The Senate passed its version of the TSA "anti-groping" bill tonight. Meanwhile, the House version is still alive — and significantly changed. The House tentatively approved it on a voice vote this afternoon.

A Senate committee approved a new version of the TSA "anti-groping" bill today, which substitutes the language "probable cause" for "reasonable suspicion."

The House appears set on passing a non-binding TSA anti-groping resolution, instead of Rep. David Simpson's bill. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst says a Senate committee will hear the upper chamber's version of the bill on Monday.

In the wake of high-profile data breaches that left the personal information of millions of state workers exposed, state lawmakers are trying to strike a balance between promoting transparency and protecting records.

The Tribune counts down to the end of the special session with updates on where the major issues added to the agenda by Gov. Rick Perry stand. 

Lawmakers filed a whopping 5,796 bills during the 82nd legislative session and approved nearly a quarter of them. Use our updated data visualizations to take a closer look at how bills performed in the upper and lower chambers, how each political party and committee fared, and how many bills Gov. Rick Perry vetoed.

Curious which Texans in Congress are investing in oil and natural gas, and who has a wallet full of credit cards? The Clerk’s Office at the U.S. House of Representatives released lawmakers' 2011 financial disclosure reports today. The Texas Tribune has uploaded all the documents here.

We’ve culled the Tribune’s coverage of the budget battle and created an interactive timeline to link readers back to the major developments.

The Texas House passed a bill today to take control of Texas health care reform, tentatively passing a bill that will allow the state to petition the Obama administration for a block grant to operate the Medicaid program.

Rep. Donna Howard's proposal to direct surplus Rainy Day Fund money to Texas schools for enrollment growth survived to fight another day during debate on the House floor this morning, but not before a Republican attempt to derail it.

In the just-ended legislative session, freshman state Rep. David Simpson made a name for himself — and not always a nice one — with his passionate push for the “anti-groping” airport bill and his outspoken stance against proposals he believed represented government intrusion into personal freedoms. 

Rep. David Simpson, a conservative Tea Party freshman from Longview, stood out in the Texas 82nd legislative session for his principled stance on limited government. His actions stirred criticism, laughs and curiosity from fellow lawmakers. Check out this interactive timeline with links to stories, videos and documents to take a look back at the waves Simpson made in the Texas Legislature.

The “anti-groping” bill may not be dead just yet. State Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, who authored the original bill, is renewing his quest to uphold the Fourth Amendment in the special session. 

Hope for a smoke-free Texas seems officially snuffed. State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, said today that a statewide smoking ban would not live on as an amendment to Senate Bill 1811.

The debate over whether to set up an animal cruelty registry continues. In a close vote, 63 to 78, the House sent HB 1103 to conference.