Eddie Espinoza
GreenQ1 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?
We must listen to top experts in Biology and Entomology to find a solution to the New World screwworm crisis. Elon Musk’s DOGE project cut research and funding for anti-screwworm efforts. We need government decisions to be made with influence from scientific experts, not huckster billionaires or big donors.
Keywords: Elon Musk, huckster
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?
No more tax breaks for data centers or other big energy consumers. No more new fossil fuel energy projects, for data centers or anything else. We must declare a climate emergency and rapidly transition to 100% clean renewable energy. Anyone who still denies the climate crisis doesn’t understand it. We must listen to climate scientists and halt all projects that waste the earth’s precious resources.
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?
The climate crisis hurts our water security, our food supply, and our farmers. We have to get serious, declare a climate emergency, and take meaningful action. There are solutions ready to go – solar energy plus utility-scale batteries is becoming the most cost-effective type of energy! All that stands in the way of saving the planet is the political will to say NO to the fossil fuel industry.
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?
Every choice we make about energy and extreme heat should be informed by input from climate scientists. That is our only chance for a livable planet. People in South Texas know that our summers are getting hotter and our winters are getting shorter. We can’t hide our heads in the sand any longer. No more data centers. No more tax breaks for big energy consumers. We need clean renewable energy. There should be solar panels over every parking spot and on every roof.
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?
The federal government must increase, not decrease, funding for scientific research. The Texas research infrastructure and the jobs it provides are important, but that’s a secondary consideration to the importance of scientific research and advancement for an enlightened civilization.
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?
We need to improve our Texas public schools so that every child gets an excellent education in every subject, including science. Then perhaps future generations would be better equipped to understand the science about vaccines, the climate crisis, and other key issues.
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?
The best government policies are informed by science and logic, and the worst decisions are fueled by fear and ignorance. Often the public understands the scientific consensus, or would be able to understand if anyone tried to explain, but policymakers follow instructions from big donors instead of scientists.