The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
Lara McDaniel was devastated when her 7-year-old son died in an accident. An investigator didn't allow her to see her child's body until three days after his death — after an autopsy had been conducted. Full Story
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At least 71 of Gov. Greg Abbott's nearly 800 current state board and commission appointees appeared to have donated more than $2,500 to the governor's campaign account since 2013. Full Story
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Texas budget writers plan to spend another $800 million for border security over the next two years, matching what lawmakers allocated in 2015. Full Story
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Watch the Texas House debate legislation that would change the state's voter ID law. Full Story
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Members of the Texas House on Tuesday issued a loud demand for the Senate to take action on their bills — or else. Full Story
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Rep. Helen Giddings announced the launch of a donation page that allows the public to contribute money to clear the debt of schools that feed schoolchildren when their lunch accounts are empty. Full Story
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Supporters of House Bill 3236 say it could get experimental drugs into terminally ill patients’ hands, but its detractors say it would encourage snake oil salesmen. Full Story
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School groups say a Texas House amendment addressing bathroom use is open to interpretations on whether it actually keeps school districts from allowing transgender students to use bathrooms that match their gender identities. Full Story
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Texas senators unanimously approved a bill that would make the Department of Family and Protective Services its own standalone department. Full Story
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Pro-business forces, which had for months warned that a "bathroom bill" could be disastrous for the state's bottom line, held their fire during Sunday's debate over a bill amendment dealing with the controversial issue. Full Story
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A lawsuit in federal court charges that Senate Bill 4, if enacted, would violate several provisions of the U.S. Constitution. Full Story
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Texas senators voted unanimously on Monday to increase money given to kinship care families. Full Story
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After threatening to force a special session of the Legislature unless lawmakers approve a "bathroom bill" and property tax legislation, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick on Monday appeared to be unconvinced by the House's actions on the two issues. Full Story
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The Texas House on Monday passed a bill extending a program that lets students who fail a couple of required exams take an alternative route to graduation. Full Story
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The Texas Senate has approved its version of House Bill 3016, which would make it easier for people to apply for jobs if they have low-level offenses on their records. Such applicants would not be required to disclose their offenses. Full Story
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The Texas Senate voted to approve a bill that would simplify funding formulas for public schools and let parents use state money to send their kids with disabilities to private schools or pay for homeschooling. Full Story
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Madison Mau is valedictorian of her tiny high school's senior class, but the University of Texas denied her anyway. Unwilling to accept that result, she lobbied the school to change its admissions policy. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has put the clock to his advantage. With a week to go in the regular legislative session, his threat of pushing lawmakers into overtime if he doesn’t get his way on pet issues is paying off. Full Story
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A flurry of legislative activity Sunday night gave life to efforts to overhaul the Texas’ voter identification law, a change that's crucial to the state’s arguments over whether lawmakers disenfranchised minority voters. Full Story
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Texas state senators voted to allow child welfare providers to be protected from legal retaliation if they assert their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” Full Story
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