Keller, who succeeds Raymund Paredes, will begin Oct. 1.

The lawmaker, a doctor by training, will oversee a network of six health institutions with four medical schools, two dental schools and three nursing schools.

Although policies restricting children’s presence in the workplace are common, the introduction of one at Stephen F. Austin State University has been met with monthslong resistance from some faculty members.

The Legislature gave a $17.3 million funding boost to the two-year colleges, which are part of the Texas State University System.

Last year, five of the top 10 highest-compensated public university leaders in the country were from Texas schools, according to a survey conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The UT System allocated $160 million of its oil money for the project.

The Baptist university has denied a charter to Gamma Alpha Upsilon for eight years, members say.

Texas made it easy for rent-to-own companies to press criminal charges against people who fell behind on their payments for household goods. A new law, passed after a Texas Tribune and NerdWallet investigation, gives broad new protections to their customers.

The Legislature designated the funding for the Amarillo campus over objections of Texas A&M University, which currently runs the only veterinary medicine school in the state.

Critics say a bill awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott's signature would mark an expansion of lawmakers’ ability to wall off their records from public scrutiny.

A top priority of state leaders, the legislation requires voter approval before local governments increase their property tax revenue by more than 3.5%.

A 2018 report from the Texas Tribune found more than 4,200 people in the state — including security guards, cosmetologists and pharmacists – were at risk of losing their license because of student loan default in 2017.

The bill would have required domestic violence survivors to be notified when offenders are released on bond. But the Republican governor nixed the legislation over a provision by Democratic state Rep. Poncho Nevárez that would have delayed a West Texas waste facility's increase in state fees.

The bill aims to slow rising property tax revenues and make it easier for Texans to understand how their tax bills are determined. The House and Senate both approved it Saturday, and it is expected to soon be sent to Abbott for his signature.

Sen. Lois Kolkhorst's office said Saturday that she "is still evaluating all options available to save SB 1804."

The final version of the bill is expected to require cities, counties and emergency service districts to hold an election before raising 3.5% more property tax revenue than the previous year. Community colleges and hospital districts would need to do so at 8%.

A proposal on its way to Gov. Greg Abbott would make it easier for pickled beets, carrots and other produce to be sold at farmers markets alongside pickled cucumbers.

“We look forward to your continued service as our president,” A&M System Chancellor John Sharp wrote in a letter to Young.

When weighing in on issues like property taxes, the main interest group representing cities has encountered skepticism.

State leaders are pushing a plan to drive down property taxes using revenue from a one-cent increase to the sales tax. They have said the plan would result in roughly $250 a year in savings on a $200,000 home.