Election season is here again with signs of the upcoming runoff elections popping up everywhere from roadsides to Facebook to our mailboxes. I urge you to engage because your participation is critical, as this year’s races will directly impact our shared county priorities and the next Texas legislative session.
Like most Texas County Judges, I wear many different hats on any given day, handling issues ranging from budgeting and planning to personnel matters and economic development. I recently began wearing another hat again as Chairman of the Legislative Committee for the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas (CJCAT) in preparation for the 2027 legislative session.
Our representation in Austin matters greatly. This is one of those election years with many open state and federal positions when your participation truly counts. For example, when the Texas attorney general spot opened after the incumbent filed to challenge a U.S. senator, the ripple effect included two members of Congress, three state senators, and a state representative running for attorney general or U.S. Senate, leaving seats open and raising the stakes. While this example might be less clear cut than “Candidate Scorecards” you may have seen, I hope it reinforces that our involvement is critical this year.
The 2024 election cycle saw a record number of legislative retirements and new members entering the Texas Legislature. With interim charges recently released and many changes and new faces coming to state government, the 2027 legislative session will truly be pivotal for our state’s future.
There is a great deal at stake, and it is absolutely vital that we County Judges and County Commissioners communicate clearly about issues affecting us. While the Texas Legislature meets in Regular Session for only 140 days every other year, during those sessions legislators regularly file and consider thousands of bills that touch virtually every area of our lives, from the taxes we pay to the water we drink. As part of Texas government, each county’s ability to serve its residents is affected.
Some CJCAT legislative priorities include preserving county decision-making ability and stopping unfunded state mandates. The Texas Legislature frequently passes costly new laws without providing funding, leaving local taxpayers to foot the bill.
A decade ago, I wrote a column for The Texas Tribune highlighting the troubling reality that nearly 50 percent of my own county’s general fund budget was being consumed by unfunded state mandates. At the time, I described it as the state using counties like a “no-limit credit card” in shifting financial responsibility downward onto local taxpayers while consolidating power in Austin. Ten years later, that dilemma still persists.
While I do not view our legislature as an enemy, some in Austin do see county government and its leaders as opponents. In this election year, we should support those who treat counties in their legislative districts like teammates and partners, not scapegoats. We all know from experience that it’s one thing for candidates to promise support, and another to follow through and make tough decisions.
The next legislative session could be perilous for counties and our communities if bad ideas are allowed to become law. While we saw some wins for counties in the 2025 session like rural EMS funding, many important bills did not pass. We also narrowly avoided some very harmful legislation in the final hours of the last session such as the fireworks bill. In the upcoming legislative session, we cannot rely on luck or the clock. We must put in the work. This means staying in contact with legislators and being present at the Capitol to back the home team. Bad bills like those that would reduce county decision-making capabilities, upend our ability to speak with one voice through our county associations, or further limit our say on data centers or water rights will almost certainly be back. This time, they will likely have even stronger support.
Few current legislators have experience serving in county government. We lost one more in March with Rep. Stan Kitzman’s primary election loss. Legislators may not speak our county government language, so we must constantly educate and advocate on the issues we face. Deep-pocketed PACs and special interest groups are spending big to influence Texas elections and legislation, and you can be sure that they often don’t prioritize the best interests of local residents like you and I do.
My goal in writing is not to cause dismay; it is to clearly outline the challenges coming in the next legislative session. Texas counties have a long, proven track record of meeting challenges, especially when we stand united. We must stay engaged, keep communicating with our legislators, and advocate for our needs. Please participate, contact your representatives, and continue praying for our great state in this election year.