GOP state Sen. Brian Birdwell says he won’t seek reelection
Soon after Birdwell announced his retirement, state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, said he was running for the seat. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a7c1e07bb37dafdb6a46a7bfbd6983db/0324%20Senate%20LW%2012.JPG)
-
![Senator Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, during a Texas Senate meeting on March 25, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
To fight screwworm, the U.S. is opening a South Texas facility to disperse sterile flies
Screwworm is a parasitic fly that targets warm-blooded animals and has the potential to disrupt Texas’ $15 billion cattle industry. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c1579529fbe20a62c5c4fe28fb4a22f7/0122%20Screwworm%20JH%20TT%2004.jpg)
![Cattle are brought across the U.S.-Mexico border at the livestock import/export facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico on January 22, 2021.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The 2025 Texas Senate, from right to left
Here’s a look at senators, ranked from most conservative to most liberal, based on votes cast during the 2025 regular session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/b05f2b967b89d5fafbed0417905bd6fc/0526%20House%20Floor%20EG%20TT%2048.jpg)
![The Texas Senate debates bills on the Senate floor at the Texas Capitol, on Monday, May 26, 2025.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
See how your representatives in the Texas Legislature voted on this year’s major bills
Our interactive tool allows you to search how state lawmakers voted on the most consequential proposals debated during the session, which ended June 2. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/35bbb2e58e085babb062f9c0dfdebe8d/lede-legislator-lookup.png)
![Six boxes with lines and rectangles representing bills and votes for the session on a gray background. There's a large address bar with a pointer in the middle.]()
Credit: Illustration by Carla Astudillo -
Bill that would have banned Texas minors from social media misses key deadline
House Bill 186, approved by the lower chamber in May, never received a vote in the Senate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c00eed6d9f45b6e1ebacbb76d9df1920/0127%20School%20Choice%20Lufkin%20CO%20TT%2020.jpg)
![Students check their phones while waiting for the bus following classes at Lufkin High School in Lufkin on Jan. 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribune -
Business tax breaks closer to reality after Texas Senate approves compromise
The Texas House must approve changes to the proposal that were brokered by party leaders. It’s part of a package of bills to bring down property taxes statewide. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3135e1d8095b8119753da098300c241f/0311%20Smithville%20Library%20Mental%20Health%20MC%20TT%2036.jpg)
![Small businesses are reflected in a storefront window in downtown Smithville on Mar. 11, 2024.]()
Credit: Maria Crane for The Texas Tribune -
New Senate bill offers last-minute reprieve for troubled Texas Lottery
A key Senate critic threw a lifeline to the Texas Lottery when he proposed moving its oversight to a new agency instead of eliminating it entirely. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/97ba8cf96101b66de11b464a7eeda04e/0505%20Lottery%20File%20LW%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Lottery tickets sit near the entrance of Hyde Park Market in Austin on May 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Dennis Paul announces bid for Texas Senate with backing from Dan Patrick
Paul is the first candidate out of the gate to succeed incumbent Mayes Middleton in an open seat running from Galveston to the outskirts of Houston. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0c745b160a82fb2ef1dfc61c3eb67626/House%20Floor%20823%20EG%20TT%2052.jpg)
![State Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Houston, on the House floor on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas will share equipment database with local fire departments to help beat wildfires
The legislation, which won unanimous approval in both chambers, was written following the state’s historic Panhandle wildfires last year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d3490f216a1f4067a206a76bc2c60ca8/Falfurrias%20Wildfire%20MGO%20TT%2007.jpg)
![A firefighter with Forest Bend Fire Department extinguishes flames at the site of the Borrega wildfire on March 31, 2022. The wildfire burned through a large part of the King Ranch and surrounding areas in Brooks, Jim Wells and Kleberg counties.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Wide-ranging crackdown on abortion pills passes Texas Senate
The bill gives the state new tools to try to stop the flow of abortion pills, but critics say it’s legally dubious on several fronts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f1707a752cd50ba52b98bfe822c664d1/Mifepristone%20REUTERS%2003.JPG)
![A nurse drops Mifepristone, the first pill in a medical abortion, into a patient's hand at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, on April 9, 2024.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein -
Texas lawmakers consider barring counties from mailing unsolicited voter registration forms
