Daily Briefing: Thursday, October 29, 2026

Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate state emergency response resources ahead of heavy rain and possible flash flooding in West and South-Central Texas, his office announced Wednesday. The National Weather Service expects the worst rainfall Thursday across parts of the Permian Basin, Big Bend, the South Plains, the Big Country, the Hill Country and the border region, driven by the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Vance and Gulf moisture.

Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development has asked a Travis County court to order Grimes County to release records tied to commissioners’ June 3 approval of the tax abatement for SpaceX’s Terafab plant, and it is also seeking to join SpaceX’s own lawsuit to keep some of those records private, KBTX reported. The group says it submitted the petition October 27 in the 126th District Court. The attorney general ruled July 28 that the county must release most of the requested records.

The Potter County Republican Party has asked a federal judge in Amarillo to order a hand count of every Texas ballot before the November 3 results can be certified, the Texas Tribune reported. The suit argues voting machines could be open to outside manipulation and says it is not alleging that any past Potter County or statewide result was altered. Texas law already requires a partial hand count of paper ballots to check machine totals.

Comptroller Don Huffines’s proposed rule ending the state sales tax on electronic health record systems, patient portals and other medical records technology will be published in the Texas Register on Friday, October 30, followed by a 30-day public comment period, his office announced. The change amends Rule 3.342 on the taxation of information services.

Abbott announced $40 million for 411 Texas school systems through the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnerships (PREP) Program Allotment, which pays for preparing and mentoring new teachers, according to his office. The Legislature created the allotment in House Bill 2 in 2025.

The Federal Reserve held its benchmark federal funds rate at 3.75% to 4% on Wednesday, according to its policy statement, which said inflation “remains elevated.” Governors Lisa Cook and Beth Hammack voted against the decision because they wanted a quarter-point increase.

The president of the United Conservative Party (UCP), Alberta’s governing party, told members there will be no leadership review of Premier Danielle Smith before the next provincial election, after 65 of Alberta’s 87 constituency associations passed motions backing her, CBC News reported. At least five riding boards had asked for a review following the October 19 referendum, in which Albertans voted to stay in Canada. Calgary voted against every referendum question except proof of citizenship to vote, and Edmonton voted against all of them, CBC News reported Thursday.