The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas Democrats exercised considerable influence over the legislative process during the 2013 regular session, in contrast with their relative impotence last fall. While the November election results were unequivocally red, the legislation passed during the session was decidedly purple. Full Story
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Texas politicians and institutions are getting much better marks from the state’s voters than the president and Congress, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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In a new video, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, a declared candidate for lieutenant governor in 2014, vows that he will fight back against progressives who want to turn tomorrow's Texas into the California or Washington, D.C., of today. Full Story
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Of the hundreds of bills that were approved by both the House and the Senate in the 83rd legislative session, more than two dozen were vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry. Use our interactive to see which measures did not survive Sunday's veto deadline. Full Story
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As Gov. Rick Perry puts an end to the so-called Kumbaya Session, we begin our weekly news-inspired playlist with Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy." Full Story
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This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: It's week three of the special session, and Gov. Rick Perry has added a few more items to the agenda, including abortion restrictions, transportation and criminal sentencing for teenagers. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry issued more than two dozen vetoes Friday, including a line-item veto that wipes out funding for the Travis County prosecutors who investigate government fraud and public corruption. He also vetoed a bill that would have had Texas law mirror gender wage protections in the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Full Story
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UPDATED: After hearing impassioned testimony, a Senate committee has given tentative approval to an omnibus abortion regulation bill. The legislation now goes to the full Senate. Full Story
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Though Senate Democrats argued that their objections and the testimony from public hearings were being ignored, the Texas Senate approved redistricting maps Friday. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry has signed into law Senate Bill 21, a measure that will subject Texans applying for unemployment benefits to a drug test if their responses to a screening questionnaire indicate possible drug use. Full Story
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As the drought continues to blanket most of the state, demands for water are increasing from a growing population and industrial base. These pressures are squeezing Texas waterways, whose average streamflow remains well below normal. Full Story
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Special sessions are for emergencies — for finding solutions to problems that can't wait for the next regular session. Sometimes, the emergencies are beyond anyone's control. Sometimes, like now, they're manufactured in Austin. Full Story
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Lawmakers' special session to-do list grew fourfold this week, but according to Gov. Rick Perry, it's not getting any bigger. Full Story
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Full video of Thursday's TribLive conversation about Texas Monthly's list of the Best and Worst Legislators, with Paul Burka, Erica Grieder, Sonia Smith and Brian D. Sweany. Full Story
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With the special session set to end in less than two weeks, Gov. Rick Perry said there's no more time to add items to the agenda. Full Story
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UPDATED: Some lawmakers and lobbyists had been pushing for gun-related bills to be added to the special session agenda. But Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday that with time ticking away, the agenda call could not be expanded. Still, gun advocates say the importance of their legislation hasn't withered. Full Story
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After a relatively calm regular session, Gov. Rick Perry is flexing his partisan muscles as the special session presses on. Redistricting, abortion-related issues and a threat to cut off state funding for the Public Integrity Unit are ratcheting up tensions. Full Story
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: This week marked the end of a long legislative journey for one bill and the beginning for another. Full Story
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The special session's agenda now includes the hot-button issue of abortion — which is sure to spark partisan warfare. Gov. Rick Perry also ordered the Legislature to take up a measure dealing with sentences for 17-year-olds convicted of capital felonies. Full Story
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With legislation to ban smoking in public workplaces failing for the fourth legislative session in a row, proponents and critics say they are ready for another face-off in 2015. Full Story
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