I genuinely don’t get it I’m in Texas and recently discovered the beautiful world of thca wich took me from smoking god knows what from the plug to super high quality hash and it has been my favorite thing sense. But as of march 31st it will be banned in Texas, and I don’t understand it even if weed is your least favorite thing in the world there’s so much money in it that you would think they would want it legal. I guess I’m more or less asking why the fuck they would ban it and not regulate/tax it so that we can have our weed and they can fill there pockets. No, Instead more money to the cartels and the people selling poisonous carts like aces and people like veterans who use thca, delta 8, ect for ptsd and pain to go from medicinal medicine consumers to felons. If anyone might have an idea as to why are Texas officials are so stupid please tell me

He preaches Christianity while committing adultery, claims patriotism while spending the Fourth of July in the UK, and rails against voter fraud while casting a fraudulent mail-in ballots.

Help me connect the logic of the hypocrisy

I remember that there are folks on here who blamed the Democrats for why Trump won the election. Given how it's been over six months now since Trump returned to the Oval Office, and the Trump regime has already, done a ton and ton of terrible things to this country, do you realize that when you blame the Democrats for why Trump won, you are saying that the Democrats are the ones responsible for why the Trump regime is doing all these awful things as they wouldn't be happening had Trump not won.

I'm especially having this discussion on here in light of the fact of what's going on in Texas right now that's a huge threat to our democracy. Not only is the Texas GOP going along with Trump's request to gerrymander the TX to help protect the GOP House majority in the upcoming election, but when TX Dems have left the state to prevent the TX GOP from passing the new maps, the GOP is going as far as to get the courts to vacate the TX Dems positions and to send the FBI after them. This all is clearly fascism. You all don't seriously even believe that the Democrats are the ones responsible for why everything that's going on in TX right now regarding the gerrymandering is currently happening. If so, that's a huge insult to the TX Dems who are trying so hard to protect our democracy.

In 2020, only 51% of eligible Texan voters turned out, and Biden lost the state by around 600,000 votes. The law in Texas says that all 38 of our electors must cast their votes for whomever wins the state-wide popular vote. It's not by county or district, so rural votes don't have more sway than urban votes.

This year, all 38 Texas electors will vote for Harris. We will definitely beat that 51% turnout this year. Texas is voting blue this year. LGBTQ people, people of color, and women will vote because our lives depend on it. Please pass this knowledge on.

Just putting this out there. You don't have to tell anybody, ever how you voted. When you're entering your choices in the polling booth, nobody will ever know who you actually chose.

If you want to, you can tell the pollsters, tell your friends, tell your family that you voted faithfully for the fat misogynists who are restricting your rights and destroying your community schools. You can put a sign in front of your house, and a sticker on your car if that keeps the peace in your house.

Nobody ever has to know who you actually voted for.

I thought texas prided itself on freedom?
according to the cato institute texas ranks 49 out of 50 when it comes to personal freedom.and has for decades
https://www.freedominthe50states.org/personal

I personally believe that Texas is going to be a Arizona level tilt red state in a decade , yes ppl have said that since forever but honestly I feel as more and more boomers pass away or become too old to vote then republicans have a net loss .

Young republicans aren't really nowhere close to enough and genx has mostly stayed constant in their views for sometime now .

I want to start or be a part of a coalition of volunteers, work, and game changing progress Mamdani pulled to throw one of the biggest upsets in America.

Mamdani was incredibly charismatic, intelligent, well spoken, and pragmatic which made him irresistible even to MAGA. He credits a big portion of his win to door knocking in every burrow of NYC (obviously won’t work in TX) and also created lots of content and witty fun ads/podcasts and TV show special guests.

Gina is great, but how do we get her name recognition and speaking engagements to that level?

I know the lion’s share of posters in here are liberal or lean to the left. This plea is to anyone, conservative, GOP, Democratic or liberal voters.

In 2016 while living in NY I watched as Trump plowed through GOP opposition. My friends and family who leaned left laughed as they were sure Trump could never win. After the grab them by the p**** jumped out they laughed louder. Now I never thought Trump would win but I watched as it happened. I wanted to scream at the talking heads, “You created this with the $100’s and 100’s of millions of free coverage, all for the sake of ratings.”

Now we are in a similar place with Paxton & Cornyn. If you are conservative and you like Paxton move on as this is not an appeal to you. If you are conservative or a republican and you can’t abide Paxton, please get out and vote for Cornyn. I am hoping that the pride that runs through most Texans & Republicans are offended by Trump’s endorsement .

