INSIDER
One Senate Democrat joined Republicans, providing the margin needed to approve Justin Berry to the state law-enforcement board.
Senate Bill 7, which won unanimous approval, is among legislation that seeks to avert a looming water crisis as the state’s population booms.
Authorities did not say how the individuals arrested in Hays County may be tied to the Venezuelan gang. It was also unclear what criminal charges people may face, though drugs were seized.
Lottery couriers have gained newfound scrutiny in Texas after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick raised questions about the use of a courier to sell an $83.5 million jackpot ticket.
The legislation was written after the state’s largest wildfire scorched more than 1 million acres in the Panhandle last year.
The senator’s embrace of the state party chair could neutralize a potential threat as Cornyn faces a challenging primary terrain.
The Committee on Public Education in the Texas House of Representatives canceled a hearing on school vouchers hours before the meeting was set to begin.
The House Public Education Committee released new proposals for creating education savings accounts and determining how much state funds public districts get. But a scheduled meeting about the bills was canceled.
Paxton’s office launched an investigation into the district’s policy after an administrator was caught on tape discussing a possible loophole in the state’s ban.
Fast-growing Georgetown plans to pump 89 million gallons a day from the Carrizo Wilcox Aquifer but the project is being fought by Bryan, College Station and Texas A&M University, which depend on the same water.
Dozens of Texas superintendents met with lawmakers this month in Austin to back a bill some believe could curb violence against teachers in the classroom.
The State Democratic Executive Committee will meet on Saturday to elect the successor to party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa.
A Tribune analysis also found the state’s share of the funds that schools receive per student significantly decreased in the last decade until recently.
Maria Rojas’ attorneys got their first chance to address the claims against her Thursday. She was released on bond but a judge ordered the clinics to remain closed.
Some health care providers in support of Senate Bill 2880 said people who are mailed abortion pills aren’t given instructions and do not receive follow-up care.
Senate Bill 31 supporters say it would clarify when doctors should intervene to save a pregnant woman’s life, but critics say its vagueness and a measure to resurrect pre-Roe laws hamper it.
Superior HealthPlan’s CEO, whom lawmakers grilled about the company’s alleged hiring of private investigators, was reportedly fired after the inquiry was announced.
A Texas judge last month ordered Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who practices north of New York City, to pay the penalty for allegedly breaking that state’s law by prescribing abortion medication via telemedicine.
Only Gov. Greg Abbott can call for a special session. But in his role presiding over the Texas Senate, Patrick can block any bill from passing, giving him leverage to compel overtime sessions by killing must-pass legislation.
About two-thirds of Texas prisons are not fully air conditioned, and dozens of inmates have died in the sweltering heat.
More than a year after Texas’ House Bill 8 took effect, some schools have offered free tuition, grown dual credit programs or helped students’ credits transfer when they move on to four-year schools.
Republicans hold a tiny majority in the House, creating an incentive for Abbott to hold off on calling an election for Turner’s seat, which would likely be filled by a Democrat.
Lawmakers propose addressing antisemitism by requiring schools to use a set definition. Critics say the measure will stifle speech.
Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorom Report, appeared Tuesday during KSAT’s 6 O’Clock News to discuss the latest on school voucher proposals and legislation that would ban THC products in the state.
The new DA campaigned on seeking the death penalty for the 2019 massacre, but said he offered the gunman a plea deal of life in prison to avoid dragging out the case for several more years.
Next step will be action in the state House, where budget writers have different plans for distributing property tax help.
A state Representative announced he is reversing course and will not pursue his own proposed legislation that would have dismantled the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The government spent years probing allegations that a Dallas HOA created rules to kick poor Black people out and that Texas discriminated against minority residents in Houston after Hurricane Harvey, only to suddenly reverse course under Trump.
Reps. Tom Craddick and Brooks Landgraf want to divert 10% of taxes collected on oil and gas production to help budget-strapped counties keep up with growth.
Jim Davis told professors he’ll share their concerns with lawmakers about proposals that would increase oversight on curricula and hiring. Elsewhere on campus, former UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell criticized the bills.
Judge Lee H. Rosenthal said the student group that organizes Draggieland, the Queer Empowerment Council, was likely to succeed in showing the ban violates the First Amendment.
Gov. Greg Abbott has made water a priority for this legislative session. Lawmakers will debate whether to invest more into new water supplies or repairing old, leaking pipes around Texas.
