Despite state lawmakers filing several bills exempting tampons and other menstrual products from sales taxes, the measures didn’t draw serious attention from the legislature this session.
Jackie Wang
Jackie Wang was an investigative reporting fellow at The Texas Tribune in the spring of 2017. She studied journalism and government at the University of Texas at Austin. She spent most of her college career at The Daily Texan, where she worked as the city-state reporter and, most recently, managing editor. Jackie has also worked at the El Paso Times as a reporting intern and the Austin American-Statesman as a social content producer.
Posted in
Demographics
Border city, county sue Texas over “sanctuary” law
Border town El Cenizo and Maverick County have sued the state of Texas over Senate Bill 4, claiming constitutional violations.
Posted in
State Government
Legislators push to redirect auto theft prevention funding back to agency
Every year, Texans pay $2 on their car insurance to fund auto theft prevention. More than half of that money goes toward balancing the budget instead of the prevention agency.
Posted in
Economy
Bills would undo cities’ efforts to rein in payday lenders, advocates warn
Dozens of Texas cities have passed ordinances regulating payday and auto title lenders that are stricter than current state and federal rules. Some state lawmakers are hoping to eliminate them.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
“David’s Law” would criminalize cyberbullying, mandate school policies
A Texas senator wants to criminalize cyberbullying when it leads to a minor’s serious injury or suicide. Critics of the bill say prevention is more effective than punishment.
Posted in
State Government
Austin bar ends battle with TABC after agency returns crowler machine
A local Austin coffee bar has been fighting the TABC since 2015 for the right to sell crowlers, aluminum cans filled with draft beer and sealed with a pull tab lid. Legislators are trying to prevent similar conflicts in the future.
Posted inState Government
Texas senator pushes to abolish liquor store ownership limits
A state senator is trying again to reform liquor laws that he argues are anti-competitive and protectionist.
Posted inState Government
State lawmakers concerned over TABC expenditures, antiquated alcohol laws
Two state lawmakers say they’d like to question Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials about a Texas Tribune investigation that highlighted out-of-state trips the state liquor regulators took to lavish resorts as far away as Hawaii.
Posted in
State Government
Businesses oppose legislation limiting public information exemptions
Businesses opposed SB 407 and SB 408 at a public hearing, arguing that open records requests could put them at a competitive disadvantage.
Posted in
State Government
House member marks one-year anniversary of filing zero campaign finance reports
Houston-area Rep. Ron Reynolds, who’s been sued by the state after not filing a campaign finance report in a year, says he’s started a payment plan.