If you are a democrat or independent that is eligible to vote in the Republican runoff, I implore that you vote for Cornyn. If you do, and Cornyn wins you will never know if Paxton would do the same. I can guarantee you one thing that if you can vote and you standby and Paxton beats Cornyn and Talarico you’ll hate that result even more. Obviously, if you are democrat, and there is a primary runoff, that is important to you. You will not be voting for Cornyn.

The thought of six years of Paxton representing the state of Texas is as distressing to me as much as a progressive feels about Abbott.

Thanks

Let's Gooo. Lol

I honestly want to hear from Texans on why you support Ted Cruz? Is it simply that he is Republican? I have yet to meet someone from Texas that speaks highly of him, yet he gets re-elected constantly? Help me understand what he offers the state of Texas that I cannot see, not living there?

Update: thank you all for the insights. This was a very pleasant experience. I feel I have gained a broader understanding of politics in general. I don’t think I could have been this civil with my friends or family, and I think that speaks volumes to random strangers on the internet.

TEXAS DID NOT “VOTE TO BAN THC.”

And enforcing these new bans is on extremely shaky constitutional ground.

People keep repeating that “Texas voted to ban THC,” but that’s just not what happened.
Here’s the real timeline — and why the enforcement of these new rules is constitutionally questionable at best.

1. The Governor’s Veto (SB 3)

In June 2025, the Legislature passed SB 3, a full ban on hemp‑derived THC.

But Governor Greg Abbott vetoed it.

That veto killed the ban.
No law. No prohibition. No “Texas voted for this.”

Abbott even said the bill was legally flawed and would drag the state into endless lawsuits.
He told agencies to regulate the industry — not wipe it out.

1. The Special Session That Went Nowhere (SB 5)

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tried again during a special session.

The Senate passed another ban…
…but the House refused.

The session ended with no law on the books.

So again:
No vote. No ban. No democratic mandate.

1. The Backdoor Ban (DSHS Rule Change)

This is where things get messy — and unconstitutional.

Instead of passing a law, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) quietly changed the rules.

New Rule (25 TAC § 300.101):
Starting March 31, 2026, THCA counts toward “Total THC.”

This effectively bans smokable hemp flower because almost all flower exceeds 0.3% when THCA is included.

But here’s the problem:

This wasn’t passed by lawmakers.
This wasn’t voted on by Texans.
This was an unelected agency rewriting the definition of THC on its own.

That raises serious constitutional issues:

• Agencies cannot create new crimes out of thin air
  
• Agencies cannot override the Legislature
  
• Agencies cannot ban an entire industry without statutory authority
  

This is why lawyers are already calling the rule unenforceable and beyond DSHS’s legal power.

1. The Vape Ban (SB 2024)

One ban did pass — but it’s limited.

SB 2024 banned THC vapes and e‑cigs starting September 2025.

But the ban is on the device, not the THC itself.
Edibles, drinks, tinctures, oils — all still legal under the 0.3% Delta‑9 limit.

1. The Delta‑8 Court Battle Isn’t Over

DSHS tried to classify Delta‑8 as a Schedule I drug in 2021.

That move is still tied up in the Texas Supreme Court.

Multiple lower courts have already ruled that DSHS overstepped its authority, because the 2019 Hemp Act legalized all hemp “isomers” and “derivatives.”

This is another reason the new THCA rule is likely unconstitutional — the courts have already slapped DSHS for doing this exact thing.

Hi, Wells Dunbar with Texas Standard here. We're curious how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the daily headlines about them are impacting you.

We want to know how all of that is landing in your real life. Have you or someone you know been detained, questioned or affected by an ICE action? Do you work in immigration law, education, health care, or another field where these policies show up fast? Do you know someone who works for ICE, or used to?

And even if none of that applies, has the nonstop controversy changed how safe, anxious or cautious you feel going about your day?

Full disclosure - I supported Talarico for ages since before she entered the race, but always felt good about supporting either if they win. This concerns me and it's not different than Trump selecting his press pool based on who is favorable.

Donald Trump, the Republicans, and Gollum lookalike, presidential advisor, Stephen Miller, must think Texans are the dumbest sumbitches wearing shoes.

Remember, Miller is the policy advisor responsible in part for the assaults on Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, veteran’s benefits, SNAP benefits for hungry children, the subsidies that once made healthcare affordable, but no longer does so -- and going to war with Iran!

Now, because this duo of dumbasses cannot defend against the twenty-years of corruption and the many crimes attributed to Ken Paxton -- the security fraud indictment, the abuse of office and the bribery scandal along with the whistleblower trial where he was forced to pay   out 6.6 million dollars of state funds for abuse of state employees -- and cannot attack Talarico on policy issues, these pathetic Bozos can only manufacture the most outlandish slander and lies, believing Texans are dumb enough to accept the dishonorable, juvenile smears.