Supporters say diversity initiatives close educational and income gaps born from a history of prejudice. Republican officials say they prioritize identity over merit.
Critics fear increased election prosecutions could intimidate voters and local election officials. Attorney General Ken Paxton has long sought more autonomy over election cases.
The measles vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective against the disease, which is highly contagious and can be life threatening.
Lawmakers say several bills under consideration Thursday would “address the unchecked authority of faculty.” They would expand university governing boards’ oversight powers.
Lawmakers, who are preempting locals on lot sizes in new subdivisions, have been eyeing ways to allow more homes to be built as the state faces a shortage.
The winning ticket, purchased online through the courier Jackpocket, is being scrutinized by lawmakers concerned about the legality of third-party services.
The attorney general office’s lawsuit is based on an undercover video published in February by a conservative activist group.
Senate Bill 4, the Texas law that makes illegally crossing the border a state crime, will continue to be challenged by two immigrant rights groups and El Paso County.
Edwards unsuccessfully ran for the seat twice last year. She faced off against U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the 2024 Democratic primary. Jackson Lee won the primary but died before the general election, opening the party’s nomination anew
A proposal to create a statewide system connecting emergency personnel and agencies is among several bills that target problems exposed in 2024.
The proposal aims to make working conditions safer for teachers but critics worry it could push the state’s most vulnerable students out of the classroom.
If the proposal becomes law, Texas would follow in the footsteps of several Democrat- and Republican-led states that have enacted similar bans.
A possible reassignment of the charitable games comes as 15 bills in the Legislature seek to either alter or abolish the troubled agency.
Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, said Texas A&M is better positioned to grow the Victoria school and serve the region’s petrochemical and agriculture industries.
After a lawmaker filed a bill to dismantle Texas Parks and Wildlife and reassign its responsibilities to three state agencies, the department said it is “proud of the important role” it serves.
Proponents say the changes would better serve special education students with widely varying needs — and help schools pay for it.
Most lawmakers — as well as Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — want to invest big in water. Here are the proposals that would do it.
The district has been a Democratic stronghold, held for decades by Sheila Jackson Lee and most recently by former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who died March 5.
Underprepared teachers have been tied to student learning losses. But amid a teacher shortage crisis, school leaders fear the restrictions will lead to fewer instructors in their classrooms.
A Senate bill filed Friday does not expand abortion access, but aims to give doctors clarity while operating under laws that come with up to life in prison.
Per the attorney general’s nonbinding opinion, state agencies should change gender markers on government documents back to a person’s sex assigned at birth.
The Texas universities are among dozens accused of violating the law by partnering with a group that had sought to increase diversity in graduate programs.
The feds are adding thousands of beds to hold families in Texas, which reportedly holds the most immigrants of any state at its 21 detention centers.
Proposed legislation includes increased penalties for retail theft, car burglaries and forgery, among others.
The proposed legislation aims to establish Education Savings Accounts, sparking debate over tuition coverage and equity in Texas' educational landscape.
The state House and Senate have similar proposals to solve the state's water crisis, but there are stark differences on how to invest billions of dollars to resolve.
Senate Bill 37 would create a state office to investigate complaints against universities and require governing boards to ensure courses don’t endorse certain ideologies.
Turner, who spent nearly three decades in the Texas House and died last week, was remembered as a passionate Democrat committed to working across the aisle.
The Biden administration had challenged a Republican-led redistricting plan that diluted the political power of minorities. Other legal challenges will continue.
A letter sent this week claims the grant recipients, including many Texas cities and counties, may have illegally “induced” undocumented immigrants to enter the country.
Attorney General Ken Paxton said a recent statement by Dallas’ interim police chief raised concerns that the city might be violating a state law against so-called sanctuary city policies.
George Stewart sued Texas Tech University Health Science Center and five other medical schools claiming they rejected him in favor of lesser qualified students of color.
The state’s water supply faces numerous threats. And by one estimate, the state’s municipal supply will not meet demand by 2030 if there’s a severe drought and no water solutions are implemented.
Texans who fall behind on their property taxes face one of the most punitive systems in the nation, where private collection companies can tack up to 20% onto their bill.
The bill would have set deadlines for the oil and gas industry to plug inactive wells, which can pose a danger to the environment.
All 20 GOP senators signed on to Senate Bill 16, which would apply to currently registered voters, and restrict some to only congressional elections.
Although the president has said he wants to “get rid of” the act, Rep. Michael McCaul and Sen. John Cornyn say it supports jobs and national security.
