State agency recommends two firms to oversee construction of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Texas-Mexico border wall
The state is expected to award the contract in mid-September to begin the construction of a Texas-Mexico border wall. Full Story
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![A portion of the newly-erected border fence that is being constructed by the state on private property in Del Rio on July 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Man bites dog, tries to make amends
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed legislation designed to protect dogs earlier this year. Now he's asking the Legislature to fix it — before next year’s elections. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen pet Pancake, the governor’s dog after their joint press conference. Jan. 9, 2019.]()
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Special Texas House election for former state Rep. Leo Pacheco’s San Antonio-area district will be Sept. 28
Gov. Greg Abbott set the special election date Tuesday. The race has already drawn several candidates from both parties, and Republicans are eager to make inroads in the San Antonio-area district. Full Story
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![Empty chairs on the House floor on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott calls special legislative session for redistricting, other conservative priorities starting Sept. 20
On top of redistricting, Abbott wants lawmakers to take up bills on restrictions for transgender student athletes and the allocation of billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks
SB 1 makes up Republicans’ third attempt to pass a far-reaching law that restricts how and when voters cast ballots. It takes particular aim at voting initiatives used in diverse, Democratic Harris County in the 2020 election. Full Story
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![People vote inside the gym at the Metropolitan Multi-Services Center in Houston on Nov. 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott wanted state lawmakers to ban mask mandates in public schools. They didn’t.
As Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to punish any school district that defied Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, Republican legislators were largely indifferent on the matter. Full Story
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![A sign outside of a South Austin store asked customers to follow COVID-19 precautions on March 3, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ second special session of the year is over. Here are five things you need to know.
Lawmakers will return to Austin at least one more time this year to redraw the state's political maps. Only Gov. Greg Abbott knows when that will be and if there will be additional special sessions beyond that. Full Story
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![The House floor on Aug. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Before the legislation is even signed, Texas’ new voting rules are challenged in two federal lawsuits
Harris County joined a coalition of community and advocacy groups filing lawsuits over Senate Bill 1, arguing the far-reaching rewrite of Texas voting laws violates the U.S. Constitution and numerous federal laws and will suppress voters. Full Story
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![A voter leaves the early voting site at the Archer Courthouse Annex in Archer on Oct. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Abortion ban, permitless carry, elections bill: The week that solidified Texas' hard right turn after the 2020 election
Texas’ new near-total abortion ban, one of the most restrictive in the nation, punctuated a week that brought into stunning relief just how far the state’s political pendulum has swung to the right since the 2020 election. Full Story
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Texas must do more to effectively prevent carbon monoxide disasters, experts say
Months after the deadly gas killed at least 17 Texans during a massive winter storm, lawmakers have failed to take significant action to protect most of the state’s residents. Full Story
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Texas Legislature adjourns second special session after passing more of Gov. Greg Abbott’s priorities
The Legislature is expected to return soon for another special session focused on redrawing the state's political maps. Full Story
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![Speaker Dade Phelan presides over the Texas House of Representatives on Aug. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Private donations for a Texas border wall have soared to $54 million. But it’s still unclear who’s giving.
After two months, the donations had petered out around $1 million. But the effort saw a major boost in August. Full Story
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![A border wall near the U.S. and Mexico border in Del Rio on July 22, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: New laws reflect Republican lawmakers’ focus on their right flank
From abortion restrictions to guns, the Texas Legislature's regular session Republican victories were just the beginning. Full Story
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![Lawmakers on the House floor on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House advances bill to restore money to pay salaries for 2,100 state workers after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed Legislature funding
The legislation will need another stamp of approval in the House before it heads to the Senate, which has not yet debated its version of the proposal on the floor. Full Story
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![The sun sets on the state Capitol in Austin, on May 27, 2021.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
Republican bill tightening Texas election laws is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk
Senate Bill 1 rewrites Texas election laws to further restrict the voting-by-mail process and outlaw local voting initiatives meant to widen access, namely those pushed by Harris County that were disproportionately used by voters of color. Full Story
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![Day one of early voting in El Paso at the Sunland Park Mall indoor voting site on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
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666 new Texas laws go into effect Sept. 1. Here are some that might affect you.
The new laws will affect abortion access, social studies curriculum and cities that trim the budgets of law enforcement. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on Aug. 13, 2021.]()
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Texas deploys firefighters and other aid to Louisiana for Hurricane Ida recovery efforts
Ida, which made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane Sunday, was downgraded to a tropical storm Monday, but officials warned that flooding from storm surge will continue to affect parts of the state throughout the morning. Full Story
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![Highway 51 is flooded near LaPlace, Louisiana on Monday morning after Hurricane Ida came ashore on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021.]()
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Texas House approves additional $2 billion for border security as state moves to build border wall
The bill would nearly triple border security funding from the last biennium. The legislation needs one more vote of approval from the House before moving to the Senate. Full Story
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![A portion of the newly-erected border fence that is being constructed by the state on private property in Del Rio on July 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott can’t enforce mask mandate ban, he argues in court
Abbott says local district attorneys have the authority to enforce his ban on local mask mandates. But urban DAs are unlikely to go after their fellow local officials. Full Story
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![A student wearing a mask and face shield eats lunch at Blanco Vista Elementary School in San Marcos on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune -
New Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi winning over critics of Allen West’s tumultuous era
Some party activists had worried Rinaldi would be more of the same after West left the chairmanship to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this summer. Full Story
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![Then-State Rep. Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, on the House floor on May 23, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune
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