The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/19/Madison_Mau_SK_TT.jpg)
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/03/14/__BDP4415_PatrickCMS.JPG)
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/10/24/DallasEarlyVotes_015.jpg)
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Colonias__Children.jpg)
The Texas House voted to require schools to provide single-stall restrooms, locker rooms and changing facilities to students who don't want to use facilities designated by “biological sex.” Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/21/Senfronia_Bathroom_MKC_TT.jpg)
Gov. Greg Abbott says he's optimistic that lawmakers can avoid a special session. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants the "bathroom bill" passed or he'll keep pushing for one. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/08/03/Abbott-Patrick.jpg)
Lawmakers, scrounging for cash in a tight-fisted legislative session, agreed to dip into the state’s savings account and to make use of an accounting trick using funds set aside last session for highway projects. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/20/Straus_Patrick_Nelson_BUDGET_LS_TT.jpg)
Republicans fear a failure to overhaul strict Texas voter ID rules could torpedo the state's position in litigation over whether lawmakers discriminated against minority voters. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/05/24/5thCourt-Paxton.jpg)
After moving at a glacial pace several times this Legislative session, the Texas House on Saturday kicked into high gear and passed measures that could help them avoid a special session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/20/Stickland_property_tax_MKC_TT.jpg)
The lower chamber responded to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's threats of a special session by moving key legislation — but omitting provisions that he wanted included. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/20/Bonnen_property_tax_MKC_TT.jpg)
After being denied by the House Freedom Caucus multiple times, a measure to let schools give meals to students without money in their accounts was revived as an amendment to another bill. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/09/__BDP9270_Giddings_CMS.jpg)
The Texas House on Friday approved two measures aimed at combating sexual assault on college campuses across the state. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/19/Jeff_Leach_May_17_MKC_TT.jpg)
The bill would mandate that county jails divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues toward treatment, make it easier for defendants with a mental illness or intellectual disability to receive a personal bond and require that independent law enforcement agencies investigate jail deaths. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/07/16/CKCoKC5WEAATZ1S.jpg_large.jpg)
GOP House lawmakers took a sweeping approach to anti-abortion legislation on Friday, passing a measure that would ban the most common form of second-trimester procedure and change how health care providers dispose of fetal remains. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/19/Cindy_Burkett_MKC_TT.jpg)
The bill's author, state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, said he will concur with the Senate's changes. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/02/09/TextandDrive.jpg)
A controversial property tax bill may not get a House vote for a few more days, as the legislative clock winds down and the lieutenant governor's threats of a special session linger. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/15/__BDD9771_StrausBonnenCMS.JPG)
A proposal to dramatically reshape the state’s savings account to set aside more funds for tough economic times has effectively died in the final days of the legislative session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/22/RainyDay-1.jpg)
State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, says he doesn't have enough votes to repeal or peel back the Top 10 Percent Rule for college admissions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/04/04/__2BDD6053_Seligerx.JPG)
There's a simple test to tell you whether the promise of a tax cut is really a tax cut: Is there money in your hand? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/05/19/Patrick_presser_May_17_BD_TT.jpg)
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says state lawmakers might be staying in Austin past May 29 if some key measures, including the “bathroom bill,” don’t pass the House. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/051917_Still.jpg)