Lifelong Texan here since born in Abilene in 1970. Lived in Slow-deatha, Republic of Austin, SA. Remember when we used to be “The Friendly State” with a mind your own business mentality. The state didn’t change but the Republican Party that has pretty continuously been in charge sure has. We have never really regulated business much. Same used to be pretty true about flesh and blood people (“Odessans for Decency” preventing Ozzy coming to town was an example of an exception to that rule). But, the slow creep of personal regulation is wearing this Texan’s ass out.
Reproductive rights, small-minded towns with “travel bans”, what stocks you can invest in, what books your kids can read in school, criminalization of folks navigating personal gender issues, what websites a grown-ass person can look at, adulterers with the audacity of forcing the 10 commandments posted in every classroom, public taxes to pay for religious school. The list goes on and on, largely driven by a few oil-funded, religiously extreme oligarchs. The real dismal tide.
I don’t blame any Texan for leaving. I think about it too.