With looming deadlines threatening to kill a slew of bills aiming to bolster access to public records in Texas, Sen. Kirk Watson muscled them closer to the governor's desk — all at once. Full Story
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The bill would mandate that county jails divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues toward treatment, make it easier for defendants with a mental illness or intellectual disability to receive a personal bond and require that independent law enforcement agencies investigate jail deaths. Full Story
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Senate Bill 1289 by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, would increase “Buy America” provisions already in effect for the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Water Development Board to all state agencies. Full Story
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A Texas Senate panel approved legislation Thursday that would end straight-ticket voting in all elections. Full Story
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Stuart Bowen, inspector general for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, resigned amid revelations that he was moonlighting for a private firm that provided services for the government of Iraq. Full Story
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The Senate sponsor of a bill meant to create statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies said Thursday he had stripped a controversial amendment that would define "sex" as "the physical condition of being male or female.” Full Story
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After failing by one vote on the House floor Wednesday night, a bill to penalize law enforcement agencies that don't report police shootings to the state was reconsidered and passed. Full Story
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The House substitute of controversial Senate Bill 2 was left pending after state Rep. Dennis Bonnen railed against local leaders still unhappy with changes to the property tax bill. Full Story
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It's countdown time. Thursday is the last day that House-originated legislation can receive tentative approval in the lower chamber. Here's what you need to know. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: A company tackles the challenge of interoperability with student data, a new trend emerges with the fidget spinner and an interview with Bradley Carpenter of the University of Houston. Full Story
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As a House bill that would raise the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18 languishes in the Senate in the final weeks of the legislative session, the bill's author promises "a funeral" for Senate bills if his bill dies. Full Story
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Turnout among Texas Hispanics eligible to vote rose slightly in the 2016 presidential elections compared to four years earlier, according to newly released U.S. Census data. Full Story
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With a major bill for students with disabilities flying to the governor's desk, special education advocates are looking ahead to smaller bills that might not survive the upcoming deadlines for legislation to pass. Full Story
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Discussion over a bill that would improve the state’s Child Protective Services agency turned into a heated debate over vaccines — and whether they should be required for children placed in foster care. Full Story
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Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are seeking to void a number of major rulings in the securities fraud case against him, arguing the judge who made them did not have the authority to do so. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Aman talks to Evan, Ross and Alexa about Gov. Greg Abbott's surprise signing of Senate Bill 4, how the law will impact Texans, and why the floor of the Texas House is generating so much drama this week. Full Story
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For the second time in a week, a Texas death row inmate had his sentenced tossed out. Robert Campbell, 44, has been on death row for nearly 25 years in a Houston kidnapping and murder. Full Story
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Faith-based adoption agencies in Texas would be able to reject prospective parents on religious grounds under a bill the state House approved Tuesday over objections from Democratic lawmakers. Full Story
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The two senators from Texas said Wednesday that President Donald Trump was within the bounds of his authority to fire now-former FBI Director James Comey. Full Story
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Matthew Dowd, a political commentator and former strategist for George W. Bush, announced Wednesday that he will not challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Full Story
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