Gina Hinojosa is not even governor yet, and Republicans are already trying to stop her from doing the one thing she was elected to do: lower your electricity bill.
Hinojosa plans to freeze residential electricity rates on her first day in office, declaring a “high-cost emergency” and issuing an executive order to stop the bleeding.
She said it plainly: “Within an hour of taking the oath of office, I will declare a high-cost emergency in the state of Texas and issue an emergency executive order to freeze electricity rates.”
That is what she ran on. That is what voters chose. And that is what Republicans are already trying to block.
The Excuse Factory
Nick Loris, president of a conservative energy group, told Fox News that Hinojosa’s plan will face legal challenges “almost immediately” from energy providers.
His reasoning? Texas has a competitive energy market. Freezing rates would interfere with “price signals.” If suppliers cannot adjust their prices, they might not be able to provide power. “Price signals really kind of act like a traffic light,” he said. “They tell people when to speed up, when to slow down, or when to come to a full stop.”
Let me translate that for you. Your electricity bill is going up. Hinojosa wants to stop it. Republicans are worried that stopping it might hurt the energy companies. That is the argument. That is what they are fighting for. Not for you. For the people who send you the bill.
The Reality
Texas has one of the most expensive and volatile electricity markets in the country. The state’s grid collapsed in 2021. People died. Bills skyrocketed into the thousands. The legislature promised to fix it. It did not.
Now a new governor is coming in with a simple plan: stop the price increases. And the same people who defended the broken system are suddenly worried about “free markets” and “legal authority.”
Where were their concerns about legal authority when the grid collapsed? Where were their concerns about free markets when Texans were being charged thousands of dollars for power they could not even use? Where was Nick Loris when people were freezing to death in their homes?
He was nowhere. They were all nowhere. But now that a Democrat wants to lower prices, they have found their voices.
The Hypocrisy
Remember how Republicans reacted when their own governor used emergency powers? Greg Abbott declared emergencies for hurricanes, for border issues, for a global pandemic. He used executive orders to shut down businesses, restrict gatherings, and suspend regulations. Republicans did not complain then.
But now a Democrat is about to use the same powers to help working families, and suddenly the legal authority is a problem. Suddenly the courts need to get involved. Suddenly the emergency declaration is illegitimate.
The double standard is not even hidden anymore. It is out in the open. It is the whole strategy. Use executive power when you have it. Weaponize the courts when you lose it.
The Bottom Line
Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa plans to freeze residential electricity rates on her first day in office. Republicans and energy groups are questioning her legal authority and warning of lawsuits. Texas has one of the most expensive and volatile energy markets in the country. Hinojosa is set to be sworn in on January 19, 2027.
My Opinion
Texas Republicans are not worried about free markets. They are worried about a Democrat doing something that actually helps people.
Where were their principles when Greg Abbott governed by emergency decree? Where were their concerns about “price signals” when the grid collapsed and Texans were charged thousands for power they never got? They had none.
But the moment a Latina governor says she will freeze your electric bill, suddenly the courts need to get involved. Suddenly the law matters. Suddenly the sky is falling.
Hinojosa should freeze the rates on Day One. The energy companies can afford lawyers. The people of Texas cannot.
