Wealthy Senator Targets Programs That Help Low-Income Texans

Mayes Middleton’s policies protect the privileged and punish the poor.

In America, certain families whose names we recognize and automatically know have had extreme wealth for generations. The Waltons, the Rockefellers, the Du Ponts—all of these families are famously wealthy because they had an ancestor who became mega-rich, and their fortunes were passed down from generation to generation.

While there is limited data on less-publicized families who have maintained generational wealth, they exist. Sometimes, their wealth is only in the hundreds of millions instead of billions—like the previously mentioned families. Senator Mayes Middleton (R-SD11) comes from one of those families.

Middleton became independently wealthy from his trust fund, just like his grandfather, and his grandfather’s grandfather. After Middleton’s 4x-great-grandfather made a fortune from hundreds of acres of free land from a Spanish Land Grant, where he owned up to 57 enslaved people, he passed his wealth down to his descendants. Middleton’s great-grandfather invested his inherited wealth in Texas’s cattle business and oil industry around 1900. And the rest—as they say—was history.

Note: I began researching Middleton’s history when I learned he spent millions in Texas politics in his 30s. I wanted to know where the money came from.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being a multi-millionaire or spending money on the causes you believe in. But with great power and influence comes great responsibility.

The ethical question is:

• What should leaders like Middleton, who hold significant political power and generational privilege, focus on in their role as public servants?

  • Should they work to advance policies that create opportunities, reduce inequalities, and uplift all their constituents?

  • Or should they prioritize maintaining systems that benefit the privileged few while marginalizing vulnerable communities?

Unfortunately, Senator Middleton has chosen the latter.

Rather than using his influence and wealth to advance the common good, he has focused on legislation targeting vulnerable populations.

Instead of working to expand opportunity, his actions have demonstrated a focus on preserving power and wealth for a select few. The moral imperative of public service is to act in the best interest of all constituents—not just the wealthy or privileged.

You may be wondering how Middleton’s origin story relates to the bills he files and the priorities he works on.

Middleton’s origin story is deeply intertwined with his legislative priorities and the policies he champions. His family’s history of wealth accumulation and privilege reflects the same systems he works to preserve as a State Senator. By understanding his background, we gain insight into his motivations and the structural inequalities he perpetuates through his policymaking.

Take SB239, for example. This bill is aimed at “banning taxpayer-funded lobbying,” or so the Republicans say. But it’s actually targeted at organizations like the Texas American Federation of Teachers (Texas AFT).

Texas AFT engages in lobbying efforts to advocate for increased school funding, teacher benefits, and education reforms that may conflict with the Republican agenda.

The bill would weaken the influence of Texas AFT by prohibiting local governments and school districts from using public funds to join organizations that hire lobbyists. This may make it harder for unions to advocate for teacher-friendly policies at the state level.

There are two essential things to know about this bill.

1. More Republicans have advocated for this legislation over the last few sessions, but Middleton initially proposed “banning taxpayer lobbying.”

2. Middleton has long been an advocate of vouchers. He and his young wife have four small children (so far), and between his huge ranch in Liberty County and his mansion in Houston, you can guarantee that the kids are in an expensive private school.

The point of this bill is to get the teacher’s union off of Republicans’ backs, to make it easier to dismantle public education and to enable vouchers for wealthy families.

But that’s not even the most egregious bill Middleton has filed.

SB395 is a bill that Middleton filed to ban universal basic income (UBI) in Texas.

Middleton’s attempt to banUBI is not just a misguided policy—it’s a direct attack on people living in poverty and a short-sighted rejection of solutions to address the challenges of the future.

UBI is designed to provide a guaranteed income to individuals, regardless of employment status, to cover basic needs like housing, food, and healthcare. For impoverished people, a program like UBI represents stability and the chance to break out of the cycle of hardship. Middleton’s proposed ban would ensure that Texans in poverty have one less lifeline in an already challenging environment where income inequality continues to rise and the cost of living in Texas is skyrocketing.

• Approximately 13.7% of Texas’s population lived below the poverty line.

• The poverty rate among Texas children aged 5 to 17 is over 25% in rural, West, and South Texas school districts.

• Between 2018 and 2022, 76 of Texas’s 254 counties experienced an increase in poverty rates, predominantly in rural areas with fewer than 50,000 residents.

• The Gini index, measuring income inequality, is 0.476 in Texas, indicating a higher income inequality level than the national average.

Middleton’s wealth and privilege allow him to remain insulated from the challenges of working-class Texans. Unlike families struggling to pay rent or keep the lights on, Middleton has never had to worry about where his next meal will come from or how to support his children on a minimum-wage income. Banning UBI is not a policy designed to address the needs of Texans—it is a moral choice to ignore them.

I predicted Republicans would file this bill this session. However, I thought Senator Bettencourt would champion it. Don’t be surprised when Bettencourt becomes a sponsor of this legislation.

• September 2024: The GOP’s War On UBI: How Bettencourt Is Pushing Texas To A Dystopian Future

This isn’t the only bill Senator Middleton has filed to inflict harm on impoverished people.

He also filed a bill that would ban people receiving SNAP benefits from eating cookies.

SB379 would restrict what can be purchased using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Texas. The list of no-nos includes cookies, potato chips, candy, soda, energy drinks, and juice with sugar.

While Middleton’s bill deems these items “unnecessary” or “unhealthy,” it ignores the systemic barriers that prevent low-income families from accessing affordable, nutritious food. It blames individuals rather than addressing the root causes of food insecurity.

Like all other consumers, SNAP recipients should be free to make their own food choices. Restricting purchases undermines the dignity of those who rely on public assistance.

This is the second session in a row Middleton has filed this bill. In the last session, it didn’t receive any traction. Middleton has never filed any bills to address the root causes of food insecurity.

Mayes Middleton’s political journey is intertwined with his extreme wealth and privilege.

Born into a family with generational wealth amassed from land grants, the exploitation of enslaved people, and the oil and cattle industries, Middleton grew up with the kind of financial security most Texans could only dream of. Unlike the millions of Texans living paycheck to paycheck, Middleton never had to worry about putting food on the table or keeping the lights on. His trust fund and inherited oil company ensured that his life would always be insulated from the struggles of ordinary working families.

With this wealth, Middleton became a major player in Texas Republican politics long before running for office himself. He poured millions of dollars into campaigns, PACs, and causes aligned with the GOP agenda, leveraging his money to gain influence and shape policy to benefit people like him. Once he’d solidified his position as a Republican kingmaker, Middleton decided to run for office himself, first serving in the Texas House before moving to the State Senate.

While Texans face rising costs, stagnant wages, and systemic barriers to opportunity, Middleton has focused his energy on preserving systems that benefit the wealthy elite at the expense of everyone else.

Middleton’s tenure in public office is not about public service—it’s about preserving and expanding the privileges of the wealthy few. His privilege has allowed him to buy his way into power, and now that he’s there, he’s working to ensure that people like him stay at the top, no matter the cost to everyone else. Texans deserve leaders who fight for opportunity, equality, and the common good—not politicians who treat public office as a tool to serve their own interests.

The question remains: How long will Texans allow politicians like Middleton to weaponize their privilege against the most vulnerable among us? If there’s one thing his time in office has taught us, it’s that the fight for justice and equality in Texas is far from over.

• December 9: House Administration Committee meets to debate rules.

• January 14: The 89th Legislative Session begins.

• March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

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