The latest Greg Abbott news from The Texas Tribune.
Patrick Murphy was one of the escaped convicts sentenced to death for the murder of Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins during a robbery. The high court stopped his execution because Texas officials wouldn’t let a Buddhist chaplain into the death chamber with him. Full Story
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Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an environmental lawsuit against Intercontinental Terminals late Friday seeking tens of thousands of dollars in damages. Full Story
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Busby, a Republican judge and former U.S. Supreme Court clerk, served on an appellate court in Houston until voters rejected him in November as part of a Democratic sweep. Full Story
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The newfound push this session around school safety and preventing mass shootings is reinvigorating ideas about mental health care for Texas children. But advocates often cringe when legislators make the argument that mental health care is the key to preventing mass shootings. Full Story
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Halfway through the legislative session, lawmakers say they're getting along. But they have a long way to go to achieve their goals this year. Full Story
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Hall led a heated battle to reform the school's admissions procedures, which led to reforms in 2015. But after a UT tennis coach was accused of taking a bribe to help a student gain admission, Hall says more needs to be done. Full Story
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A tennis coach at the University of Texas was among those charged in the fallout from the scandal. Full Story
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O'Rourke came close to a big political upset last year by harnessing Democratic voters' desire to deny Ted Cruz another term in the U.S. Senate. Could that work in a presidential race? Full Story
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Democrat Ray Lopez won the special election runoff Tuesday night for the seat formerly held by state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio. Full Story
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The announcement, made in an internal email, is part of a new but expected wave of cuts aimed at trimming the system's overhead. Full Story
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As the Texas Legislature digs into the busiest half of the session, early harmony is giving way to difference and debate. The House and Senate are easing into their traditional roles — as rivals. Full Story
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If the U.S. Senate confirms Brown, the state's highest civil court would see its second vacancy in a period of months. Full Story
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It’s unclear how much it would cost to implement all of Sen. Larry Taylor’s proposals. Senate Bill 11 appears to take an unspecified amount from the rainy day fund to help cover the costs. Full Story
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Texans want local governments to get permission for property tax hikes over a set amount and don't think such a restriction would hobble services, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Dallas ISD spearheaded a program that floods its low-performing schools with the best resources, including highly rated educators who get paid large stipends. Lawmakers want to see it expanded. Full Story
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David Whitley's tortured path to Senate confirmation as the Texas Secretary of State — whether or not he is confirmed at all — could play out in the state's next round of redistricting in 2021. Full Story
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A new study by The Nature Conservancy and Texas A&M University says it's more cost effective to buy out homes in clusters instead of an uncoordinated, checkerboard approach. Full Story
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A day earlier, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals struck down a provision of the law that makes it a crime for public officials to deliberate privately in small groups. Full Story
If confirmed by the state Senate, Morath would serve until Jan. 16, 2023. Full Story
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The race pits Republican Fred Rangel against Democrat Ray Lopez for the seat formerly held by state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio. Full Story
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