Thin majority of Texas House signs on to support voucher bill
The 75 co-sponsors plus the bill’s author would provide enough votes to pass Gov. Abbott’s top priority measure in the 150-seat House. Full Story
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Jasper Scherer is a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune. He previously covered Texas politics and government for Hearst Newspapers' Austin bureau, which he joined after stints covering City Hall for the Houston Chronicle and Bexar County for the San Antonio Express-News. A native of San Francisco, Jasper graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in journalism and political science. He is based in Austin.
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![Students enter a classroom at one of the 11 Houston-area campuses of Yes Prep, a public charter school system serving 7,000 low-income students.]()
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Texas Lottery remains in lawmakers’ sights despite move to ban third-party sales of tickets
The policy shift was announced before state senators, skeptical of the move, grilled officials with the department and courier services in a hearing on SB 28. Full Story
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![A Texas Lottery stand at an Austin convenience store on Feb. 20, 2025.]()
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FEC clears Ted Cruz of wrongdoing over podcast syndicator’s donations to super PAC
The agency dismissed a campaign finance watchdog complaint after finding no evidence Cruz “solicited, directed, received, transferred, or spent the funds.” Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a bus tour campaign stop at Tia Juanita's Fish Camp in Longview on Saturday Oct. 5, 2024.]()
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Texas Lottery ticket sales to third-party services fuel controversy and questions about the agency’s future
While the Lottery Commission says it can’t regulate sales to couriers, lawmakers want changes after two major jackpots were won using those services. Full Story
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![Texas Lottery cards at a 7-Eleven in Central Austin on Feb. 20, 2025.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune -
Under Texas House bill, value of education savings accounts would be tied to public school funding
The proposal sets a few possible points of contention between the House and Senate, including how much money should families get through the program. Full Story
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![Corina Pannabecker teaches first grade at Ogden Elementary in San Antonio on April 30, 2018.]()
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National leaders mount pressure campaign on Texas House GOP to pass voucher bill
Supporters of voucher-like education savings accounts are trying to press their advantage early and build a sense of inevitability. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks with Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, during ‘Parent Empowerment Night’ at San Antonio Christian School, in San Antonio, Texas, on February, 17, 2025. The governor has made the polarizing school voucher bill, Senate Bill 2, a top priority for this year’s legislative session.]()
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Winners and losers: Who came out on top — and who didn’t — in the Texas House’s committee assignments
There were only so many chair positions to go around, with 30 committees for 88 Republicans, making it inevitable that some would miss out on plum appointments. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, gives an acceptance speech as he is elected Speaker of the House in a runoff vote of the members on Jan. 14, 2025.]()
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Texas House committee assignments extend power of experienced GOP leaders
Republicans chair all committees, as promised, while Democrats will lead half of the newly created subcommittees. Full Story
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![House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, presides over a session on Feb. 11, 2025.]()
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Certain criminal suspects would be denied bail under changes OK'd by Texas Senate panel
The package of bills would tighten the state's bail laws to keep more people in jail — including undocumented immigrants — while their criminal cases are pending. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick holds a press conference on bail reform, an emergency item this legislative session, on Feb. 12, 2025.]()
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Casino and sports betting companies press for a win in Texas despite Senate opposition
With plenty of patience and money, the industry is extending its multi-year campaign to bring legal casinos and sports betting to the state. Full Story
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![A gambler stacks chips at a roulette table during the reopening of Bellagio hotel-casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 4, 2020.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Steve Marcus