The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
During an interview on KUT's Texas Standard, Lawrence Wright talked about his latest piece in The New Yorker, including strong words from House Speaker Joe Straus on the "bathroom bill." Full Story
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Texas lawmakers will be back in Austin for a special session in just two weeks. They'd rather be elsewhere, on vacation or — in some cases — for much more tactical reasons. Full Story
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Allowing all mail-in votes for elections is legal in 22 states, but not in Texas, where only certain voters can mail in their ballots. The Legislature's special session will address mail-in ballot fraud but won't expand mail-in voting. Full Story
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The emails reveal how the governor's vetoes caught some state lawmakers by surprise, while his staff has let evangelical Christian leaders know about vetoes of bills they opposed. Full Story
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For the second time this week, the Texas attorney general's office sparred in federal court with opponents of the state's new immigration-enforcement law, Senate Bill 4. Both sides got an earful from federal Judge Sam Sparks. Full Story
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The regular legislative session belonged to legislative leaders — primarily Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who aggressively set an agenda for the Senate. Now, with a special session looming, Gov. Greg Abbott is asserting himself. Full Story
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The border city of El Paso on Tuesday voted to add its name to the list of local governments that have joined a lawsuit to stop Texas' immigration bill, Senate Bill 4, from going into effect. Full Story
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The Supreme Court’s decision to take up the case of whether a Colorado baker can legally refuse to make a wedding cake for a gay couple could have implications in Texas. Full Story
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Between a contentious regular session of the Texas Legislature and a special session that starts in less than four weeks, some lawmakers are talking about the people in leadership, starting with the speaker of the House. Full Story
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The decision to ban California state employee travel could have an effect on Texas' ability to host California teams and NCAA championship events. But no one knows for sure. Full Story
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The Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the federal court case over Texas' Senate Bill 4, arguing that the state is within its rights to adopt the anti-"sanctuary cities" law. Full Story
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There’s no rule on who foots the bill for rape kit testing across the country — it depends on the state and city you live in. Full Story
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Local government attorneys in Texas are about to take a page from Greg Abbott, who spent 12 years as the top attorney for the state of Texas — suing a faraway government that has its nose in their business. Full Story
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The four largest cities in Texas are now party to a lawsuit that seeks to stop the state’s new controversial immigration law from going into effect. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott is plotting an aggressive approach to the upcoming special session of the Legislature, diverting from his above-the-fray style to try to see through an ambitious 20-item agenda. Full Story
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RideAustin, one of several small companies that started operations in Austin last year after Uber and Lyft left the city, is now seeing its ridership cut in half since the two returned to town. Full Story
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After four days, seven stories, piles of graphics and one podcast about the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, a handful of things stuck out. Full Story
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants a convention of states to consider amendments to the U.S. Constitution, but most Texas voters aren't convinced that's a good idea, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Several local governments have signed on to a lawsuit that seeks to stop Senate Bill 4, the state's new immigration law, from going into effect. But some opponents of the bill want more communities to join in. Full Story
State Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, said his office was "grossly misled" by a white nationalist group that wanted him to sponsor a rally at the Texas Capitol. Full Story
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