Detrick DeBurr
DemocraticQ1 In June 2026, USDA confirmed New World screwworm in Texas livestock for the first time in decades; as of early July, dozens of infestations have been confirmed across South Texas (USDA APHIS , 2026). USDA estimates a full-scale outbreak comparable to past infestations could cost the regional economy billions of dollars (USDA APHIS). What policies, if any, would you support to respond to the current outbreak and improve Texas’s agricultural biosecurity (practices and safeguards that prevent pests and diseases from spreading through livestock populations), and what evidence or considerations would inform that approach?
Texas should use every proven and science-based tool to protect farmers, ranchers, animals, consumers, and the state’s farm economy. This means bringing back strong oversight and scientific programs that may have been weakened over the past 2 years. Texas should also improve disease tracking, border protections, sterile-insect programs, support for producers, and training for future agricultural health workers.
The United States defeated screwworm before through a long-term, organized effort—not through fewer rules or voluntary action alone. Restoring the policies that worked in the past would be a good place to start.
Keywords: Restoring the policies that worked in the past would be a good place to start
Q2 Texas is on track to become the nation’s leading data center market within the next three years (Bloom Energy, 2026). The state’s grid operator has more than doubled its 2030 forecast for data center power demand over the past year (ERCOT, 2025). Such growth brings economic opportunity while placing significant demands on water, land, and energy systems, raising questions about tax incentives, utility costs, and local community impacts. What policies, if any, would you support around water/energy allocation, tax incentives, or utility costs for data center development in Texas, and what evidence informs that position?
Texas has no state rule that checks how private building projects affect the environment. Data centers show why that’s a problem. Here’s my plan.
First, bigger projects would face bigger reviews. If a project would use a huge amount of electricity or water, it would have to pass a state review first. The state would look at where its water comes from, how it stays cool, and how it affects the power grid. The project couldn’t get water service or connect to the grid until it passed.
Second, tax breaks would come with strings attached. Companies would only get them if they create real jobs and meet standards for saving water and energy. If they break those promises, they pay the money back.
Third, big power users would pay their own way. They’d cover the cost of hooking up to the grid and building new power lines. They’d also agree to use less power when the grid is strained—so families don’t see their electric bills go up to pay for data centers.
This plan is based on facts. State forecasts show power demand growing fast. State water data shows our underground water supplies are under stress. And past tax break programs didn’t always deliver what they promised.
Q3 Texas faces flooding while simultaneously experiencing water scarcity driven by drought, groundwater depletion, and population growth (TWDB, 2024). Hundreds of Texas waterways are listed as impaired for bacteria, mercury, and other pollutants, threatening water quality for communities across the state (TCEQ, 2024). Agriculture is the largest consumer of the state’s groundwater, yet it is also well positioned to be a valuable partner in conservation efforts. What policies, if any, would you support to improve Texas’s water infrastructure, and what considerations would guide your approach to the state’s agricultural economy?
I support increased funding for the Texas Water Development Board and commissioning a foresight study on “The Future of Water in Texas” — one that answers how to maintain a healthy water supply over a 100-year horizon.
Q4 The Texas power grid continues to face strain from extreme heat and increasing demand, including from data centers. What policies, if any, would you support to improve grid reliability for Texas consumers and businesses?
The Southern Spirit transmission line is a step in the right direction, but much more investment is needed to stabilize the Texas power grid. Because the grid is critical infrastructure for the entire country, this must be a joint federal and state effort.
Q5 Texas universities and hospitals receive approximately $1.9 billion annually in NIH funding across 118 research sites, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and driving medical and scientific innovation (FASEB, 2025). NIH grants reimburse institutions for both direct research costs and indirect costs, the facilities, administration, and support infrastructure that make research possible. A 15% indirect cost cap proposed by NIH in 2025, currently blocked by federal courts, would sharply reduce this reimbursement below the rates Texas institutions have negotiated, cutting an estimated $300 million in annual support that institutions would need to absorb or backfill (Kamerlin & Elias, 2025). What policies, if any, would you support at the state or federal level to protect the long-term stability of Texas’s research infrastructure, and why?
I would support reversing many of the federal cuts to the National Institutes of Health. In the meantime, the state should step in to keep critical programs operational until we re-establish federal funding.
Q6 Texas kindergartners’ measles vaccination rate fell to 93.24% in the 2024-2025 school year, a decline from prior years amid a national resurgence (Texas Department of State Health Services, 2025). That year, Texas recorded 762 confirmed measles cases, including the deaths of two unvaccinated school-age children, in the state’s largest outbreak since 1992 (Texas DSHS, 2025). Measles can cause serious complications: roughly 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who contract it are hospitalized, and it can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling, or death (CDC). As a policymaker, how do you approach engaging with communities that have concerns about infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety, and what policies, if any, would you support related to these issues, and why?
I would support reversing many of the federal cuts to the CDC. I also support a medically informed path for a modified or delayed vaccine schedule in the early years, while supporting vaccinations for school-aged children entering public schools.
Q7 Scientific evidence is generated through the systematic testing and evaluation of ideas. It provides knowledge the helps us understand the world and predict the likely consequences of different choices, such policy making related to public health, energy, agriculture, and environmental regulation. What role, if any, should scientific evidence and expert input play in your policymaking process, and how would you evaluate competing or uncertain scientific claims when making policy decisions? What role, if any, should that process play when scientific consensus and public opinion diverge?
Policy should follow the data. Lawmakers owe the public decisions rooted in scientific evidence and expert judgment — not political ideology.