Funding

Lubbock City Council has approved the recommended recipients for the Cultural Arts Grant Program. Included in the recommendations was the First Friday Art Trail, one year after a controversial decision from the council that cut funding for that event. However, this year saw a change in the guidelines for the grant, restricting political and “controversial” programming.

The general manager and news director of Abilene’s public radio station speaks on how they are impacted by the funding bill.

The Mesquite Mile project began in 2020, combining regional plants and human infrastructure to mitigate flooding in the Heart of Lubbock neighborhood. The city has seen streets flood this summer with severe weather and storms across the state. But in May 2025, the Mesquite Mile’s NEA grant was withdrawn.

The House approved a Trump administration plan to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The Senate voted to approve the $9 billion rescission package early Thursday.

The first State Flood Plan, published last year, identified $54 billion in flood mitigation, warning and data needs. The state has awarded around $660 million since the plan was published, with a special legislative session coming.

The Senate voted by a razor-thin margin late Tuesday to advance debate on a package of funding cuts requested by President Trump that would claw back $1.1 billion previously allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

On Tuesday, scientists held an event organized by House Democrats in which they stood in front of posters outlining their work — and the federal cuts that now threaten it.

South Plains Community Action Association, Inc., or SPCAA, serves approximately 114 counties in Texas, with a focus on assisting in rural communities. It is one of many organizations whose programs are under threat in upcoming federal budget proposals.

Lubbock’s City Council upheld its decision to cut funding from the First Friday Art Trail, after weeks of backlash and calls for reconsideration from some who believe the cut signals a lack of support for the queer and art communities.