Newly obtained records from the Texas Senate show that state lawmakers have spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on subscriptions to news outlets, raising questions about the necessity and transparency of such expenditures.

The records, covering January 2024 through February 2025, detail a total of $38,829.03 in taxpayer-funded news subscriptions purchased by Senate offices. These expenses were covered using state office budgets, which are funded by taxpayers. 

Among the most frequently funded news outlets are the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, the San Antonio Express-News, and the Quorum Report, which often appears as Texas Analyst Inc. in the records.

This follows a previous Texas Scorecard report revealing that the Texas House spent thousands of dollars on news subscriptions during the same period.