On the heels of the national Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, state-level efforts have been organized across the country to advocate for improving the health of residents in various states by addressing the rise of chronic disease, improving nutrition, and tackling preventable health challenges.
Many of these efforts have turned to state legislatures to pass laws that the state-level groups believe will have a positive impact on health outcomes for them and their neighbors.
From West Virginia to Florida, state legislators are putting forth and passing state laws meant to improve overall public health. Historically reserved for more liberal states, the new focus on preventable disease and diet has broken down traditional partisan lines and is being championed by conservatives and liberals alike.
Texas is no different. In February, Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R – SD18), who serves as the chairwoman of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, announced the Make Texas Healthy Again legislative agenda, which aims to pass legislation on childhood nutrition, chronic disease prevention, and health education reform in Texas.
“For the last forty-five years, the health of Americans has gotten worse,” said Kolkhorst. “This is not a Republican thing. This is not a Democrat thing. This is an American thing.”
The Texas Legislature designated March 4, 2025 as Make Texans Health Again Day and a Make America Healthy Again – Texas Caucus was formed and has grown to 29 members.
Behind much of this momentum is Travis McCormick, an Austin-based government relations and communications consultant with over a decade of government and political campaign experience .
“Last December, I decided to start this movement because I think we’re having a moment in this country, especially with the national Make America Healthy Again movement and I didn’t want Texas to miss out,” said McCormick.
McCormick believed that he could take his professional skill set and put it to work for what he views as a purpose with paramount importance – improving the health of Texans. McCormick said he has worked on lots of political campaigns and has also been on the staff of members of the Texas House and Senate and was chief of staff to Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian.
“I have worked in and around the political sphere for the last 15 years and thought I could really help advance this cause in Texas,” said McCormick.
He said that the health reality on the ground is stark and the approach of managing bad health outcomes as the primary function of health care has not been effective over time.
“42.8% of Americans are obese right now and that rate has tripled over the last 50 years,” said McCormick.
The issue is also personal for McCormick. He said that he used to be a part of that large population of people who struggled with obesity and the health problems associated with it.
“I’ve lost 80 pounds over the last few years and the benefits are incredible,” said McCormick. “I’m able to be present with my daughter when I’m off work.”
McCormick said that before changing his diet, prioritizing exercise, and shedding the weight, his energy levels were low, it was much more difficult to get around, and he had a constant mental fog that was inhibiting his life. And he believes that many Texans face similar challenges.
“Texas is, generally, not one of the healthiest states,” said McCormick. “As an example, Medicaid spending in Texas has tripled in the last 20 years.”
Foundationally, McCormick said that a large part of the problem is education about diet and how to prevent disease. So, as part of the Make Texans Healthy Again legislative agenda, there is a push to increase the requirements for nutrition education for the state’s doctors.
“Poor nutrition is what leads to a lot of these diseases,” said McCormick. “The bill says, if you’re a medical student, you have to at least take a semester in nutrition.”
But it’s not just medical schools that need reform, said McCormick. It’s our public schools as well.
Senate Bill 314 by Senator Bryan Hughes, which McCormick supports, would ban 14 food additives, including harmful chemicals and artificial dyes, from free and reduced-price meals served in Texas’ public schools.
With the support of McCormick and his organization, Make Texans Health Again, the bill passed out of the Texas Senate 30-1 on March 12.
“It passed nearly unanimously out of the Senate,” said McCormick. “When you’re doing it for something that’s using taxpayer dollars that impacts the health of our children, it’s a lot easier to get done.”
Other bills McCormick is supporting, like SB379 which would prohibit purchases of certain junk foods, like soda and candy, under the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), are facing more obstacles.
While SB379 passed out of the Texas Senate on a vote of 22 to 8, its companion bill HB5243 by Representative Gerdes was considered in the Texas House Public Health Committee but is currently left pending. No vote has been taken.
During the committee hearing, people signed up and testified in favor of the bill but it also drew opposition, including from the Texas Retailers Association and Every Texan.
In his testimony to the committee, McCormick said, “this is a common sense measure that ensures tax dollars nourish, not harm, our most vulnerable Texans. Right now, ultra-processed foods make up 57% of the average American’s caloric intake. These foods are linked to metabolic dysfunction, obesity, chronic disease, and they’re being subsidized with public funds.”
“Removing a handful of harmful products from SNAP is one of the simplest, least controversial things we can do to make the program better and serve its mission,” said McCormick, which is to “help low income families afford nutritious food essential to health and well-being.”
On its website, Make Texans Healthy Again outlines its other priority bills for the 89th legislative session, including a comprehensive study on chronic disease, nutrition, and health care costs in Texas, supporting Texas’ cottage food industry, and ensuring human oversight of healthcare decisions.
Although McCormick said he is excited about the gains that will be made this legislative session, he believes this is just the start of a longer-term effort to improve health outcomes in Texas.
“I think next session we’ll look to expand on some of our success this session.”