Texas government is notorious for being more historically conservative than the rest of the country. Whether that be in presidential elections or simply in the more minor local and state laws passed by legislators, Texas has always leaned to the right. However, even when the rest of the country has started to move over to the progressive side, Texas has stayed put.
Being a generally conservative Republican state, Texas continues to follow dated ideologies in comparison to other states. An example of Texas going against the recent progressive wave in the US regards its perspective on marijuana. More and more states are legalizing recreational marijuana, whereas Texas is hesitant to allow even medical marijuana. Another example is Texas's opposition to DACA. Even though the fight for equal rights from immigrants all over the nation is strengthening, and the Latin population in the state is one of the largest in the country, Texas refuses to acknowledge that and remains put on it stance regarding illegal immigrants and the process they must go through to gain their legal status.
Austin, Texas, however, is a surprisingly blue region. The influx of liberals into the city is growing exponentially, primarily stemming from California. Because of this, Austin's political stance has also turned Democratic. The progressives that make up Austin local government are usually against the conservative laws that are pushed forth by Republican state legislators. Its influence is growing, though. Recent years have shown that while Texas as a whole has been voting Republican for a while, the Democratic presence in national elections is growing.
The high population of white conservatives in Texas will likely continue to control the state and local government. However, while Texas will probably continue to be Republican as a whole, the growing influence of liberals and progressives in the state will keep Texas from going as far right as it has in the past.
