AUSTIN, Texas – Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa says she wants to send every Texas household a one-time $1,500 refund check. But no money will go out unless state lawmakers sign off first.

The plan, which her campaign calls the “Greg Abbott Corruption Tax Refund,” would pull about $17 billion from the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund, better known as the Rainy Day Fund, and leave about $10 billion in reserve, according to her campaign website.

“There’s no question that corporations love Greg Abbott. He gives them our money,” Hinojosa wrote on X in July. “When I’m governor, we’re going to flip the script and refund $1500 back to Texans.”

There's no question that corporations love Greg Abbott. He gives them our money.

When I'm governor, we're going to flip the script and refund $1500 back to Texans. pic.twitter.com/sZ5G2C1zpb
— Gina Hinojosa (@GinaHinojosaTX) July 14, 2026

Post by Gina Hinojosa (@GinaHinojosaTX) on X, July 14, 2026.

Since winning Tuesday’s election, Hinojosa has said she still wants to send the checks, according to other local news sources. No payment date, application process or eligibility rules have been announced.

How The Plan Would Work

Hinojosa rolled out the proposal in July. Her campaign said that on her first day in office she would issue a proclamation declaring the affordability crisis in Texas an emergency and call on the Legislature to pass a bill providing the one-time checks to Texas households.

“This proposal is about restoring that trust by putting money back in people’s pockets, especially at a time when Texans are hurting,” Hinojosa said in the campaign’s announcement. “We can come together in a bipartisan way to do this for Texans.”

The numbers roughly add up. Texas has about 11 million households, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, and $1,500 for each would come to about $16.5 billion, close to the campaign’s $17 billion estimate.

What It Would Take

The governor cannot send the checks alone. Under the Texas Constitution, lawmakers can spend Rainy Day Fund money for any purpose only with a two-thirds vote of the members present in both the House and the Senate.

The fund is at record levels. The Texas Comptroller projected a balance of about $27.4 billion for fiscal 2026, above the fund’s cap of about $26.5 billion.

Democrats won control of the Texas House on Tuesday, but Republicans are expected to keep their majority in the Senate, and Democrats are likely to fall short of two-thirds in either chamber on their own, according to other local news sources. That means the plan would need Republican votes to pass.

Lawmakers would also have to decide who counts as a household, whether income limits apply and how the money would be sent, according to other local news sources.

What It Could Mean For Maverick County

Maverick County has about 18,080 households, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. At $1,500 each, that would come to about $27 million for local families. The county’s median household income is $49,568, well below the statewide median of $78,476, according to the same Census figures.

For now, the checks are a proposal and not an approved program. There is no sign-up, and residents should be wary of anyone asking for personal or bank information to “claim” a payment.

Hinojosa is set to take office Jan. 19, 2027, when the Legislature also begins its regular session.

Read our earlier coverage: Texas Republicans Push Special Session To Curb Emergency Powers Before Hinojosa Takes Office

Also read: Talarico Wins Texas Senate Seat And Hinojosa Ousts Abbott In Historic Democratic Night