Texas used a $1 insurance fee sold as theft prevention to fund thousands of surveillance cameras

Texas added a $1 fee to insurance policies, telling customers it would help stop catalytic converter theft. The money — over $30 million — instead bought 3,200 AI cameras that read car license plates, sent to police through 95 state grants. Most policyholders had no idea. Governor Abbott halted state spending on the cameras on August 28, 2026.