Analysis: Texas conservatives, in search of a new nemesis
The conservative groups who made a feast of former House Speaker Joe Straus for 10 years have a new target: Straus successor Dennis Bonnen. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, on the House floor on May 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
How Texas lawmakers patched open government laws this session
Advocates say recent court rulings created loopholes in laws meant to make government transparent. Lawmakers sought to close those this year — but may have created a loophole for themselves. Full Story
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![The Sergeant-At-Arms' team prepares bills, mostly House bills, marked on the calendar for the next day on May 21, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott says he can keep plumbing board alive without special session
"We've got this," the governor tells plumbers worried as their profession faces deregulation next year in Texas. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott in the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 8, 2018.]()
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Point of Order: Roll credits
In the last episode of our podcast about the 86th Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to House Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody and Senate President Pro Tem Kirk Watson about what state lawmakers did for us and to us this session — and what they’ll do next. Full Story
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Analysis: Do as they say, not as they do
The Texas Legislature did a lot in the 86th regular session, especially if you judge by their spending. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, and State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, during a budget conference at the Capitol on May 17, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas child welfare chief Hank Whitman announces retirement
He championed staff pay raises in the three years he spent at the helm of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Full Story
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![Commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services, Hank Whitman during a March 22, 2018 Senate Committee on Health and Human services]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Lawmakers pass bills to better fund Texas parks, historic sites — if voters approve
Advocates have pushed for years to put a constitutional amendment before voters to ensure Texas parks and historic sites get the maximum funding authorized from a sales tax on sporting goods. They have finally succeeded. Full Story
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![Sunrise over the historic Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers are done. Here are this session's winners and losers.
The 86th legislative session is in the history books. Who's up and who's down after the 140-day marathon in Austin? Full Story
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Eminent domain reform died in the Texas Legislature this session
Despite hundreds of hours of negotiations between Texas landowners and industry groups, legislation to address concerns over the eminent domain process could not be finalized, with lawmakers pledging to make it a top priority for future sessions. Full Story
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![State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, and State Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland.]()
Credit: Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Many marijuana and pro-LGBTQ bills died this legislative session. Expect to see them back in 2021.
While lawmakers in the 86th Texas Legislature advanced measures on some controversial issues, they know it often takes several sessions to pass bills and say they intend to refile them next time. Full Story
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Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
A measure to limit arrests for non-jailable offenses passed the House after a great struggle. It still died.
Behind closed doors, a joint Senate and House committee killed a measure that would require police officers to explain why they arrest someone for fine-only offenses, otherwise the case would be dismissed. Criminal justice reform advocates considered the issue a priority following the arrest of Sandra Bland. Full Story
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![State Troopers stop civilian on Congress Ave. in Austin, TX on Feb. 12, 2016.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas legislators had a successful session, but not a historic one
Lawmakers delivered on their promises of school finance and property tax reforms, agreeing to spend $11.6 billion on a combination of education changes and tax cuts. It's big, but is it really "transformative"? Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen are joined by state legislators at a press conference at the Governorâs Mansion on May 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Bill lengthening amount of time child sex abuse victims can sue heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk
The House initially exempted churches and nonprofits from the extended statute of limitations, but the chamber agreed to include them Friday after sex assault victims pushed back. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, speaks at a presser following the testimony of Tasha Schwikert, Alyssa Baumann and Jordan Schwikert, three gymnasts who say they were abused by USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar. The three women testified on House Bill 3809 during a Senate State Affairs Committee hearing on May 13, 2019.]()
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Lawmaker grills Department of Public Safety over disclosure of Sandra Bland cellphone video
State Rep. Garnet Coleman suggested that the newly released video showing some of Bland's confrontation with a state trooper before her death may have been buried in a “data dump” of information given to lawyers and lawmakers. Full Story
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![Memorial for Sandra Bland in Prairie View, the town where she was arrested. Bland was later found dead in her jail cell. The street has been re-named in her honor.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Teacher raises and all-day pre-K: Here's what's in the Texas Legislature's landmark school finance bill
The $11.6 billion legislation is on a path to the governor's desk and includes property tax cuts, a hike in per-student funding and money to ease the state's reliance on the "Robin Hood" program. Full Story
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![Corina Pannabecker teaches first grade at Ogden Elementary in San Antonio on April 30, 2018.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Paid sick-leave ordinances likely survived the Texas Legislature. But businesses still want to kill them.
Angry that the Legislature failed to overrule local ordinances requiring private employers to offer paid sick leave, many business groups are hoping the courts will finish the job for them. Full Story
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![The Justices of the Texas Supreme Court hear the Texas Department of Criminal Justice v. Maurie Levin, et al. case on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
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TribCast: Stickland's bomb-throwing, O'Rourke's reboot
On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Ross, Emma and Patrick about the Texas House's resident bomb-thrower, the most controversial bills still moving in the Legislature and Beto O'Rourke's attempted presidential reboot. Full Story
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![State Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, on the House floor on May 21, 2019.]()
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Analysis: Welcome to Hell Week for the Texas Legislature
School finance, property taxes and the other priorities of the state's top officials are still in play, but some issues are in peril as the Texas Legislature enters the final week of its 86th regular session. Full Story
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![Dense fog blankets the dome of the Texas State Capitol. March 12, 2019.]()
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Texas lawmakers send bill to governor that would eventually outlaw red-light cameras
The legislation includes a provision to allow local governments to continue operating cameras until they finish out any contracts in effect as of May 7. Full Story
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![A red light camera at the intersection of I-35 and 11th St. near downtown Austin on May 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers close to sending “born alive” abortion bill to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk
Republicans in the Texas Senate passed the bill Thursday with the support of two Democrats. If the Texas House concurs with minor changes the Senate made to the measure, it will go to the governor. Full Story
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![Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano speaks at a press conference to announce the filing of the Texas Born-Alive Infant Protection Act on March 7, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune