SB 1381
Middleton Bill Turns ‘Donated’ Wind Turbine Blades Into A Border Wall
Died in committee
Verdict: Certified scam
Why it's charged
Rider: Caption mismatch
The caption promises a program to accept donated blades, but subsection (c) lets the commission order any operator of a retired wind facility to ship its blades. A required handover is not a donation. The caption also never mentions the border wall that is the program's actual purpose.
Rider: Caption mismatchOn Nov 1, 2026 the editor checked this charge against the bill text and certified it.
Reviewed · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to creating a program allowing the state to accept and use donated wind turbine blades; authorizing a fee.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Caption: donated blades. Bill: the commission can require any retired wind facility to ship them!
The bill orders the state facilities commission to create a program that uses retired wind turbine blades to build a wall or barrier along the Texas-Mexico border. It lets the commission charge a fee to cover collecting, moving and storing the blades, and it lets the commission require wind facility operators to ship their retired blades to a site the commission picks. The caption describes accepting donated blades, but the text lets the state order operators to hand them over. The program starts September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: FEE INCLUDED. The caption of the graded version (introduced) reads: “relating to creating a program allowing the state to accept and use donated wind turbine blades; authorizing a fee.”NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 19, 2025 and referred to the Senate Border Security committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB1381 · 2025-02-19
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to creating a program allowing the state to accept and use donated wind turbine blades; authorizing a fee.
WHAT IT DOES
Caption: donated blades. Bill: the commission can require any retired wind facility to ship them!
The bill orders the state facilities commission to create a program that uses retired wind turbine blades to build a wall or barrier along the Texas-Mexico border. It lets the commission charge a fee to cover collecting, moving and storing the blades, and it lets the commission require wind facility operators to ship their retired blades to a site the commission picks. The caption describes accepting donated blades, but the text lets the state order operators to hand them over. The program starts September 1, 2025.
CERTIFIED SCAM CHARGES
[x] RIDER: CAPTION MISMATCHanalysis confidence 75%
The caption promises a program to accept donated blades, but subsection (c) lets the commission order any operator of a retired wind facility to ship its blades. A required handover is not a donation. The caption also never mentions the border wall that is the program's actual purpose.
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Border Security
ALSO NOTED · NOT CHARGED (1)
NEW FEE, FUND, BOARD OR APPOINTEES · analysis confidence 40%
THE TEXT
“(b) The commission may charge a fee in an amount necessary”…
Bill text, introduced version (I)
The bill creates a new fee to cover the program's costs. The caption discloses the fee, so this is a tag rather than a hidden charge.
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Jul 6, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1,140,000.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$1,140,000.00
- Cash
- $1,140,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $1,140,000.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$1,140,000.00
- Cash
- $1,140,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $1,140,000.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Adversarial review by claude-opus-5-5 at high effort: Certified scam.
Confirming read by claude-fable-5-1 at high effort: Certified scam.
Opus 5.5 reviewed the candidate before Fable's confirmation read.
Analysis of text version I by claude-fable-5-1, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Feb 19, 2025
03/06/2025 S Referred to Border Security
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 5:18 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · Border Security · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Law Enforcement
Public Lands, Buildings & Resources
BORDER
FACILITIES COMMISSION, TEXAS
Text
The text as introduced · 182 words
By: Middleton S.B. No. 1381 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to creating a program allowing the state to accept and use donated wind turbine blades; authorizing a fee. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter 2152, Government Code, is amended by adding Subchapter D to read as follows: SUBCHAPTER D. PROGRAMS Sec. 2152.151. WIND TURBINE BLADE RECYCLING PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall create a program and promulgate rules to use decommissioned wind turbine blades to construct a wall or barrier along the Texas-Mexico border. (b) The commission may charge a fee in an amount necessary to recover the cost of administering the program, including the cost of collecting, transporting, and storing the wind turbine blades. (c) The commission may require the operator of any decommissioned wind turbine generator or wind power facility to ship permanently decommissioned wind turbine blade to a location set by the commission in order to assist in the construction of a border wall or barrier along the Texas-Mexico border. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.