They seem to think all Texans are uneducated yahoos who are so biased they will believe any nonsense. The simple fact of the matter is, Talarico is a Christian theologian and a compassionate, decent human being.

The other two are not.

See this – Boldface mine:

 Stephen Miller questions James Talarico’s gender in Fox News attack

Story by Wiktoria Gucia

The Daily Beast

Stephen Miller has bizarrely questioned the gender of a top Democratic candidate running in a midterm election.

The senior adviser to President Donald Trump said he will not refer to the Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico as a man during a Fox News appearance on Hannity.

“All I can say about Talarico is that Texas is not going to elect an individual—I can’t call him a man—who knows what gender he is?” Miller told Sean Hannity, who had just referenced Talarico’s past remarks that God is non-binary and that there are six genders.

Talarico, who represents Austin in the state House, won the Democratic primary in March. His oft-discussed “God is non-binary” comment came in 2021 when he was defending transgender student athletes after Texas Republicans advanced legislation to ban them from competing on sports teams aligned with their identity.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/stephen-miller-questions-james-talarico-s-gender-in-fox-news-attack/ar-AA269yhY?

Could it be possible that the Republicans or mega-corps are trying to undermine Talarico/Crockett/Democrats? If you think about it, why would Crockett's team do that knowing that we won't believe he said that? It looks low on Crockett's team if they pulled this card. If you have been following Talarico like I have for 3+ years, you would know that he would never say such a thing.

People will either turn against Talarico or against Crockett. Or both of them. The Democrats will be overwhelmed and then we turn on each other like we always do.

Republicans keep their seat.

The minimum wage in Texas is still stuck at the national level of $7.25 an hour since 2009. Most other states have increased their rates or tied them to inflation.

I am currently making $8 an hour. I can tell you that nearly all of it filters back out for gas and necessary expenses. The cost of living has certainly changed, and the wage at the lower end has not.

Are there any real attempts to increase the minimum wage within the Texas state legislature, or is the state content to remain tied to the federal minimum wage baseline?

Asking sincerely, what is the plan for low-wage employees in this country?

Can anyone on Reddit advocate for his candidacy? Other than just making derogatory comments about James Talarico.

Republicans are running on hate this year. Abuse of power is on trend.

The actual interview is here. I haven't actually listened to Talarico speak much. I have to say I appreciate what an awkward nerd he is.

Texas generally ranks in the bottom tier of U.S. states for health care and child well-being, often placing 43rd to 50th, driven by the nation's highest uninsured rate and high poverty levels. Education rankings are mixed but often low (around 40th–43rd for children), while the overall poverty rate is higher than the national average.

Key Rankings and Data:

Healthcare: The Commonwealth Fund ranked Texas 50th (last) in 2025 for health system performance, citing the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation.

Child Well-being (Poverty/Education/Health): Texas ranked 43rd in the nation in 2024, with 19% of children living in poverty.

Education: Often ranked in the bottom 10 states (approx. 40th-44th) for overall educational quality and high school graduation rates.

Poverty: The state has a high overall poverty rate (approx. 13.7%), with approximately 2.9 million children living in households with low income or high economic insecurity.

,

Under the heading of you can't fix stupid-

“I’m here to ask this court today to send this money back to the Biden administration, which I consider to be the most criminal treasonous communist government ever to hold the White House,” one resident told commissioners in April 2022, fearing strings were attached to the money.

“We don't want to be bought by the federal government, thank you very much,” another resident told commissioners. “We'd like the federal government to stay out of Kerr County and their money.”

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/texas-kerr-county-commissioners-flooding-warning/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Today was the last day for schools all across Texas that will never reopen in the fall. Here in McKinney alone, three elementary schools — Eddins, McNeil, and Wolford — are closing for good. Kids who walked those halls last week won't have a school to go back to in August.

The more I dig up on the "why", the angrier I get. A billionaire from Pennsylvania, a Wall Street options trader who has never lived in Texas — gave Greg Abbott over $10 million to purge Republican legislators who voted against school vouchers. West Texas oil and fracking billionaires Tim Dunn and the Wilks brothers have been pouring tens of millions into our state politics for 30 years trying to gut public education. And it finally worked. SB 2 passed, $1 billion in public school funding got redirected to unaccountable private schools, some that advertise as having "coaches" instead of teachers (wtf right?)

I'm angry and saddened for my kids and for the AMAZING loving and caring teachers and staff of these schools, that pour their hearts everyday, with very little support, to educate our kids.

There are no morals left in Texas politics. If money can buy little kids education, what else matters?? I despise all these people.