Vice President, Communications
Merrill helps Texans better understand the research, data and policy choices shaping the state's future. Before joining Texas 2036, she spent more than three decades advising Fortune 500 companies, trade associations and nonprofits across Texas on strategic communications and public affairs.
The 2026 Texas general election is almost here, bringing plenty of attention to the race for governor and a long list of other races that will help shape the state’s direction for the next several years. But for all the excitement around a gubernatorial election, turnout in these elections still trails presidential years. In 2022,…
The General Appropriations Act is the most consequential bill the Legislature passes each session. The state budget funds the programs state agencies run and the resources they need to carry out laws passed in earlier sessions. Last month, Texas 2036 testified at the Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) hearings for five of Texas’ key infrastructure and…
For the 2028-29 biennium, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas is asking the Legislature for an additional $110 million to hold growth of average TRS-ActiveCare premiums below 10% in FY 2028. During TRS’ Legislative Appropriations Request on Sept. 9, Texas 2036 testified in support of this request but also used this moment to bring up…
Healthcare consolidation in Texas has accelerated as hospitals acquire physician practices, insurers extend their reach into pharmacies, and private equity firms take ownership stakes across the healthcare delivery system. In our 10th Texas Voter Poll, we find that Texas voters have noticed the gap between what they can see and what is actually happening to…
Texas 2036’s 10th wave of the Texas Voter Poll was released earlier this week. Here is some context about the poll and why it matters. What Makes our Poll Unique Voter polls — especially ones administered close to an election — tend to focus on which candidate a voter is more likely to vote for,…
One of the clearest findings from our 10th Texas Voter Poll is that Texans share broad agreement on many of the challenges facing the state. Looking at the results by partisanship shows where different groups place greater emphasis though. For Democratic voters, several themes recur across the poll: education, healthcare affordability, workforce preparation and the…