The dust has barely settled on the 89th Texas Legislative Session, and if you’re anything like us, you're still catching your breath. For many Texans, this session didn’t feel like democracy - it felt like a fight for survival. The stakes were sky-high, and the people we elected to lead us? Too many of them chose power over principle.
Let’s be clear: Our legislators had every opportunity to show up for Texans. They could have passed policies that protected our air and water, invested in energy efficiency, and prioritized the wellbeing of our communities. Instead, they catered to corporate special interests, resisted commonsense environmental protections and research, and doubled down on a fossil fuel future. They followed the marching orders of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and their billionaire campaign donors instead of listening to the people of Texas.
It didn’t have to be this way.
How Politicians Failed the People of Texas
This session was a textbook example of politics failing the people. Across the board, we saw bills pushed by industry lobbyists gain traction while commonsense solutions were blocked or ignored. Instead of bolstering Texas’ grid with clean, reliable energy, some legislators filed bills that would have punished renewables and propped up outdated, climate-polluting power plants.
Instead of investing in water infrastructure that would have created local jobs, preserved water resources, and saved taxpayer dollars, they focused on massive, risky water “solutions” like seawater desalination and produced water. They chose performative politics over practical solutions, essentially ignoring Texans who showed up - again and again - to testify, organize, and speak out. Despite public outcry, they chose to:
- Give Elon Musk and SpaceX control over South Texas beaches through backroom deals and last-minute language additions
- Redefine genders - a direct attack on transgender and intersex Texans
- Raid public school funding by creating a billion dollar voucher program
- Gift taxpayer handouts to big energy corporations through bills like HB 14 and HB 500
It’s hard not to be disillusioned. But we know a clear path remains to winning the fight between organized people, and organized money.
What We Did Right
Here’s the truth they won’t talk about (but we will): It could have been so much worse.
Thanks to the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter, allied organizations, community advocates, volunteers, and thousands of engaged Texans, we stopped some of the worst anti-environment, anti-Texan schemes from becoming law. We mobilized in committee rooms and on the Capitol steps. We made calls, dropped cards, sent emails, testified, and showed up in force. We reminded legislators that we are watching, we care, and that we aren’t going anywhere.
That collective action made a difference. Even when it didn’t stop everything, it slowed down the destruction. We should all be tremendously proud of the momentum we built.
We’ll need it moving forward.
Why the Next 18 Months Matter More than Ever
The session may be over, but the work isn’t. In fact, the next 18 months are the critical window to build the Texas we want to see.
Right now, legislators are heading back to their districts. They’re attending town halls, meeting with donors, and laying the groundwork for the next election - and the next session. If we wait until January 2027 to raise our voices and highlight our issues again, it’ll be too late.
This is our chance to:
- Tell our families, coworkers, and neighbors how our legislators voted on environmental and climate issues, and hold them accountable for their votes and actions this session
- Organize with the Sierra Club to build your skills, teach others, and help educate and activate Texans
- Support local leaders who are fighting for bold climate and justice policies
- Push for stronger policies and protections at your local electricity and water provider, at state agencies, your local government and school boards.
What the Legislature Should Be
The Texas Legislature shouldn’t feel like a place where our futures hang by a thread. It shouldn’t feel like a battlefield where people have to fight for clean air, safe water, and a livable climate.
It should feel like a reflection of what makes Texas so special - our people, the land, our grit, and our love for each other. A place where bold ideas are debated in good faith. A place where policy uplifts the most vulnerable and honors future generations. A place where we can imagine and build a future we deserve - together.
We’re not waiting for that Texas to arrive. We’re creating it, day by day, with every conversation, every connection, and every action.
Now Is the Time to Dig In
We get it: You’re tired. We are, too. But now is not the time to disappear. Now is the time to regroup, recharge, and recommit.
Gather with loved ones. Eat a good meal. Rest. And then keep showing up. Online, in-person, in City Halls, at backyard birthday parties, the dinner table, a PTO meeting.
Because when the next session begins, we want to walk into the Capitol not with dread - but power.
Let’s get to work.