The Big Conversation

A majority of registered Texas voters surveyed in a recent University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll said they support two of Donald Trump’s more controversial campaign proposals regarding immigration — banning Muslims who are not American citizens from entering the country and building a wall between the United States and Mexico.

As the Tribune’s Julián Aguilar writes, the poll found that support for a Muslim ban varied along partisan lines, with 76 percent of Republicans saying they would support it, compared to about 25 percent of Democrats and 53 percent overall.

The poll also asked respondents about deportation and immigration reform: “A majority of the respondents of the survey, 51 percent, also favored the immediate deportation of undocumented immigrants,” Aguilar writes, while “there is less-than-majority support for immigration reform with or without a path to eventual citizenship.”

The survey results suggest that many Texas voters are sympathetic to Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, which the presumptive Republican nominee has made central to his campaign for president so far. Results of a poll on the presidential race released Monday found that Trump leads Hillary Clinton by 8 percentage points in Texas, but more than half of respondents reported having an unfavorable opinion of both candidates.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.

Trib Must Reads

Cruz Assails Obama Anew Over Terrorism Fight, by Abby Livingston — Reprising a familiar theme from his abandoned presidential campaign, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz convened a hearing Tuesday and repeatedly charged that the Obama administration is "willfully blind" to the root of terrorism in the United States.

Paxton Opinion Slams Schools' Transgender Policies, by Alexa Ura — In an advisory opinion, Attorney General Ken Paxton says the Fort Worth school superintendent exceeded his authority — and may have run afoul of state law — by issuing a policy to accommodate transgender students.

Abbott Appointee to Acupuncture Board Resigns Under Scrutiny, by Edgar Walters — After questions about his own medical practice came to public attention, a member of one of Texas’ medical licensing boards has resigned from the position Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him to last month.

Laredo's Bag Ban Becomes Flashpoint in Debate Over Local Control, by Isabelle Taft — On Tuesday, lawyers for Laredo merchants argued the city's plastic bag ban illegally conflicts with state law. The case has become a flashpoint in a roiling debate over the limits of local control, and the ruling could strike bag bans across Texas.

Texas Gets $50 Million In Massive Volkswagen Settlement, by Kiah Collier — Volkswagen has agreed to pay Texas $50 million as part of what is being described as the largest auto-related class-action settlement in U.S. history.

Federal Government to Fund College Courses for Texas Inmates, by Khorri Atkinson and Annie Daniel — More than 2,500 Texas inmates will participate in a national experiment starting next month so that the federal government can study whether reinstating Pell Grants for prisoners might boost their chances of finding employment.

Elsewhere

(Links below lead to outside websites; content might be behind paywall)

Fiscal hawks pounce, warn Texas lawmakers how much they can spend next year and still be 'conservative,' The Dallas Morning News

Abbott's chief of staff slams Bush over Alamo settlement, Houston Chronicle

Watchdog asks IRS to investigate 'dark money' group that aired TV ads targeting Ken Paxton, Houston Chronicle

Robert Morrow holds first meeting as Travis County GOP chairman, Austin American-Statesman

Zika funding stalls in the Senate amid partisan rift, The Washington Post

No Speaking Slots? Ted Cruz and John Kasich Brush Off Trump’s Threat, The New York Times

Supreme Court’s rejection of Texas abortion law forces other states to undo restrictions, The Dallas Morning News

The Right-Wing Supreme Court That Wasn’t, The New York Times

Justices to hear dispute over deaf driver education in Texas, The Associated Press

DPS is hiring more Hispanic state troopers, and Texas' border surge is a big reason why, The Dallas Morning News

Problem-plagued Texas data project delayed again, Houston Chronicle

Here's how far Texas is from Obama's new U.S. goal of 50% carbon-neutral power by 2025, The Dallas Morning News

Quote to Note

“We cannot combat and defeat radical Islamic terrorism without acknowledging it exists and directing our resources to stopping it.”

— U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, criticizing the Obama administration’s response to terrorism

Today in TribTalk

"Flesh-eating" bacteria scares shouldn't keep you off Texas beaches, by Larry McKinney — As a scientist, I have carefully reviewed all the information I can find and I have come to the conclusion that my chance of infection is extraordinarily low — in fact, with a few commonsense precautions, the risk is almost nonexistent.

News From Home

• While several high-profile cases have fueled a national debate on police shootings, there is no comprehensive data on such shootings in Texas. With reader support, we hope to introduce a new layer of transparency here. And you can help. Click here for more information on how to assist in making this project a reality.

Trib Events for the Calendar

• The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23-25 at the University of Texas at Austin

• TribFeast: A Dinner To Support Nonprofit Journalism on Sept. 24 at the University of Texas at Austin's Etter-Harbin Alumni Center