Voting rights advocates worry that legislation approved by House and Senate committees could make it harder to get more people on the rolls. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4acb02dc2cf74f6b1da790b09665e4f1/Voter%20Registration%20VOTEBEAT%20GC%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Alex Flucke, regional program manager of Texas Rising in Corpus Christi, right, helps Jessica López, 42, center, register to vote during a Pride celebration in Corpus Christi on Oct. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Gabriel Cárdenas for VoteBeat -
Texas may officially recognize Gulf of America change after Senate gives first OK
Senate Bill 1717 would require the name of Gulf of Mexico to be changed in every official reference made by a state agency, resolution, rule or publication. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0eb6ae60bd9d375c394c11667bfbf426/0706%20Beryl%20Corpus%20PG%20TT%2027.jpg)
![Beach goers at the Gulf of Mexico coastline in Corpus Christi on July 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Pete Garcia for The Texas Tribune -
Texas may study the impact of immigration again, but focus only on costs
The only time the state conducted such an assessment two decades ago, it found that undocumented Texans contributed more to the state’s economy than they cost the state. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/198ee11829104a907ba67c88e5bceb81/0204%20Eagle%20Pass%20KGB%20TT%2013.jpg)
![Gov. Greg Abbott arrives at a press conference with several other states leadership at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on Feb. 04, 2024.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
Amended bill clarifying Texas abortion laws receives Senate panel approval
The revised bill, which seeks to clarify when a doctor can perform medically necessary abortions, aims to address concerns from abortion advocates and conservative groups. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1f80a84e7457edab6d05d02f9e5fe1a0/Alamo%20Clinic%20Roe%20KGB%2015.jpg)
![A patient returns for a follow up appointment to make sure her abortion treatment was successful hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade at the Alamo Women’s Reproductive Services abortion clinic in San Antonio on June 24, 2022.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
Dan Patrick endorses Texas House’s voucher plan, clearing path to final approval
The lieutenant governor proposes that the Texas Senate adopt the House bill, which would eliminate a negotiation over the two versions and cement the victory for supporters. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7c7c6846f79b10069f4daf603c8872cb/0325%20Abbott%20Voucher%20Presser%20TT%20LW%2001.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks during a press conference regarding school vouchers on March 25, 2025.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Legislation could undermine Texas' power grid ability to meet forecasted demand
The state grid’s operator said the current regulation will allow it to meet future demands. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f33b2c90f50131277761f76e08f8bfbf/ERCOT%20Command%20Center%20REUTERS%20TT%2003.JPG)
![Reliability Coordinators monitored the state power grid during a tour of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) command center in Taylor in 2012.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Julia Robinson -
See what each Texas state employee is paid: Search our updated database.
The Texas Tribune’s database of Texas state employees’ compensation is updated to represent salaries as of April 1. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7e482060af5d495ae1ef490c81731a70/TT-GSE-pointer-art.png)
![Government Salaries Explorer]()
Credit: Photo Illustration by Ben Hasson / Texas Tribune -
Bill to create a Texas Homeland Security Division passes state Senate
Senate Bill 36, a priority bill for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would create an office within the Department of Public Safety focused on immigration enforcement, organized crime and threats to state infrastructure. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a8925016c54122f877b2ad58fbb1f030/0606%20Eagle%20Pass%20River%20Bank%20EG%20TT%2005.jpg)
![DPS airboats on the bank of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, seen from Piedras Negras, on June 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
The Dan Patrick Show: How to build an audience — and political power
In an interview, the lieutenant governor talks about his recent pop-up investigations and how he uses storytelling to make a political point. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/33486f0e1b46099fd6188a91f0fc9579/0212%20Bail%20Reform%20Presser%20LS%20TT%2016.jpg)
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick leads a press conference on bail reform, an emergency item this legislative session, on Feb. 12, 2025.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune -
Officer previously accused of excessive force confirmed for state board by Texas Senate
One Senate Democrat joined Republicans, providing the margin needed to approve Justin Berry to the state law-enforcement board. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/95a97001b2caf9b12466a3c8d9b81ab5/Justin%20Berry%20APD%20JV%20TT.jpg)
![Former Austin Police officer Justin Berry holds a weapon with non-lethal rounds during a protest in front of Austin City Hall on May 31, 2020. The protestors had gathered in response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune