The first half of the year was marked by cooperation in the Texas Legislature. The second half was dominated by scandal. All the while, the specter of 2020 loomed.

The laws include new rules for smokers, telemarketers and kids selling lemonade.

In this edition of the TribCast, Matthew talks to Alexa, Patrick and Cassi about the deadly shooting in El Paso, Dennis Bonnen’s trouble in the House and a wave of GOP congressional retirements.

The bill, which goes into effect Sept. 1, prevents cities and neighborhood associations from prohibiting or regulating children who sell nonalcoholic drinks on private property.

The order came in a case brought by a Pflugerville school speech pathologist who was told she could only continue her contract work if she promised not to boycott Israel.

Powers presided over the university from 2006 to 2015.

"This tent city should never have stood in the first place," U.S. Rep. Will Hurd said Friday on Twitter.

Tuition and fees at Texas universities have more than doubled since 2003. There's plenty of blame to go around.

A corporation, Oak View Group LLC, will pay to construct the arena in exchange for future revenue generated at the venue.

The company will reportedly receive as much as $25 million from a state job-creation fund.

The Texas Legislature's 86th session doesn't start until Jan. 8, but lawmakers got a head start on filing legislation Monday.

Crenshaw is running for an open seat in a Houston-area district. His opponent also condemned the joke.

State Rep. Poncho Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass, was also told by the FBI that the suspected bomber had researched him.

But Trump said he had no regrets suggesting that Cruz's father was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters in Washington, D.C., that the Senate will delay the full confirmation vote by a week while the FBI investigates allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh.

Wilson, an Austin resident, was wanted on a charge of sexual assaulting a teenage girl.

In one case, lawyers say, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers left a woman alone at a bus stop with her young kids and no bus ticket. In another, ICE officers were unable to affix a mother with an ankle monitor, so they sent her back to detention without her children.

Barbara Bush was first lady from 1989 to 1993.

Tillerson's exit from the U.S. Department of State was announced less than two weeks ago.

President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that Texans should vote for Gov. Greg Abbott, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in March.