Texas Senate

Angela Paxton, the wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton, is seeking the seat in Senate District 8 that Van Taylor, R-Plano, is vacating to run for Congress.

Full Story 

State Rep. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, is launching a primary challenge to state Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood.

Full Story 

Families in politics are nothing new — they're all over history and, for that matter, the current Texas Legislature. But the upcoming Senate primary in Collin County offers a fresh twist on the theme.

Full Story 

Days after approving an amended version of a House bill on tree regulations, the Senate voted to reverse itself late Monday night, rolling back two amendments that House Speaker Joe Straus had rejected.

Full Story 

As a political outsider, radio launched Dan Patrick's career. But now that he's mostly off the airwaves and in the lieutenant governor's seat, Patrick's station continues to push his conservative agenda.

Full Story 

The measure would allow citizens targeted by annexation to vote on city proposals. A similar bill died in the final moments of regular session debate.

Full Story 

The Senate on Wednesday gave initial approval to legislation that would roll back local mobile phone ordinances that go beyond the recent statewide ban on texting while driving. 

Full Story 

After 140 days, what did Texas lawmakers actually accomplish? Here's our guide to what happened with the regular session’s most high-profile measures.

Full Story 

Gov. Greg Abbott has vetoed 50 bills that were passed during the regular legislative session, his office announced Thursday.

Full Story 

The 85th legislative session came to a close Monday amid uncertainty over whether Gov. Greg Abbott would call lawmakers back for overtime. Tensions ran high up until the session's end. 

Full Story 

Under the bill, any crime against either group that results in serious bodily injury would be a first-degree felony, which carries a sentence of up to 99 years or life in prison.

Full Story 

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 

The House left an important bill in a dangerous spot, lost it, and might have created an advantage for their institutional rivals on the other end of the Texas Capitol.

Full Story 

If you're in favor, Texas lawmakers will meet with you and put your legislation on the fast track. Others have to wait, sometimes for weeks, for a chance to talk for a few minutes in a committee hearing room in the middle of the night. 

Full Story 

A proposal to substantially weaken the Top 10 Percent Rule took an important step forward Wednesday. 

Full Story 

At this point in the session, there are a lot of bills on the Senate’s “intent calendar.” How can you tell which bills will be considered on a given day?

Full Story 

The Texas Senate voted 29-2 to freeze tuition for two years, and then cap tuition increases at 1 percent plus inflation after that. The idea will now go to the House, where leaders are skeptical of tuition freezes. 

Full Story 

The legislation pushes back against two 2015 Texas Supreme Court rulings that have enabled private companies involved with government contracts to keep parts of those contracts secret.

Full Story 

Phillip Huffines, whose twin brother Don already serves in the Senate, submitted paperwork to begin raising money for a campaign for Senate District 8. 

Full Story 

The denizens of the Texas Capitol are already talking about the possibility of a special session if lawmakers haven't finished the budget and other bills by Memorial Day. They might be worried, but you shouldn't be.

Full Story