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March 13, 2026 2:30 PM

As Texas lawmakers reportedly prepare to delve into data center debate, bipartisan and rural pushback to the industry grows

Rural, suburban, conservative, and liberal Texans have angrily protested and taken action against the rapidly growing business, but the centers can greatly add to a tax base and it’s not like the legislature has given municipalities endless opportunities to earn revenue

FORT WORTH – Residents in an unincorporated part of Hood County last year were so sick of a data center using natural resources – coupled with a constant buzzing and humming and an operator they called unresponsive – that they tried to start their own city in an effort to regulate it. County commissioners, while sympathetic, do not have the authority to declare a moratorium, which residents initially demanded. The effort to incorporate into Mitchell Bend failed. But it stands as one of the perhaps most desperate attempts to slow the construction of the rapidly booming industry.

As you first read in Quorum Report this week, a joint Texas House and Senate select committee on the issue is widely expected to be formed as soon as next month. The lawmakers chosen for that panel will hear from conservatives and liberals alike who have more and more concerns.

One new example: Data centers have expanded so fast in Texas that even former Republican Party of Texas Chair James Dickey is now advocating for more local control.

The rest of the story, subscribers only

By James Russell

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March 13, 2026 2:23 PM

People on the Move

Appointments, new offices opening, power players, and more

With the Texas primary in the rearview and the runoffs now getting underway, there’s more bandwidth to delve into the serious issues of the day – like Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo crashing out at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Kidding, sort of. I was also reminded by a reader that officeholders melting down at rodeos is now a bipartisan tradition in Texas. We’ll talk about that on the Quorum Report Radio podcast today. More substantively, we’ll do a deep dive into AI and the data center industry that’s booming across Texas.

Reporter James Russell perfectly captured the fault lines in his story yesterday here in the Daily Buzz and we’ll follow up on the show with our friend Chad Hasty in Lubbock, where there’s an ongoing fight about a data center. The links to follow the show on Apple and Spotify are on the Quorum Report homepage.

Meantime, there were some significant career moves in the Texas Capitol community to tell you about this week. People on the Move is all about y’all, of course, and it’s the most efficient way to let political professionals across the state know about your new gig or venture. All you’ve got to do is send the scoop to ksbraddock@gmail.com and use “POTM” in the subject line for the fastest service.

Here’s the latest edition.

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By Scott Braddock

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March 12, 2026 3:20 PM

Abbott appoints Patrick Rhode of Austin to the PUC

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March 12, 2026 3:01 PM

Questions about what Wes Hunt supporters will do in GOP runoff

On KVUE TV in Austin, Quorum Report Editor Scott Braddock and news anchor Ashley Goudeau talked about that and more

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