s get into it all.

Abbott is cheering on Trump’s tariffs that could devastate Texas’ economy

Yesterday, Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on the United States in response to Trump’s tariffs, (25% on Mexico and Canada, 10% on Mexico). While other prominent Republicans took to social media to ring the alarm on how much this will hurt Texans, Greg Abbott took to X to escalate the trade war saying, “Careful Trudeau. The Texas economy is larger than Canada’s. And we’re not afraid to use it.” But it’s Texans, not Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau who are about to feel the squeeze.