Republicans in Texas expanded their control over public universities in recent years. Laws passed under their leadership banned diversity, equity and inclusion programs on public campuses, expanded the grounds for firing tenured professors, restricted campus protests, weakened faculty senates and gave governor-appointed regents more control over academic decisions.
Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa and Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin campaigned mainly on K-12 education and offered few details on how they would change colleges and universities. Hinojosa has pledged to appoint regents who would expand financial aid to cover living expenses. Democrats will control the Texas House, but Republicans kept the Senate, where they could block efforts to repeal the laws.
Democratic state Sen. Royce West of Dallas said lawmakers should revisit Senate Bill 17, the DEI ban, and Senate Bill 37, which expanded regents' authority over academic decisions. West opposed the DEI ban but said he worries the laws went too far. He stopped short of calling for repeal and said lawmakers should first examine how the restrictions have affected schools.