Texas Scorecard by Brandon Waltens September 12, 2025
The legislation comes in response to the controversial proposed EPIC city. Gov. Greg Abbott ceremonially signed legislation in McKinney aimed at tightening property protections in response to a controversial Islamic residential development proposed for Collin County.
Abbott has framed the issue as “banning Sharia compounds,” though the legislation does not especially mention any specific religion.
House Bill 4211, authored by State Rep. Candy Noble (R–Lucas) and carried in the Senate by State Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney), creates a framework for regulating “business entity-owned residential arrangements,” an ownership model critics say was used to sidestep state property law in the East Plano Islamic Center’s (EPIC) planned “EPIC City” and “EPIC Ranches” projects.
Abbott told attendees the measure was needed to ensure religious freedom is not twisted into religious segregation.
“Religious freedom is a central part of the Texas Constitution,” Abbott said. “But bad actors like EPIC and EPIC City tried to use religion as a form of segregation. EPIC proposed an Islamic-only development just outside of Plano. They structured it so that only Muslims would be able to buy property and that any resale had to be to another Muslim or back to EPIC City. That is blatant religious discrimination.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/abbott-signs-law-he-says-will-ban-sharia-compounds-in-texas/
