Lawmakers are debating GOP congressional maps. What does redistricting mean for Texans?
From urban cores to rural regions, Texans' needs differ. Experts worry new districts encompassing geographically distant communities will dilute their voices.
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Hurricane Harvey destroyed this Texas county’s courthouse. Eight years later, it’s still not finished.
The Aransas County courthouse was supposed to open in 2023. But officials have faced voter backlash and a constant stream of design and construction problems that have delayed the opening.
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2026 Texas Elections
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higher education
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2026 Texas Elections
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Former Speaker Dade Phelan won’t seek reelection to Texas House
As speaker, Phelan oversaw passage of numerous conservative priorities, but he gave up the gavel under pressure from the far right over the House’s impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, speaks with other representatives on the House floor on May 19, 2025.]()
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Texas bill protecting sex trafficking victims from some criminal charges advances
Senate Bill 11 would shield victims from prosecution from some crimes if they’re threatened or coerced into the act by their trafficker. Full Story
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Texas House approves GOP congressional map after two-week delay from Democrats’ walkout
Republican lawmakers are pursuing the unusual mid-decade redistricting plan amid pressure from President Donald Trump to protect the GOP’s slim majority in the U.S. House. Full Story
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Texas redistricting map: How the GOP could increase its stronghold
Texas is on the brink of redrawing congressional districts in a partisan bid to give Republicans five additional districts. The move is setting off a bipartisan war across the U.S. Full Story
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Credit: Carla Astudillo and Jason Kao
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Republican Stan Lambert of Abilene won’t seek reelection to Texas House
Lambert overcame a brutal primary last year after drawing the wrath of two of the state’s most powerful GOP leaders. Full Story
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![Texas House District 71 Rep. Stan Lambert gestures during an interview at Monk’s Coffee shop in Abilene Thursday Feb. 8, 2024.]()
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Health insurance carriers request raising ACA premiums by more than 20% on average in Texas
Health insurers are hiking policy premiums in response to proposed federal cuts and rising costs in various parts of the health care sector. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott asks for new penalties for lawmakers who flee to halt legislative sessions
The governor announced he was expanding his special session agenda shortly after the Texas House passed a congressional map that Democrats had delayed by leaving the state. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Abbott spoke about Texas’s response to screwworm as well as addressed California Governor Gavin Newsom's comments and actions regarding redistricting.]()
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Texas county cuts over 100 polling sites as Trump attacks mail-in voting nationally
The decision in Tarrant County comes amid growing concern about GOP efforts to limit voting access ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Full Story
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“My daughter was stolen from me": Grieving parents point to Texas camp failures at Capitol hearing
Senate Bill 1, which would require more oversight of emergency plans and evacuation procedures at summer camps, was advanced after the emotional hearing Wednesday. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Death row inmate Robert Roberson claims judicial misconduct in bid for new trial
A new petition claims Anderson County judges acted unconstitutionally multiple times in both Roberson’s case and in recognizing custody of his daughter. Full Story
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![Shackled and chained, Robert Roberson is led into court by Anderson County Sheriff’s Office deputies on July 16, 2025. A new execution date of Oct. 16, 2025 was set by presiding Judge Austin Jackson of Smith County at the Anderson County Courthouse in Palestine.]()
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Judge temporarily blocks Texas’ Ten Commandments requirement in 11 school districts
The attorneys challenging the new state law hope that other school districts won’t implement it after a federal judge found it unconstitutional. Full Story
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UT System names John Zerwas as chancellor, Jim Davis as UT-Austin president
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El Paso judge blocks Ken Paxton from taking legal action against Beto O’Rourke’s political group
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Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños for The Texas Tribune
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How Texas' “bathroom bills” have evolved over a decade
More than 20 bills that would restrict restroom use for transgender people have been proposed since 2015, but their language — and reception — have shifted. Full Story
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Learn more about Texas schools: Search our updated K-12 explorer
The Texas Tribune’s database now includes the state education agency’s 2024-25 ratings of public and charter schools. Full Story
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From Fort Worth to McAllen, Texans could lose clout in Washington if GOP changes political lines
The GOP push to redraw the state’s congressional maps isn’t just a partisan move but one that deeply affects how Texans are represented in Congress. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, testifies during a redistricting committee hearing held at the University of Texas at Arlington on July 28, 2025.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune
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Rep. Nicole Collier spends night on Texas House floor after refusing police escort
The Fort Worth Democrat refused to sign a permission slip that allowed quorum-breaking lawmakers to leave the Capitol while being shadowed by a state trooper. Full Story
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Credit: REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona -
Texas prison agency names senior official as its next chief
Bobby Lumpkin, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s COO, will take over the the top role on Sept. 1, following Bryan Collier’s retirement. Full Story
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Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Fifth Circuit halts West Texas A&M drag show ban as free speech lawsuit continues
In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the school’s prohibition on drag performances, finding students are likely to prove it violates the First Amendment. Full Story
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Credit: David Bowser for The Texas Tribune - More News