GOP state Sen. Brian Birdwell says he won't seek reelection
'It has been the high honor of my life, on par with commanding United States soldiers, to serve my fellow Texans for over 15 years,' Birdwell, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, said in a letter addressed to his district. 'As I conclude the mission the Lord has given me over these past 15 years, I do so with a sense of gratitude at all we have accomplished.'
Birdwell highlighted numerous bills that lawmakers passed during his time in the Senate, like those that expanded access to firearms, restricted abortions and cut property taxes. He also commended instances when lawmakers 'prevented significant amounts of bad legislation from reaching the Senate floor' and noted the state's clampdown along the U.S.-Mexico border during the Biden administration.
Soon after Birdwell announced his retirement, state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, announced he would run for the now-open Senate District 22. Cook, who is serving his third term in the lower chamber, recently waged an unsuccessful bid for House speaker, during which he vowed to strip power from Democrats and emerged as the consensus pick of the chamber's rightmost faction.
In announcing his Senate run, Cook called Birdwell "the personification of a servant leader."
"Over the years, we've faced a wave of growth and change, bringing both opportunities and challenges that continue to impact our way of life," Cook said in a statement. "These realities don't stop at district lines. They affect communities across SD 22 in much the same way. I am stepping forward because these challenges require experience, follow-through, and the time necessary to commit fully to the work ahead."
Birdwell's announcement is the latest shake-up to the 31-member state Senate.
Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, said last week he would not seek reelection to his East Texas seat. Former Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, stepped down from his post two weeks ago for an appointment in the state Comptroller's office; he also announced a campaign to be the next leader of the office.
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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
News Of Haitian TPS, Travel Ban & Supreme Court Order Stun Immigrants
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Collectively, they indicate a dangerous mix of policy overreach, discriminatory motives, and the weakening of judicial protections that could affect not only this government but future ones—Democratic or Republican. TPS Terminations: Focusing on the Most Vulnerable In late June, the Trump administration announced its plan to end TPS for about 430,000 Haitians, effective September 2, 2025. At first glance, the figure seems shocking—but it hides even a much harsher reality. Nearly half of these individuals, around 200,000, have already been deported through previous measures: Title 42 expulsions, humanitarian parole terminations, and strict border interceptions. TPS, a humanitarian provision embedded in U.S. immigration law, offers legal residence and work authorization for individuals fleeing natural disasters, conflict, or extraordinary conditions in their home countries. It is not a loophole. It is a lawful status granted and extended by successive administrations of both parties in recognition of humanitarian necessity. Revoking this protection on a large scale, especially when around 1.75 million immigrants from various countries currently in the United States could be affected by such actions, not only upsets lives and families but also breaches the trust in the rule of law. TPS holders are not undocumented immigrants. They entered legally or were granted lawful residence due to circumstances beyond their control. Their removal does not serve a mandate to deport 'illegal immigrants,' but instead shows a preference for politically convenient targets. In Trump's zeal to meet his goal of 'deporting 11 million immigrants who are in the country illegally,' he is deporting legal immigrants. Worse still, the administration seems to be skipping necessary legal procedures. Before TPS can be revoked, the Department of Homeland Security must properly review country conditions, consult with other federal agencies, issue a 60-day notice, and offer a wind-down period of 6–18 months. These protections are in place to prevent deportations from returning individuals to danger. The courts might still step in, as they did in Ramos v. Nielsen, when a lower court found that the Trump administration's previous TPS cancellations were discriminatory and biased. The administration's new attack on TPS might follow a similar path—litigation, injunctions, appeals. But for thousands of Haitians, the uncertainty is already traumatic. The Travel Ban Revisited: Familiar Faces, Persistent Bias Adding to the TPS decision is the Trump administration's reimposition of a travel ban, now expanded to include 19 countries, eight of which are majority-Muslim. Though presented as a national security measure, the origins and focus of the policy resemble the earlier 'Muslim Ban' that was partially struck down by courts and widely condemned as discriminatory. This recent iteration does little to ease those concerns. The list of affected countries remains unclear, the criteria are random, and the process lacks transparency or meaningful oversight by Congress. Entire families—spouses, children, students—are now denied entry, regardless of their personal history, reason for travel, or connections to the U.S. These bans do not improve national security. They alienate allies, harm economies, and increase xenophobia. Even more, they weaken the core Canadian promise: that people are judged by their deeds and character, not their nationality or religion. Supreme Court's Injunction Ruling: A Win for Executive Authority Perhaps the most far-reaching—and least noticed—development is the Supreme Court's recent ruling in the Casa case, which significantly narrows the ability of federal district judges to issue nationwide injunctions. The case originated from Trump's executive order to limit birthright citizenship. The constitutional issue—whether the 14th Amendment protects the citizenship rights of all U.S.-born children—was avoided by the Court, which instead chose to focus on procedural matters. In doing so, the Court determined that federal judges can no longer routinely issue injunctions that block presidential actions nationwide. This decision, while cloaked in administrative reasoning, has explosive implications. Historically, nationwide injunctions have been one of the few effective tools to limit executive overreach. 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CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Trump administration freezes billions in funding for after-school and summer programs
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The loss of funds could "put several more school districts in extreme financial distress," said Chris Reykdal, superintendent of public instruction in Washington state. Districts have already adopted budgets, planned programming and hired staff, assuming they'd receive the money, Reykdal said. If the funding freeze remains, children learning English and their parents would be especially affected. Some districts use the money to pay for summer programming designed for English learners, family engagement specialists who can communicate with parents and professional development training for staff. Rural districts would be hit the hardest. "They're trying to send a message," said Amaya Garcia, who oversees education research at New America, a left-leaning think tank. "They don't believe that taxpayer funding should be used for these children." Umatilla School District in rural eastern Oregon — with a sizable population of migrant families and students learning English — relies heavily on federal funding for its after-school and summer school programs. Superintendent Heidi Sipe says she is meeting with state officials soon to find out if the district will have to plan an early end to summer school, an option 20% of students are using. Come this fall, if federal money stays frozen, she'll have to lay off staff and eliminate after-school programs attended by around half the district's students. "It's an essential service in our community because we don't have any licensed child care centers for school-age children," she said. Sipe said it's particularly frustrating to deal with these funds being put into limbo because the school district was in the middle of a five-year grant period. "It feels preventable," she said, "and it feels as though we could have done a better job planning for America's children."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Some New Mexico leaders warn mega bill could be disastrous for renewable energy industry
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