False ad depicting Dade Phelan with Nancy Pelosi could inspire new anti-deepfake legislation
A mailer, paid for by the Jeff Yass-bankrolled Club for Growth Action PAC, falsely depicted Phelan in a hug with former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Texas lawmakers and agency leaders experiment, ponder policies for an AI future
Agencies like the Texas Department of Transportation are using the technology to react to crashes and prepare invoices. More uses and regulations are coming.
More than a third of state agencies are using AI. Texas is beginning to examine its potential impact.
Amid fears that AI could heighten bias or affect privacy, the state is forming an advisory committee to recommend how the technology is deployed. โWeโre gonna have to set up some rules,โ the committeeโs founder says.
Speaker Dade Phelan endorses Medicaid expansion for new mothers, repeal of โtampon taxโ in first batch of 2023 priorities
The leader of the state House also threw his support behind bills to crack down on how companies handle private data and to protect children from โaddictive algorithmsโ by digital companies.
State leaders wonโt commit to specifics about how much they might invest in childrenโs mental health
As public debate intensifies over how the state will divvy up billions in new money, community groups that treat children for mental illness fear theyโre not a priority.
Social media companies canโt ban Texans over political viewpoints under new law
The law requires social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to produce regular reports of removed content and disclose their content regulations procedures.
Texas Senate advances bill that would outlaw abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned
Called a โtriggerโ law, House Bill 1280 would take effect 30 days after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe decision or after a court ruling or constitutional amendment gave states the authority to prohibit abortions.
As Austin voters weigh camping ban proposition, Texas lawmakers consider bills to prohibit homeless encampments statewide
The Texas Legislature is considering bills that would ban homeless encampments statewide, almost two years after the city of Austin decided to lift a similar local ban โ a move that critics say triggered the proliferation of tent cities throughout Austin.
Speaker Dade Phelan shakes up Texas House leadership with new chairs on key committees
Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan shook up the chamberโs committee leadership Thursday, signaling who his top lieutenants will be during his first session overseeing the lower chamber. State Rep. Greg Bonnen, a Friendswood Republican, will now oversee the budget-planning House Appropriations Committee, replacing state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake. Dutton replaces state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, the longtime chair who in 2019 helped pass massive reforms to the stateโs school finance system. Hunter replaces state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford. Meanwhile, state Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, replaces state Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, as chair of the House Administration Committee; state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, replaces state Rep. Four Price, R-Amarillo, as chair of the House Calendars Committee, and state Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall, will serve as chair of the House State Affairs Committee, which Phelan oversaw during the 2019 session.