Texas is opening the new year with a mix of political maneuvering, economic expansion, and shifting weather that listeners will want to watch closely. The Texas Tribune reports that the 2026 election cycle is taking shape, with both parties fielding crowded primary ballots for top statewide offices, including a lieutenant governor’s race in which Republican Dan Patrick seeks a fourth term while multiple Democratic and Republican challengers test voter appetite for change. [The Texas Tribune] also notes that big questions for this year include Governor Greg Abbott’s continued influence in GOP primaries and whether Democrats can finally break the Republican hold on statewide offices.
On the policy front, the Texas Legislative Budget Board’s latest Fiscal Size-Up shows the 2026–27 state budget has climbed to about 338.5 billion dollars in all funds, the largest in Texas history, with roughly 70 percent of spending concentrated in education and health and human services. Texas Policy Research highlights that this continues a long-term trend of state spending rising faster than population and inflation, locking in higher baselines for future legislatures. According to Emerge and Rise, Texas is also rolling out a wave of new business regulations touching cybersecurity, infrastructure, and care providers, while a separate law change detailed by the Texas Real Estate Commission will soon require written agreements for buyer and tenant representation in residential real estate, reshaping everyday property transactions.
In South Texas, KRGV reports that new laws taking effect in 2026 include a 125,000 dollar business tax exemption designed to ease burdens on smaller firms, as well as the state’s first artificial intelligence law and tougher rules linking local jails with federal immigration enforcement, changes that will be felt strongly along the Rio Grande Valley.
The broader economy continues to run hot. MySanAntonio notes that Samsung is preparing to fully open its 17 billion dollar chip plant near Austin in 2026, cementing Central Texas as a semiconductor hub and promising thousands of high-wage jobs. A construction analysis by Oscar Recruit says Texas is in a full-on building boom, with rapid growth in data centers, industrial plants, and transportation projects as the state races to keep up with population gains and corporate relocations.
Community news is shaped in part by the weather. Fox 26 Houston and the Lower Colorado River Authority report that Texas just swung from near-80-degree days to a sharp cold front, bringing winter storm warnings and accumulating snow to the Panhandle while dropping temperatures by 20 degrees or more across Houston and Central Texas. North Texas outlets, including NBC5 and FOX 4 Weather, describe a rollercoaster week of warm, windy conditions followed by a hard turn toward more seasonable 30s and 50s, along with a marginal risk of severe storms and an elevated fire danger ahead of the front.
Looking ahead, The Texas Tribune points to the March primaries as a key test for both parties, while Texas business groups are focused on how record spending, new regulations, and large-scale industrial projects will reshape jobs, infrastructure, and classrooms over the next two years. Meteorologists at Fox 26 warn that an additional push of Arctic air could arrive by mid-January, raising the prospect of another round of disruptive winter weather.
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