Bill that would make vaccine exemptions easier advances in the Texas House
As the state faces a multimillion dollar measles outbreak in West Texas, the House Public Health Committee passes HB 1586 along party lines. Full Story
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![A nurse administers a dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine at a clinic organized by the Travis County Mobile Vaccine Collaborative at Rodriguez Elementary School on July 28, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
University of Texas at Austin sued over arrests during 2024 pro-Palestinian protests
The two graduates and two current students who are also suing UT trustees and other officials say they were unlawfully targeted because they expressed pro-Palestinian views. Full Story
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![A crowd of protesting students march down Speedway at The University of Texas at Austin on April 24, 2024. State police officers march behind them.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House panel advances THC bill with stricter regulations — but no ban — for hemp industry
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has called banning THC products a top priority. The latest draft of the lower chamber’s THC regulation bill would allow retailers to continue selling edibles and drinks. Full Story
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![Restart CBD displays beverages in a fridge on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in Austin. Beverages are a really interesting opportunity for this industry as they are accessible like edibles, but also allow for people to consume drinks that aren’t alcohol but still have some sort of benefit.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Weary from COVID deaths, Hispanic Texans embraced vaccines. It saved their lives.
In the deadly summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths, spurring many to vaccinate. Today, in a startling flip, Hispanics make up less than a quarter of deaths from the disease. Full Story
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![Delia Ramos, center, holds a photo of her and her husband Ricardo with her daughter, right, and son tk. Ricardo died in July 2020. Brownsville on March 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas will share equipment database with local fire departments to help beat wildfires
The legislation, which won unanimous approval in both chambers, was written following the state’s historic Panhandle wildfires last year. Full Story
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![A firefighter with Forest Bend Fire Department extinguishes flames at the site of the Borrega wildfire on March 31, 2022. The wildfire burned through a large part of the King Ranch and surrounding areas in Brooks, Jim Wells and Kleberg counties.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
John Bash, first candidate to enter Texas attorney general’s race, exits
The former federal prosecutor cited shifting priorities after a family health scare for his withdrawal, which comes less than a month after his entry into the race. Full Story
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![U.S. Attorney John Bash and the prosecution team leave the courthouse following Carlos Uresti's sentencing, on June 26, 2018.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
Fired state employees breached the personal data of 33,529 more Texans
So far, nine Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees have been fired for improperly accessing Texans’ data. Full Story
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![A Texas Health and Human Services client application on April 24, 2018.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
With AI on the rise, Texas House passes bill requiring more transparency in political ads
The bill faced fierce opposition from hardline conservatives who say it is policing speech and could allow the state to jail people over silly political memes. Full Story
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![State Rep. and former House Speaker Dade Phelan talks with supporters on May 28, 2024 outside of a runoff polling location in Beaumont.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers advancing bill to ban kids from social media
The Texas House passed onto the Senate a proposed ban Tuesday, alongside another bill that would require a social media warning label for minors. Full Story
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![Bonham Middle School students walk between classes Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
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Advocates fear Texas lawmakers are about to worsen the state’s homelessness crisis
Republican lawmakers are considering a bill to strengthen the state’s ban on homeless encampments and speed up the eviction process. Full Story
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![Tents are pitched in front of Austin City Hall protesting camping bans on May 10, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Wide-ranging crackdown on abortion pills passes Texas Senate
The bill gives the state new tools to try to stop the flow of abortion pills, but critics say it’s legally dubious on several fronts. Full Story
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![A nurse drops Mifepristone, the first pill in a medical abortion, into a patient's hand at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, on April 9, 2024.]()
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The Texas House wants voters to approve billions to save the state’s water supply
The Senate has a similar proposal, but is more prescriptive in how the money should be spent. The two chambers must agree on the final proposal to send to voters. Full Story
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![Jairo Benavides, center, removes soil as the crew works on upgrading pipes and valves at a North Alamo Water Supply Corporation water plant in Donna on Thursday, July 18, 2024. In order to increase the amount of water the plant is able to distribute, pipes were upgraded and replaced, connect to the plant’s existing facility with the newly expanded infrastructure.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Bill clarifying when doctors can perform medically necessary abortions clears Senate
The bill, which must still go through the House, received unanimous approval from the upper chamber. Full Story
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![Dr. Franz Theard, looks at a patient's sonogram at his abortion clinic, Women's Reproductive Clinic of New Mexico in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on Jan. 13, 2023. Dr. Theard's abortion clinic, less than a mile from Texas, where abortion is illegal since the landmark legal case Roe v. Wade which protected a woman's constitutional right to an abortion was overturned, provides medical abortions for women who are flying and driving hundreds of miles across Texas.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein -
In visit to Texas, RFK Jr. said autism, diabetes deserve more attention than measles
During a visit to College Station, the U.S. health secretary said Europe has a worse track record with the virus, which gets too much media attention. Full Story
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![U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins looks on as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a press conference during a visit to the Texas A&M AgriLife Phenotyping Greenhouse in College Station on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.]()
Credit: Ishika Samant for The Texas Tribune -
Improved response to mass shooting is goal of “Uvalde Strong” bill approved by Texas House
Uvalde’s former mayor, now in the Legislature, wrote the bill so that law-enforcement agencies would have better coordination and leadership as they respond to a mass shooting. Full Story
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![Police block off the road leading to the scene of a school shooting at Robb Elementary on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, TX. A school shooting was reported this afternoon after a high school student opened fire inside Robb Elementary School where two teachers and 14 students were killed.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
U.S., Mexico agree to new deal that sends water to South Texas
The latest development in a years-long push by South Texas farmers and officials to get Mexico to fulfill a 1944 treaty would still fall short of what is owed. Full Story
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![The Lake Falcon Dam International Crossing, seen from Starr County, on May 15, 2024.]()
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Texas lottery bans online sales through third-party couriers amid mounting criticism
After years of claiming that companies selling lottery tickets online could not be regulated, the Texas Lottery Commission voted to ban the practice. Full Story
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![Members of the Texas Lottery Commission sit at the front of the room during a Texas Lottery Commission meeting on April 29, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Fewer Texans see immigration as helping the U.S., poll finds
Eight years ago, 62% said immigration was more helpful than harmful. This year, that has fallen to 32%, according to the Texas Lyceum poll. Full Story
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![Migrants are escorted across the Hidalgo International border Bridge as they are deported under Title 8, a law that allows for immediate deportation after crossing into the U.S. without authorization, in McAllen on Jan. 27, 2025.]()
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Texas farmers could have greater access to low-interest loans under a bill the Senate is considering
If approved, the legislation would expand one of the state's most popular loan programs with even lower interest rates. Full Story
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![A farmworker harvests spinach at Johnson's Backyard Garden, an organic farm east of Austin, on April 21, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas poised to ask voters to approve $3 billion to study dementia
The measure was briefly delayed by Democrats’ efforts to block the voucher program, but eventually passed with bipartisan support. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at a press conference at the Capitol in Austin on April 23, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune