Bad health policy has a price. Texas may finally be getting a bill.

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

By Brian McManus

For years, Texas Republicans have governed with a particular brand of swagger. They’ve refused to expand Medicaid, leaving more adults uninsured than in any other state. They’ve resisted gun safety measures, producing firearm death rates three times higher than New York’s. They’ve loosened vaccine exemption rules, helping fuel the largest measles outbreak in the United States in a quarter century—762 reported cases and two dead children in 2025 from a disease the country had declared eradicated in 2000. Another 182 cases have been reported as of June of this year.

Gov. Greg Abbott and his allies have long celebrated these postures as freedom. What they haven’t mentioned is the consequences—shorter lives, sicker residents, a more burdened health system—come with a price tag. And according to one New York state lawmaker, part of that bill has quietly been landing on the desks of people who don’t even live in Texas.

Learn more about the New York senator’s TEXAS Act

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🚨 Last chance to World Cup: We have one more week of World Cup fun in the metroplex, and there’s still time to join the party. Check out these upcoming events for your last chance to celebrate. (Dallas Observer)

🗳️ Ken Paxton voter fraud: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appears to have used an address where he didn’t live while voting in six elections in the past two years—despite his warning voters that “it is illegal to misrepresent your residence on election records.”

📗 Budget issues and library closures: The City of Dallas is preparing for a budget shortfall of an estimated $30 million, and to cut costs, it’s closing city libraries for a few days this year. The first day is this Friday. (KERA)

🇺🇸 Patriot blood bleeds blue? A recent study ranked the most patriotic states based on military and civic engagement, and Texas came in lower than you might think—in fact, a lot of “red” states did. See the patriot scale here. (WalletHub)