Daily Briefing: Thursday, November 12, 2026

Members of the Texas Senate have filed a bill to bar the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority from paying for roadside automated license plate readers, one of four bills filed this week to ban or limit Flock cameras, The Texas Tribune reported. The Tribune found in August that the authority spent more than $30 million from a $1 annual auto insurance fee to help install at least 3,200 of the cameras. Separate bills from Rep. John Bucy of Austin, Rep. Mary González of Clint and Rep. Brian Harrison of Midlothian would ban public agencies from using the readers or require a warrant before a search.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday asked the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for a disaster declaration for El Paso County after severe storms and flooding late last month, the governor’s office announced. If approved, the declaration would open low-interest federal disaster loans to eligible homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits. A state disaster declaration remains in effect for the county.

Texas Tech University System regents on Wednesday removed 21 classes from the list of courses that count toward the core curriculum, leaving 151, under a 2025 state law requiring governing boards to review general education requirements, The Texas Tribune reported. Regent Shelley Sweatt said the removed courses stay in the catalog and students may still take them.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has placed the Houston Independent School District on a six-month corrective action plan after partially substantiating nine complaints over its consolidation of special education services, Texas Scorecard reported, citing ABC13. State officials and conservators will review 650 student records, and the district could lose state funding if it does not comply.

Total federal debt managed by the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service rose about $2.5 trillion in fiscal 2026 to $40.2 trillion, more than double the $19.6 trillion of 2016, and interest on debt held by the public reached about $1.1 trillion, nearly triple the 2021 figure, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in its annual audit. The GAO said debt subject to the limit passed $40 trillion on October 1 and is approaching the $41.1 trillion ceiling.

The United Conservative Party (UCP) has asked all 87 of its constituency association presidents to sign a pledge by Friday that reads, in part, “I recognize, respect, and will abide by the majority decision made by Albertans” on the referendum question about staying in Canada, and several riding presidents say they are reluctant or unwilling to sign, CBC News reported.

The Bexar County team of the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) holds its Alamo Memorial March at the Alamo in San Antonio at 6:30 PM Saturday, November 14, according to the TNM calendar. On Tuesday, November 17, at 6 PM, the Caldwell County team meets at Chronic Chaos Cafe in Martindale (event page) and the Tarrant County team meets at Cousin’s BBQ in Fort Worth (event page).