Latest Contributions

• New Texas law criminalizes drone use near animal farms

  by Andy Duehren Sept. 28, 2017

  House Bill 1643 makes it a crime to operate a drone over “concentrated animal feeding operations,” as well as telecommunication facilities and certain oil and gas facilities. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Eddie Seal

• New law means extra costs for large craft brewers — unless they're owned by brewing giants

  by Andy Duehren Sept. 13, 2017

  House Bill 3287 requires craft brewers that produce more than 225,000 barrels a year to pay a distributor to deliver their beer — even if the destination is inside their own facility. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Erika Rich for The Texas Tribune

• With bathroom bill dead, Pastor Council looks to future fights

  by Andy Duehren Aug. 18, 2017

  Founded in 2003 as a group of Houston-area pastors, the Texas Pastor Council has grown into a burgeoning statewide apparatus with eyes on someday becoming a nationwide force. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Marjorie Kamys Cotera

• House approves tree removal bill, breaking from Abbott and Senate

  by Andy Duehren July 27, 2017

  The Texas House has given early approval to a bill that would allow property owners to plant new trees to offset municipal fees for tree removal on their land. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Muliadi Soenaryo

• As lawmakers try to curb local Texas governments, big-city mayors left out of meetings with Abbott

  by Andy Duehren and Brandon Formby Updated: July 26, 2017

  The governor held the first of three scheduled meetings with Texas mayors on Wednesday — but there's no word yet on whether he'll meet with mayors from the state's five largest cities. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune

• Senate gives early OK to bill regulating do-not-resuscitate orders

  by Andy Duehren and Shannon Najmabadi Updated: July 26, 2017

  The Senate gave early approval to a measure Tuesday night that would require physicians to take certain steps before issuing do-not-resuscitate orders to patients. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune

• Texas Senate committee OKs bill to outlaw city cellphone restrictions

  by Andy Duehren and Emma Platoff July 22, 2017

  Senate Bill 15 would pre-empt local ordinances on mobile phone usage, effectively rolling back provisions in more than 40 Texas cities that currently post hands-free ordinances stricter than the statewide texting ban. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune

• Lawmakers to target Austin's worker protections on construction projects

  by Andy Duehren July 19, 2017

  With the beginning of the special legislative session, opponents of construction permitting rules in Austin that require more worker protections in exchange for a faster process have the chance to overturn local regulations like Austin's. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune

• Critics say Abbott catering to donors with special session priorities

  by Andy Duehren and Brandon Formby July 14, 2017

  As state lawmakers and city officials gear up to battle over land-use legislation, a liberal watchdog group says $34 million in campaign donations from real estate and construction industries "paved the way" for this month's special session agenda. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

• The Q&A: Aaron Wolf

  by Andy Duehren July 11, 2017

  In this week's Q&A, we interview Aaron Wolf, a professor of geography in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Full Story 

• Report: Shopping for electricity is getting cheaper in Texas

  by Andy Duehren July 11, 2017

  Between 2006 and 2015, the last year for which data is available, residential electric prices for Texans who live in a competitive market decreased by 17.4 percent, while prices increased by 5.5 percent in other areas. Full Story 

• Lawmakers file dozens of bills as Abbott officially calls special session

  by Andy Duehren and Shannon Najmabadi Updated: July 10, 2017

  Within hours of Gov. Greg Abbott issuing his proclamation announcing next week's special session, lawmakers had filed dozens of bills including two so-called bathroom bills from state Rep. Ron Simmons, a Carrollton Republican. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

• The Q&A: Katie Krummeck and Rob Rouse

  by Andy Duehren July 5, 2017

  In this week’s Q&A, we interview Katie Krummeck and Rob Rouse, who are both educators at Southern Methodist University. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Deason Innovation Gym

• School boards, cities sought to stop Gov. Abbott from signing drone bill

  by Andy Duehren June 30, 2017

  Organizations representing hundreds of Texas cities and school boards unsuccessfully urged Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a bill aimed at restricting drone use around the state. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Eddie Seal

• The Texas solar industry is growing. Some fear an international trade case could end that.

  by Andy Duehren Updated: June 29, 2017

  Cheap, imported solar panels have fueled growth in the solar industry in Texas, and reinvigorated the careers of laid-off oilfield workers. Some industry leaders fear a trade case will increase prices and end that growth. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Mike Baker

• The Q&A: Carrie Kasnicka

  by Andy Duehren June 27, 2017

  In this week’s Q&A, we interview Carrie Kasnicka, the executive director of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Courtesy, Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust

• Cruz declines to support Senate GOP health care bill, while Cornyn defends it

  by Abby Livingston, Marissa Evans and Andy Duehren Updated: June 22, 2017

  The two U.S. Senators from Texas took opposing positions on the Senate GOP's long-awaited plan to overhaul the American health care system Thursday. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Bob Daemmrich

• U.S. Supreme Court ruling could imperil Texas sex offender rules

  by Andy Duehren Updated: June 19, 2017

  Texas rules barring sex offenders from using certain websites were thrown into jeopardy Monday morning after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar statute in North Carolina violates the First Amendment. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Abby Livingston

• Gov. Abbott signs bill that seeks to end "lunch shaming"

  by Andy Duehren June 15, 2017

  One of the most surprisingly contentious measures of the legislative session — ending "lunch shaming" for Texas public school students — was signed into law Thursday. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

• Texas taps private vendor to manage first state-run gold depository in U.S.

  by Andy Duehren June 14, 2017

  Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Wednesday that his office had picked an Austin-based company to build and operate the first state-administered gold depository in the country and that it could open as early as January. Full Story 

  Photo credit:  Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune