The Brief: Get ready for a legislative bloodbath in the Texas House
As the Texas House rounded the corner and raced toward a key deadline Thursday night, conservative House lawmakers announced they were killing more than 100 bills. Full Story
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![Longtime State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, appears exasperated by Liberty Caucus attempts to disrupt normal House business by challenges to the Local and Consent calendar during the session May 11, 2017. Â Thompson is the chairman of the committee.Â]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Tears and shouting on Texas House floor as Freedom Caucus delays bills to death
The deep fractures in the Texas House GOP were on full display Thursday evening as lawmakers faced down a midnight deadline to pass bills out of the chamber. Full Story
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![State Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler and Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano announce their intent as part of the Texas Freedom Caucus to kill more than 100 bills on May 11, 2017.Â]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
A lawmaker might have just lost his fight to address West Dallas gentrification
State Rep. Eric Johnson's bill aimed at providing relief for the epicenter of Dallas' affordable housing crisis is among legislation expected to be blocked from a House vote on Friday. That would likely kill his bill. Full Story
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![The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, which opened in 2012, looms over West Dallas where a street divides the new Trinity Groves cluster of restaurants and a decades-old neighborhood of mostly wood frame houses.Â]()
Credit: Brandon Formby/The Texas Tribune -
Everything you need to know about voting in Texas
What the Legislature is doing to fix Texas’ controversial photo ID law — and what that means for the 2018 primaries. Full Story
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Powerful Abbott appointee's lobbying sparks blowback in Legislature
In an ironic twist for Gov. Greg Abbott, who has made ethics reform an urgent political priority, the Texas House is taking aim at what critics call a "pay to play" culture among his appointees. Full Story
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![Houston billionaire Dan Friedkin is chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.]()
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Analysis: The eyes of Texas reveal a legislative opening for social conservatives
In a legislative process where so many issues die quietly in committees and parliamentary actions, making politicians attach their names to their positions can be a powerful thing. The "sanctuary cities" bill tested that theory. Full Story
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![House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick at a Texas Legislative Budget Board meeting on December 1, 2016.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for the Texas Tribune -
Signing "sanctuary" jurisdiction ban tops the week in Texas politics
A spokesman for Gov. Greg Abbott said they opted to sign Senate Bill 4 into law on Facebook to maximize the audience. Abbott’s move kicked off a drama-filled week in the Texas House where lawmakers debated vaccine requirements for foster kids. Full Story
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Senate panel tacks "school choice" provision onto education finance bill
A Senate committee passed the House’s major school finance reform bill, after adding a controversial provision subsidizing private school tuition for special needs students — a move unlikely to go over well in the House. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty (left), R-Houston, and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
AG Paxton drops Brownsville lawsuit over plastic bag fee
Attorney General Ken Paxton has dropped a lawsuit against the city of Brownsville over a 2010 ordinance that imposed a $1 per-transaction fee on plastic bags offered at grocery stores and other retailers. Full Story
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Survey of Texas delegation finds few Republicans weighing in on Russia
The Tribune asked all 38 members of the Texas congressional delegation whether Congress is appropriately overseeing investigations into relationships between Russia and members of the Trump team. Full Story
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![Former FBI Director James Comey (l.) was fired by President Trump on May 9, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles: James Comey/Bob Daemmrich: Donald Trump -
Texas Senate unsticks proposals to plug public records "loopholes"
With looming deadlines threatening to kill a slew of bills aiming to bolster access to public records in Texas, Sen. Kirk Watson muscled them closer to the governor's desk — all at once. Full Story
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![Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, talks about open records efforts on Jan. 31, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes Sandra Bland Act
The bill would mandate that county jails divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues toward treatment, make it easier for defendants with a mental illness or intellectual disability to receive a personal bond and require that independent law enforcement agencies investigate jail deaths. Full Story
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![State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, talks about the Sandra Bland Act, which would reform interactions between jailers and inmates with mental health issues on May 11, 2017. Â The bill passed unanimously in the Senate.Â]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes measure to increase “Buy America” provisions
Senate Bill 1289 by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, would increase “Buy America” provisions already in effect for the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Water Development Board to all state agencies. Full Story
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![State Reps. Rodney Anderson, R-Grand Prairie (left), and Chris Paddie, R-Marshall on April 19, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Senate committee advances straight-ticket voting ban
A Texas Senate panel approved legislation Thursday that would end straight-ticket voting in all elections. Full Story
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![Travis County voters cast ballots at Travis County Tax Office on Feb. 25, 2016.]()
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State fraud investigator forced to resign over ties to Iraqi government lobbying
Stuart Bowen, inspector general for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, resigned amid revelations that he was moonlighting for a private firm that provided services for the government of Iraq. Full Story
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![Former state Health and Human Services Commission Inspector General Stuart Bowen stepped down May 10, 2017.]()
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Senator strips “sex” amendment from bill backed by Uber and Lyft
The Senate sponsor of a bill meant to create statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies said Thursday he had stripped a controversial amendment that would define "sex" as "the physical condition of being male or female.” Full Story
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Bill to enforce reporting of police shootings stumbles, then passes
After failing by one vote on the House floor Wednesday night, a bill to penalize law enforcement agencies that don't report police shootings to the state was reconsidered and passed. Full Story
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![State Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, on the House floor on May 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texans want property tax relief, but remade bill still draws opposition
The House substitute of controversial Senate Bill 2 was left pending after state Rep. Dennis Bonnen railed against local leaders still unhappy with changes to the property tax bill. Full Story
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![Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, talks about his role in the Texas House on May 13, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: It's doomsday for a lot of House bills today
It's countdown time. Thursday is the last day that House-originated legislation can receive tentative approval in the lower chamber. Here's what you need to know. Full Story
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![House Speaker Joe Straus gavels the vote on an amendment to HB 100 on April 19, 2017. The bill is being debated with several amendments that would regulate ride-hailing services with uniform regulations statewide.Â]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
New in Trib+Edu: Making student data sharable
In this week's edition of the Trib+Edu newsletter: A company tackles the challenge of interoperability with student data, a new trend emerges with the fidget spinner and an interview with Bradley Carpenter of the University of Houston. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Jacob Villanueva