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In Texas, anti–Sharia law politics are going prime time. There is no credible threat of Sharia law being imposed in Texas, and legal experts say it would be unconstitutional.
However, some of the state’s most prominent Republican leaders continue to raise the issue, warning it could happen if they lose upcoming elections. The messaging has gained traction among parts of the GOP base.
Sharia, broadly speaking, is the religious and moral code of Islam, developed from the Quran, the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, and centuries of legal interpretation. For many Muslims, it functions less as a state legal system than as a guide for personal conduct, family life, charity, and worship.
In Texas politics, however, the term has increasingly been used as shorthand for a broader cultural and political warning about Islam itself.
That message has sharpened in 2026. The Republican Party of Texas included in its March 3 primary an advisory proposition stating: “Texas should prohibit Sharia law.” The party noted that the propositions were only an “opinion poll” and not a binding referendum.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has also listed “preventing Sharia law” among issues he wants the Senate to study ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
The rhetoric has spread through statewide campaigns. Some GOP candidates have made anti-Muslim messaging central to their appeals, warning that Muslim communities want to create “illegal cities” or impose Islamic law.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, now running for Texas attorney general, has posted about Muslims, Islam, or “sharia law” more than 240 times this year and has framed stopping “Islamists” as a core mission.
Josh Kovensky is an investigative reporter for "Talking Points Memo." His article is "Inside Texas Republicans’ Effort to Make the Midterms About Islamophobia."
Abortion Ban vs. Medical Care
Texas’ strict abortion ban has raised repeated questions about what happens when pregnant patients face medical emergencies and whether doctors are delaying life-saving care out of fear of violating the law.
A new ProPublica report says the Texas Medical Board has disciplined three doctors connected to the deaths of two women who did not receive timely or appropriate treatment during pregnancy complications.
ProPublica's Kavitha Surana investigates the problem and has written the story: "Texas Medical Board Sanctions Three Doctors for Delayed Care That Led to the Deaths of Two Pregnant Women."
The Hypnotized Witness
Texas death row inmate Charles Don Flores is again asking the courts to review his conviction in a case that has drawn years of scrutiny because a key witness was hypnotized by law enforcement before identifying him.
Flores was convicted and sentenced to death in 1999 in the killing of Elizabeth “Betty” Black during a home burglary in the Dallas area. He has long maintained his innocence.
The central controversy involves Black’s neighbor, Jill Barganier, whose testimony became a major part of the state’s case.
According to court filings and later reporting, Barganier initially described the second man she saw near the home as a white man with long hair. Flores is Hispanic and, according to his attorneys, had closely cropped hair at the time. After a police-led hypnosis session, Barganier was shown a photo lineup that included Flores, and she later identified him in court.
Flores’ lawyers argue that so-called investigative hypnosis is unreliable and can distort memory rather than sharpen it.
That argument has gained traction beyond his case. Texas lawmakers moved in 2023 to bar hypnosis-induced statements from being used in criminal proceedings, after supporters said research shows hypnosis can increase a witness’s confidence without improving accuracy. The Texas Rangers also stopped using the practice in 2021, citing better investigative methods.
But Flores has not won relief. Texas courts have repeatedly rejected or dismissed his post-conviction claims, and his current petition asks the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed his latest habeas application in October 2025 without reaching the merits.
Supporters, including the American Psychological Association, say the case raises broader concerns about junk science and wrongful convictions. The state, meanwhile, has continued to defend the conviction in court.
Michelle Pitcher is a staff writer at the Texas Observer covering criminal justice. She investigates the death row case of Charles Don Flores in the podcast “The Unforgotten: Riding Shotgun.”
