Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has expressed wariness to expanding the Compassionate Use Program, but the bill's Senate sponsor said Patrick helped craft the version that cleared a key hurdle Friday.

As lawmakers in Austin work to pass a sweeping school safety bill, many Santa Fe survivors and their loved ones say they’re focused less on what’s happening at the Capitol and more on what can be done to rebuild and uplift their community.

House Bill 1325 would legalize hemp and hemp-derived extracts like CBD oil as long as they contain no more than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive element in marijuana known as THC.

The measure aims to prohibit caller ID spoofing — when callers tamper with information transmitted to people’s phones to disguise their identities.

In a party-line vote, the upper chamber advanced a bill that would make it more difficult for cities and state agencies to remove or alter historical markers. The legislation comes amid a larger debate over whether to keep or remove Confederate monuments.

It was the second time in as many days that the lower chamber moved to increase which medical conditions allow Texans to use CBD oil for treatment. But both bills face an uphill battle in the Senate.

The bill by state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, is one of two that aim to expand the scope of the narrow Compassionate Use Act and have gained traction this legislative session.

State Rep. Dade Phelan added the provision to a Senate bill that would bar cities from enacting rules on how businesses schedule their employees’ shifts. LGBTQ groups worried that without the language, businesses could pick which employees get certain benefits.

While critics say fantasy sports sites are hubs for illegal online gambling, others contend the games are based on skill and are therefore legitimate.

Black students, who are already overrepresented in disciplinary referrals, say their fears come as lawmakers consider a slew of bills to expand the state's school marshal program in response to a deadly shooting last year.

His comment comes the day after the Texas House gave preliminary approval to the bill in a 98-43 vote.

The lower chamber gave initial approval to a bill creating a pretrial process to determine if a capital murder defendant is intellectually disabled — more than 15 years after the U.S. Supreme Court said executing such prisoners is cruel and unusual punishment.

The House vote Monday is the first time the lower chamber approved such a measure, marking significant progress. But the opposition of the lieutenant governor remains a major hurdle.

Senate Bill 11 is authored by state Sen. Larry Taylor, whose district includes Santa Fe High School.

The House approved the changes in amendments to a broader bill about the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's operations. The Senate still could strip the changes from the bill.

The sick-leave ordinance was approved by a 10-4 vote despite efforts in the Texas Legislature and the courts to ban such rules.

The executive director of Texas Gun Rights said Bonnen should apologize for how he characterized McNutt's lobbying efforts for "constitutional carry" legislation that has since been declared dead in the lower chamber.

Hemp is a cousin of the marijuana plant, but it contains low levels of the psychoactive element in marijuana known as THC. The House's bill will now go to the Senate.

Austin previously passed a “ban the box” ordinance preventing private employers from asking potential job candidates’ criminal history before extending a conditional job offer. If state Sen. Brandon Creighton’s bill passes, local governments couldn’t implement such laws.

As Confederate monument supporters said history shouldn't be erased, Democratic state Rep. Jarvis Johnson of Houston asked if markers depicting slaves hanging from trees should be erected.