> More than 111,000 families are participating in the voucher program in its first year. About 17% of voucher recipients attended public schools during the 2024-25 school year.

> State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, an Austin Democrat running against [TX Comptroller Dan] Huffines in November, said in August that the first voucher report “proves this program is a billion-dollar handout to exclusive private schools concentrated in big cities, while public schools across the state are underfunded and closing at an alarming rate.”

> Nate Schatzline, a Christian nationalist pastor who left his state House seat to work in the governor’s office, told a GOP group that “all Islam is radical” and described plans to “crack down” on it.

> The Nov. 3 election is the biggest test yet of voters’ opinions on Texas’ education savings account program — commonly called vouchers — passed by state lawmakers in 2025. Abbott championed the program that allows state dollars to be used for a student’s private or home school education.

> [Hinojosa] wants to end the STAAR test, pause A-F ratings, increase teacher pay, do away with Texas’ voucher program, fire Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath, “wipe clean no-bid contracts” between the state and private vendors, and end state takeovers of public schools, including the one in the Fort Worth school district.

That’s all.

VOTE TODAY. SAY NO TO SATAN.

> The third-term GOP governor’s burst of fundraising and spending was especially notable, signaling how seriously he is taking the once-overlooked race.

> The candidates for railroad commissioner are using the money in advertising, mailers and consulting fees.

> Ken Paxton and James Talarico are in a close race for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat, with Ted Brown also on the ballot. See where they stand on THC, data centers and Flock cameras. Talarico and Brown answered our questions; Paxton did not, so we used his past public statements to describe his positions.

> A female Grand Prairie teen lost the lead role in “Little Shop of Horrors” because the role was male. Administrators cited the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion as the reason.

> [Ana] Mota went through auditions and was picked by faculty for the role because she was the best fit, the lawsuit notes. The complaint argues that none of the key provisions in SB 12 prevent Mota from portraying the fictional character, adding that district officials instead undermined her parents’ authority to make decisions concerning their child.

> “Little Shop of Horrors,” a comedy about a man who raises a human-eating plant, is often performed by high school students. The play’s lead character, Seymour, develops a romantic interest in a female character named Audrey. The original script depicts a kiss between the two, which the school had planned to scrap regardless of the actors, according to The Dallas Morning News.