The LGBTQ Caucus, formed this year, notched a major victory Thursday evening, defeating a controversial measure as the Texas House raced toward a midnight deadline.
Emma Platoff
Emma Platoff was a reporter at the Tribune from 2017 to 2021, most recently covering the law and its intersection with politics. A graduate of Yale University, Emma is the former managing editor of the Yale Daily News.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Pro-LGBTQ bills look dead in the Texas House, but advocates say they’ve still made progress this year
“Having a hearing is sometimes a victory,” said state Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, whose conversion therapy ban was debated for the first time this year.
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Criminal Justice
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joins fight targeting Texas State Bar
The lawsuit has the potential to upend the structure of the entity responsible for regulating Texas’ legal profession. Critics suggest that Paxton’s involvement may be politically motivated.
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Criminal Justice
Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina charged with orchestrating an illegal voting scheme
Molina has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Conservative group Empower Texans sues lawmaker to gain state House media credentials
The group, which was granted credentials in the Senate but denied them in the House, argues that the lower chamber’s administration chairman engaged in “unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.”
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Texas Legislature 2019
Can Texas’ top three Republicans muster enough support to pass a sales tax swap?
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have already signaled opposition to the proposal from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas Senate gives local governments more breathing room for property tax revenue growth
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.
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Politics
Dan Patrick threatens to use “nuclear option” to skirt Senate tradition and bring property tax bill to the floor
“I respect our Senate rules, but I do not intend to let a procedural motion stop the Senate from passing this important bill,” the lieutenant governor said.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas Senate approves two bills to override paid sick leave, local control over employment practices
LGBTQ advocates and business groups have warned that the measures could imperil municipal rules that outlaw discrimination.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Property tax reform proposals stall — for now — as top Texas lawmakers scramble for votes
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.