Texas House Republicans Go After Low-Income Students with Ignorant Rhetoric

Brian Harrison’s war on free tuition—and logic.

Wednesday, the UT System announced it would expand free tuition to students whose household incomes are under $100,000. And without missing a beat, the GOP carnival barkers in the Texas House shrieked cries of “socialism.”

Yes, this is real life, and Brian Harrison (R-HD10) is entirely insufferable, but we need to dissect his statement because… wow.

First of all, can someone please get Harrison a dictionary? He used many words entirely out of context.

• “Socialism” is a political and economic system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned or regulated collectively, often by the state.

  The University of Texas System’s free tuition plan does not meet the definition of socialism because it is funded through endowments—private donations and investment income—not by taxing citizens or redistributing wealth through government intervention.

• In policy terms, “regressive” measures, such as a flat tax, disproportionately burden lower-income individuals compared to higher-income ones. The UT tuition plan is the opposite of regressive—it benefits low-income and middle-income families by reducing their financial burden, making it progressive.

• “Scheme” often implies a devious or dishonest plan. The tuition plan is a transparent, well-documented initiative funded through legitimate, non-taxpayer sources like endowments. There’s no dishonesty or deceit involved.

• Loan forgiveness erases existing student debt, while the UT tuition plan prevents debt from accruing by covering tuition costs for eligible students.

• The plan explicitly targets families earning $100,000 or less, which includes many working- and middle-class families, not the wealthy.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the sheer creative energy it must take for Brian Harrison to twist a simple tuition assistance program into a political conspiracy. Imagine waking up daily, drinking your coffee, and thinking, “How can I wildly misinterpret basic concepts today?” It’s a level of dedication that almost deserves applause—almost.

Maybe someone should slip him a flowchart explaining how this program doesn’t involve taxpayers, doesn’t redistribute wealth, and certainly doesn’t cut a check to wealthy families.

And what is he talking about when he said, “fund “free” college for “LGBTQ Studies” students?”

The University of Texas System’s Promise Plus program provides financial assistance to low-income students. However, this program does not specifically address LGBTQ Studies or LGBTQ students.

Is it possible that Brian Harrison believes that going to college will turn you gay?

Or did he get the marginalized groups he hates mixed up? You know, like he meant to be mad at poor people but then accidentally got mad at gay people?

It’s unclear why Harrison felt the need to include “LGBTQ Studies” in his tirade with random political buzzwords, but he had to mean something by it. Right?

Like all things in the natural progression of a Republican mind, Harrison rounded up all of his GOP buddies in the House and wrote UT a strongly worded letter.

These dorks signed their letter, “For liberty.” 🤦🏻‍♀️

It was co-signed by:

• Janis Holt (R-HD18)

• Andy Hopper (R-HD64)

• Helen Kerwin (R-HD58)

• David Lowe (R-HD91

• Steve Toth (R-HD15)

• Mike Olcott (R-HD60)

• Brent Money (R-HD02)

• Keresa Richardson (R-HD61)

• Nate Schatzline (R-HD93)

• Wes Virdell (R-HD53)

Toth and Schatzline are returning members to the House, but the other eight are newly-elected—haven’t even been sworn in yet. Looks like the fascist caucus has grown quite large this year.

The questions are a joke. They straddle disingenuous political theater and outright confusion about how the UT System operates. The letter demands to know the “statutory authority” the Board of Regents relied on to approve this program. The UT Board of Regents oversees the system’s endowments and funding, which means it operates entirely within its mandate.

Bringing LGBTQ Studies into this conversation is nothing more than a dog whistle designed to rile up their base. It’s like they’ve run out of actual arguments and decided to toss in whatever culture war talking point came to mind.

The letter’s closing question, dripping with faux concern, asks if UT should have its state funding cut since it appears to have “excess funding” for this program. In other words, the GOP’s solution to making college more affordable is… cutting funding for public universities. The irony is staggering.

Harrison and his coalition managed to turn a win for low-income families into a political attack, complete with baseless accusations, cultural grievances, and a stunning disregard for how higher education funding works. This letter isn’t about oversight—it’s about scoring cheap political points at the expense of students needing help.

The 89th Legislative Session starts in 54 days. Buckle up because this session is already shaping up to be a circus of performative outrage and political theater.

• December 9: House Administration Committee meets to debate rules.

• January 14: The 89th Legislative Session begins.

• March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

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