Republicans began gathering in Fort Worth for their state convention. Aside from the open-carry activists outside, the initial focus fell on the work of the platform committee, which was reworking language from two years ago on immigration reform. In addition, a plank on homosexuality was being reworked after a gay GOP group, the Log Cabin Republicans, was denied a booth at the convention.

Attorney General Greg Abbott asked the presiding judge in the challenge to the state's school finance system to recuse himself. At question, according to Abbott, are emails sent by District Judge John Dietz to attorneys working for the school districts challenging the state. Dietz declined the request and now the matter will go to San Antonio Judge David Peeples.

President Barack Obama issued an order to dramatically slash carbon dioxide emissions from the country's power plants. The action is expected to have a large impact in Texas because the state is the nation's largest emitter of the greenhouse gas.

A recommendation from the state's Sunset Advisory Commission to shutter six of Texas' 13 state-supported living centers has reopened a giant divide in the disability community that had seemed to narrow in recent years. Singled out for closure was the Austin center, which could shutter by August 2017.