The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
It's been a long time since the Legislature took a good, hard look at its ethics laws and its own practices. With the Texas Ethics Commission up for review, a restive electorate and a herd of new lawmakers, they have a golden opportunity. Full Story
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Three days after President Obama called for stricter gun laws nationally, gun owners in Texas gathered in Austin to rally in defense of their Second Amendment rights. Full Story
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In this edition of the Newsreel: The House and Senate have announced their starting budget proposals, and campaign funding numbers foreshadow the 2014 races for statewide offices. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst filled out his committee assignments late Friday afternoon, supplementing the chairmanship shuffle he announced late last year. Full Story
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Water has emerged as the top infrastructure issue before the 83rd Legislature — an issue that appears to be more important to lawmakers than to most of the people they represent. Full Story
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The Legislature will have another go at fighting the practices of some payday lenders and auto-title loan businesses, which critics say often prey on vulnerable Texans. Full Story
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The legislative session just started, but it seems clear that state leaders are running low on what a former president from Texas once called "the vision thing." Full Story
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Critics say the dean of the Texas Senate, John Whitmire, D-Houston, is a poster boy for a legislative culture in which real and perceived conflicts of interest are commonplace. Whitmire says he's proud of his four decades in office. Full Story
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Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, served 10 years in the Texas House before becoming the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate. Here's a photographic look back at the dean of the Senate's 40 years in elected office in Texas. Full Story
Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, served 10 years in the Texas House before becoming the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate. Here's a photographic look back at the dean of the Senate's 40 years in elected office in Texas. Full Story
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At least 20 bills have been filed or proposed by Texas lawmakers on the subject of guns, with most of the legislation aiming to widen access to guns. Here's a roundup of the proposals. Full Story
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Legislators concerned about online privacy and safety have filed bills that could change the way some Texans use social media. Such regulations are becoming more widespread as states take on questions of online privacy. Full Story
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A veteran lawmaker has filed legislation that would penalize businesses that misclassify workers as independent contractors. Leaders of construction firms have said their industry is rife with companies that purposely misclassify employees. Full Story
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The Texas Ethics Commission stands poised for change during the 83rd legislative session. But any efforts to reform it will face a challenge, because the lawmakers the commission was set up to regulate are the ones setting the rules. Full Story
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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department would close seven state parks based on current budget proposals in the House and Senate. Full Story
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Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, praised President Obama's proposals to curb gun violence, while Gov. Rick Perry shunned efforts to increase regulation and called for prayer. Full Story
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A Legislative Budget Board report on how government can be more effective has recommended that the state reduce its gas tax exemption for hydraulic fracturing. Full Story
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The state agriculture commissioner on the state's water crisis, why the Rainy Day Fund should be used to pay for a state water plan and how the money should be spent. Full Story
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Every other year, Texas legislators race to get the state's business done in just 140 days — an exhaustive process known for taking a toll on lawmakers' health. But efforts are under way to get the Capitol community to rethink how to stay healthy during the session. Full Story
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UPDATED: State Sen. Wendy Davis has filed companion legislation to a House bill from two freshman legislators — one on the far right, the other on the far left — that would expand the requirements of the state’s personal financial disclosure form. Full Story
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