Texas Senate approves bill that would end faculty tenure at public universities
Senate Bill 18 faces an uphill battle at the Texas House, where Speaker Dade Phelan has expressed concerns with completely eliminating the commonplace job protection.
Texas senators draw lots to determine how long their terms will be
After redistricting, the state constitution requires senators to draw lots to determine which half of the chamber will have four-year terms and which will have two-year terms. This keeps Senate district elections staggered every two years for the rest of the decade.
El Paso lawmakers say that despite polarized climate, Texas Legislature must act on guns, reproductive rights
During a Texas Tribune event, Democratic state Reps. Joe Moody and Claudia Ordaz Perez and state Sen. Cรฉsar Blanco said the Uvalde school shooting and the overturning of Roe v. Wade demand action in the Texas Legislature.
Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border duty
Legislative leaders overseeing the Texas Military Department say they are looking into reports of suicides, habitual pay problems and poor working conditions on Gov. Greg Abbott's highly touted border mission.
![Texas Republican leaders promised action on gun safety after the El Paso shooting. Instead, they passed permitless carry.](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/ZPUg0kqwPqwBpNsaCkTFc8_TivM=/800x536/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/JHOEGXPLSVF7ZM4TVNOO47JI6E.jpg)
Texas Republican leaders promised action on gun safety after the El Paso shooting. Instead, they passed permitless carry.
The Legislature passed a bill allowing Texans to carry handguns without a license or training โ an expansion of gun rights so divisive Republican leaders in previous years refused to touch it.
![After Atlanta and Colorado mass shootings, Texas GOP leaders double down on protecting gun owners](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/TUlz8YzLWOEljVAcE_awg2Ky9mU=/1200x803/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/QQ2M5IWYMJDVZALVEIGHDKPXOI.jpg)
After Atlanta and Colorado mass shootings, Texas GOP leaders double down on protecting gun owners
The renewed commitment from Republican leaders to protect gun owners comes as the first Texas legislative session is underway since 2019โs mass shootings in El Paso and Midland-Odessa. Credit: Callie Ricmond for The Texas TribuneTexas Republican leaders are responding to the recent back-to-back mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado with commitments to protect gun ownership in the state. The political winds have completely shifted since the Texas shootings, and Democrats now control Congress and the Oval Office. Biden, a longtime supporter of gun control laws, reinvigorated the decades-long battle surrounding federal gun laws this week when he called for an assault weapons ban and stronger background checks for gun purchases. "The Biden Administration has declared war on the entire law-abiding shooting community," said Andi Turner, legislative director for the Texas State Rifle Association.
![Watch: New Texas senators discuss plans to address COVID-19โs impact on health, businesses](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/FDBMBXfbbTqXKjfSpb7FuxHLkKc=/1200x803/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PVQWHIWRF5BGJI33DBVFZMXU3I.png)
Watch: New Texas senators discuss plans to address COVID-19โs impact on health, businesses
The health of constituents and the local economy, especially for small businesses, are the Senateโs largest focuses, Gutierrez said. He said he wants to zoom in on benefits for small businesses, but different Texas communities may require different solutions. Following guidelines is necessary so everyone can meet their goals within the 140 days of session, Springer said. โWe tamped down the pageantry around the beginning of the session,โ Blanco said. This conversation was presented by Lone Star College and supported by DoorDash, Texas Association of School Business Officials, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and TEXAS 2036.
![Join The Texas Tribune for a live interview with new members of the Texas Senate](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/SdakZNDeohIoanGW0OBsViVTyu4=/1200x803/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/27L23GMEJZDSTIXFG6IY5SAFSA.png)
Join The Texas Tribune for a live interview with new members of the Texas Senate
Cรฉsar Blanco, Roland Gutierrez and Drew Springer join The Texas Tribune for a live event on Jan. 19. Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central Jan. 19 for an interview with three new members of the Texas Senate: Cรฉsar Blanco, D-El Paso; Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio; and Drew Springer, R-Muenster. Blanco, D-El Paso, represents Senate District 29 in El Paso. Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, represents Senate District 19 in San Antonio. Though donors and corporate sponsors underwrite Texas Tribune events, they play no role in determining the content, panelists or line of questioning.