As the Texas board of education prepares to adopt controversial new standards for social studies in May, many observers and news outlets have emphasized that the action may have ripple effects that reach classrooms far beyond the Lone Star State. Yet the extent of Texas' reach is a matter of debate, and recent legislation opens up new sources of digital learning materials for the state's school districts. That development seems likely to loosen the hold of the polarized state board on the market even within its own borders. Texas has long been seen as having an outsized influence on publishers' wares, because of both the size of the market, which is second only to California's, and the fact that it's among the 20 "adoption" states that identify lists of approved instructional materials for districts to use. Texas' revised social studies standards will guide the eventual adoption of new textbooks and related materials for the state. Regardless of the degree of influence Texas wields on texts nationally, recent state laws on digital materials could force change. Amid concerns about the high cost of printed textbooks and the rapidity with which they become outdated, the Texas market for instructional materials is poised for a potential sea change. The recent legislation (House Bill 4294 and House Bill 2488) is expected to provide districts with new sources of digital textbooks and other electronic classroom materials.