A Texas program allows a limited group of families with eligible 3- and 4-year-olds to use school vouchers for private pre-K instead of free public preschool. The Texas Education Agency oversees the initiative, which restricts participation to children who already qualify for state-funded public pre-K under existing criteria such as income, language status, homelessness, foster care, military affiliation, or prior intervention services. Families must apply, select an approved private provider, and submit documentation to access funds, which the state pays directly to participating schools.

A new report shows that Texas ranks among the worst states in the United States for package theft, even as incidents decline nationwide. The study uses complaint data, insurance claims, and surveys to compare states and finds that major Texas cities and residential areas continue to experience high rates of stolen deliveries from porches, mailrooms, and doorsteps. Researchers identify factors driving Texas’s elevated ranking and outline how residents, delivery companies, and law enforcement respond to persistent package theft across the state.

A pending federal THC ban in the next Farm Bill could force more than 6,000 Texas smoke shops and hemp-related businesses to shut down or overhaul operations by November 2025. The measure would prohibit most hemp-derived THC products, including popular delta-8 items, that currently operate under the 2018 Farm Bill. Texas hemp retailers, manufacturers, and trade groups are mounting a lobbying push to persuade Congress to replace the blanket ban with a regulated framework that sets potency limits, age rules, labeling, and testing standards.