Tobacco

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, has accepted more than $500,000 in donations from alcohol industry PACs and executives since 2014, even as his office has sued to overturn local marijuana decriminalization measures and defended new restrictions on hemp-derived THC products. Texas recently classified certain hemp THC products, including delta-8 and delta-10, as Schedule I substances, making possession a felony. A judge recently declined to block the crackdown while litigation continues.

Democratic Senate opponent James Talarico has accused Paxton of doing the bidding of "big beer and big tobacco" donors rather than protecting public health, calling the arrangement corrupt. Paxton did not respond to requests for comment and was recently seen deflecting a question on the THC ban in a video that Texas Democrats seized on. Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Vikki Goodwin has made similar claims against Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who also received substantial alcohol industry contributions and backed hemp restrictions later vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott before being reimposed via executive order. The issue is emerging as a flashpoint in Texas's 2026 statewide races.

The Volusia County School Board is voting on proposed changes to its Code of Student Conduct and Discipline for the upcoming school year, adding more specific consequences for vaping and reclassifying fighting offenses by severity. Under the new policy, a first vaping violation would require students to complete a district-approved vape education course, alongside possible in-school or out-of-school suspension. Students who fail to complete the course within 45 days, or who commit subsequent violations, would face 45 days in Alternative Education or Off-Campus Instruction; expulsion is not listed as a specific vaping consequence. The changes follow an 80% jump in vaping referrals from 2023 to 2024.

Fighting would be tiered by severity: minor altercations without injury are Level 2 offenses with escalating detention and suspension penalties, while fights requiring physical intervention or medical attention are Level 3, potentially leading to alternative placement or expulsion recommendations. Battery-level conduct is classified as Level 4, requiring an expulsion recommendation.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans to amend the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State Plan to block Temporary Cash Assistance recipients from spending benefits on tobacco, nicotine and vaping products, pornography, drugs and intoxicants, video games, entertainment tickets and subscriptions, theme park admission, tattoos, spa and tanning services, and psychic or fortune-telling services. Officials describe the move as the first state-level restrictions of their kind on the federal cash welfare program, expanding beyond existing federal and state rules that already bar EBT use at liquor stores, casinos, and adult-entertainment venues. DeSantis said the goal is to save taxpayer dollars, curb fraud, and ensure aid goes toward essential needs while continuing to support Floridians who genuinely require assistance.

Benefit amounts, which average about $250 a month per household, will not change. The Florida Department of Children and Families is drafting the plan amendment and coordinating with the Trump administration before submitting a formal request and setting a phased implementation timeline, beginning with SNAP-authorized retailers before expanding further using new point-of-sale systems. The policy follows Florida's "Healthy SNAP" initiative, which since April has barred SNAP recipients from buying soda, energy drinks, and candy, though a federal judge ruled in June that similar SNAP food-restriction waivers in five other states exceeded federal authority. Florida's SNAP rolls have dropped nearly 20 percent over the past year following federal cuts.