And they're back: State lawmakers return to the Capitol today to tackle business left unfinished during a divisive legislative session that ended in May. But a seven-week break doesn't appear to have mended their ill will. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/05/21/Straus_Abbott_Patrick_TT_crop.jpg)
In this week's edition of the Trib+Health newsletter: Zika cases are down this summer, feds make hundreds of arrests in health care fraud crackdown and an interview with Joy Schmitz of the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/03/03/Trib-Plus-Health-leadart002.jpg)
The special session starting Tuesday is expected to be the costliest to date. But as government spending goes, a special session is actually pretty cheap. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Capitol-MoneyBags_1.jpg)
On Tuesday, a Central Texas-based advocacy group will celebrate the first day of the special session by highlighting the workers and migrants that have paid a heavy price since the trade agreement was signed in the 1990s. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/NAFTA_6.jpg)
Both proponents and opponents of a Texas "bathroom bill" are steeling themselves once again as a special session kicks off in which Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to add the hot-button issue to the agenda. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/06/29/APrice-StonewallRally-6.jpg)
Four Texans in Congress – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, and U.S. Reps. John Culberson of Houston, Ted Poe of Humble and Lamar Smith of San Antonio – were outraised by a Democratic challenger in the last quarter. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/07/17/Abby_4_split_TT.jpg)
The day before the start of this summer's special legislative session, educator groups rallied at the Texas Capitol, demanding more state resources and fewer unfunded mandates. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/07/17/Public_Ed_rally_1_CR_TT.jpg)
Gov. Greg Abbott says he's going to keep a list of lawmakers who oppose his agenda during the special legislative session, and that property tax reform is his top priority. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/06/06/Abbott_special_MKC_TT.jpg)
The Texas Military Department has received a $2.3 million boost from the federal government to help with the state's border-security efforts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/5870137482_ea5bba1225_b.jpg)
Democrats in the Texas Legislature outlined their priorities for the upcoming special legislative session on Monday, focusing on several issues that did not appear on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda for the session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/04/__BDP8553_Turner_CMS.jpg)
As Texas lawmakers reconvene for a special legislative session, IBM and other major companies are re-upping their opposition to legislation they say would discriminate against transgender children and harm its Texas recruiting efforts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/26/Dan_Patrick_presser_21_TT.jpg)
Gov. Greg Abbott has a nearly $41 million war chest heading into his re-election campaign — and a special session in which he's looking to keep political pressure on lawmakers to pass an ambitious 20-item agenda. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/07/15/__95I3506_WendyRandall_-_CopyX.jpg)
Former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego is considering another run for the U.S. House seat he lost to Republican Will Hurd. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/11/09/ShelbyKnowles-November_08_2016-4.jpg)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his re-election bid Friday, and a trial over the state's political maps reached its tail-end Saturday. Catch up on what you missed over the weekend and dive into a couple of must-read Tribune stories this Monday morning. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/07/14/Abbott_announces_RJ_2_TT.jpg)
Universities are required to investigate when a student is accused of raping another student. But if the accused transfers, his or her new school may never know about the past allegations. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/07/14/Sierra_Smith_1_LS_TT.jpg)
The Texas Legislature is returning to Austin, but the leaders of the Senate and the House appear to be starting the new session on the same sour notes with which they ended the regular session seven weeks ago. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/03/09/Straus_and_Patrick_Dec_2016.jpg)
Texas industrial polluters rarely face sanctions when they spew noxious chemicals into the air during malfunctions and other unplanned incidents, exceeding the emission limits of their state-issued air permits. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/07/14/TT-PassPoison_pointer.png)
A three-judge panel peppered state lawyers with questions on Saturday that suggested they were having trouble swallowing the state’s defense of political maps that minority groups say minimize the political clout of Latino and black Texans. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4bbf65d13a4f38c0d164938a324addbb/.LOWRESDONTUSE)
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is pushing legislation to rename the street outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., after pro-democracy dissident Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who died in Chinese custody on Thursday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/07/14/Liu_Xiaobo_TT.jpg)
As lawyers for Texas defended the state's political maps against charges of intentional discrimination, a lawmaker at the center of the case invoked "legislative privilege" Friday to avoid answering some questions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-Darby002.jpg)