Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

As the line against the Trump agenda falls in the U.S. House, do Democrats have an age problem? https://newrepublic.com/post/195617/republicans-pass-tax-bill-democrat-deaths

...Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder issues a statement on the Trump tax bill: https://www.texasdemocrats.org/media/breaking-house-republicans-pass-trumps-billionaire-benefitting-bill-that-screws-the-working-class

HB 2, after a compromise between the Senate's stingy $55 increase in the basic allotment and an additional $500 million in funding to appease the House, tentatively passed the Senate yesterday: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2025/05/23/texas-senate-tentatively-approves-sweeping-school-finance-teacher-pay-bill/

...This overdue increase in funding is welcome, but not all Democratic lawmakers are impressed, including House Minority Leader Gene Wu: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/21/texas-house-senate-public-school-finance-deal/

...Nor is everyone impressed with the now-successful GOP effort to pass prayer periods in Texas public schools, which was helped to the finish line by several Democrats: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/22/texas-school-prayer-period-house-approval/

Dan's Ban - the determined effort towards a blanket ban on THC products in Texas by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick - spells disaster for a great many Texas hemp businesses: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/22/texas-hemp-products-00366346

...There's still hope for an expansion of Texas' Compassionate Use Program, or TCUP, in HB 46: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/12/texas-marijunia-medical-chronic-pain-crohns-cancer-glaucoma-ptsd/

The much-discussed "anti-squatting" bill, SB 38 - which in effect would allow Texas landlords to evict tenants with little due process in many cases - is set to be heard on the House floor today: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/2025/squatting-bill-evictions/

This Memorial Day weekend, let's all refocus on celebrating the Americans who gave their lives in the battle against fascism and authoritarianism - and recommit ourselves to stopping them today: https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2025/05/22/trump-bone-spurs-military-service-heroes-memorial-day/83743104007/

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