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.

The revision was made in the House. But the high-priority property tax bill is expected to head to a conference committee, where negotiations could change or remove the provision.

One of the Legislature’s priority property tax reform bills, Senate Bill 2, was approved by the House on a 107-40 margin Tuesday. More than 20 Democratic lawmakers broke party ranks to support the measure.

The House approved the bill designed to slow local property tax revenue growth, but made the bill contingent on the passage of a school finance bill, which is still pending in the Senate.

A House panel lowered the Senate's cap on how much school property taxes can grow without voter approval, a move billed as symbol more than substance.

After a key Republican holdout agreed to bring a priority bill to the floor, the upper chamber increased an election trigger on revenue increases from 2.5% to 3.5%. But now both chambers must reconcile how they want to tackle rising school district taxes.

House leadership plans to hold a floor vote on Monday. Meanwhile, the Senate is looking for one more vote to bring the priority measure to the floor.

The medical school reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.