Brandon Creighton, Texas Tech's chancellor and former Republican state senator, has required faculty across the university's five campuses to seek approval before teaching lessons involving gender identity, sexual orientation, or certain ideas about race and sex. He cites his previous legislative work on higher education oversight and points to political connections including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and a partnership with Nvidia. Faculty groups are suing, claiming unconstitutional censorship. Some professors have announced departures.
Brandon CreightonTexas Tech chancellor, former Republican state senator
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrickstate official mentioned for supporting Texas Tech
John Colyandroconservative policy advisor, former Gov. Abbott aide
Teresa KleinTexas conference AAUP president
James SnoddyTexas Tech student protest organizer
American Association of University Professors Texasfaculty organization
Texas Tech faculty groupsplaintiffs in lawsuit
The facts
Creighton required Texas Tech faculty to seek approval before teaching lessons involving gender identity, sexual orientation, or certain ideas about race and sex.1
Creighton previously chaired the Senate Education Committee and championed laws limiting liberal influence on campuses and making degrees more job-focused.1
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wears Red Raider gear at the Capitol; Texas Tech established a partnership with chipmaking company Nvidia.1
Diversity, equity and inclusion offices closed at Texas universities; administrators gained more authority to fire tenured professors; regents took greater control over university leadership and required courses.1
Faculty groups sued Creighton and the regents, alleging unconstitutional censorship and claiming professors were forced to remove texts like Plato's Republic and cut lessons on treating transgender patients.1
Several Texas Tech professors announced departures since Creighton's restrictions; more than half of faculty who responded to a survey said they were looking for jobs elsewhere.1
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Brandon Creighton His political connections bring growing influence to Texas Tech; his struggle to pay for college made him want to help students.1
John Colyandro Universities became too ideologically one-sided; employers dropping degree requirements shows they are losing value.1
Teresa Klein, AAUP Texas President Creighton's impact on higher education will be long-lasting and damaging; professors face fresh limits on what they can teach.1
Texas Tech professors (in lawsuit) Creighton's policies constitute unconstitutional censorship forcing removal of foundational texts and historical facts.1
James Snoddy, Texas Tech student Texas Tech is 'patient zero' for academic infringement and if not stopped there, it will spread.1
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
The Texas Department of Public Safety's Rapid DNA Testing Program, launched its second phase on October 15, 2026, in Williamson and Montgomery counties. Within days, on October 23, 2026, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office recorded an investigative lead when a DNA sample from a suspect booked on felony theft charges matched a 2024 case.
$just over $5 million for pilot program appropriation
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Crime Laboratory Division, operator of pilot program that announced positive CODIS hit; Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, participating agency that recorded investigative lead; Williamson County Sheriff's Office, participating agency in pilot program
A 19-year-old student at University of Texas-San Antonio recited a poem referencing Charlie Kirk's assassination during a campus event. UT San Antonio is conducting a conduct review of the student.
Isabela Casahuga Lemgruber, 19-year-old UTSA student who recited poem; Christian Collins, conservative political activist and Texas Youth Summit founder who hosted Pick Up the Mic event; Kevin Eltife, UT System Board of Regents Chairman and 2 more
Texas A&M University announced a new Aggie AI Foundry laboratory that will use artificial intelligence and robotic workers to develop metal alloys. The lab aims to reduce the development time for metal alloys from months to days.
Texas A&M University, University announcing new laboratory; Raymundo Arróyave, A&M professor who created the lab; Ibrahim Karaman, A&M professor who created the lab and 3 more
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department drafted a closed-door agenda item about ceding control of more than 1,000 acres of public land in Cameron County, then pulled it from the final agenda. The agency asked the Attorney General's office to block release of the draft agenda.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, state agency that owns the land and sought to block agenda release; Attorney General's office, recipient of request to block agenda release; Texas Monthly, news outlet that initially reported the planned discussion and 1 more
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced that $12.5 billion in unclaimed property is available for Texans to claim. The Office of the Texas Comptroller is upgrading its unclaimed property program with artificial intelligence and new software to process claims faster.
$$12.5 billion for unclaimed property waiting to be claimed
Texas Comptroller Don Huffines, announced program update and unclaimed property amount; Office of the Texas Comptroller, upgraded unclaimed property program
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry failed to receive votes for reelection to the board of directors of Fermi, a planned data center and power generation company he co-founded, at an annual shareholder meeting Friday.
Rick Perry, Former Texas Governor and board member; Toby Neugebauer, Former CEO and co-founder; Fermi, Planned power and data center company and 1 more
The Dallas Morning News published an op-ed on October 31 by Suzanne Bellsnyder endorsing Democrat Gina Hinojosa without disclosing that Bellsnyder was a paid consultant to Hinojosa's campaign. An editor's note was added November 1 admitting the omission.
$$57,000 for consulting payments
Suzanne Bellsnyder, op-ed author, paid consultant to Gina Hinojosa campaign; Gina Hinojosa, Democrat legislator endorsed in op-ed; The Dallas Morning News, newspaper that published op-ed without disclosure
Vehicle emissions testing began in Bexar County on November 1, 2026. Gasoline-powered vehicles between 2 and 24 model years old must pass an annual emissions test as part of vehicle registration. The testing affects nearly 2 million vehicles in the county.
$$18.50 for emissions inspection test fee
Albert Uresti, Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector; Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, State agency overseeing emissions testing; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, State agency administering emissions program