For many Texas teachers, health insurance premiums are huge — but so are the hospital bills
It's not unusual for teachers to spend over $1,000 a month on health insurance. Full Story
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![Liz and Jeremiah Pena are educators in Birdville ISD in Haltom City and last year they estimated they paid over $11,000 in health insurance premiums alone. They think that the pay increases and per student increases included in House Bill 3 are a good thing but that it would have helped many educators like them more to focus on lowering TRS (Teacher Retirement System) insurance premiums. Photographed at Haltom High School where Liz Pena is Assistant Principal.]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers are prioritizing mental health for school safety. But advocates worry about stigma.
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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![Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flowermound, introduces SB 3 on the Senate Floor on Mar. 4, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers look to the "cloud" for storing sensitive government data
In hopes of saving money on data storage, legislators are considering downsizing the state's data centers and relying more on private tech companies. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers want to fix wait times at driver's license offices. Will they agree on a solution?
The Texas House wants to pump $200 million into the state's driver's license program — and possibly move it to a new agency — to alleviate what have become all-day waits for some Texans at Department of Public Safety offices. Full Story
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![A line begins to form outside the DPS office in Northwest Austin shortly before it opens at 8 a.m. on Jan. 24, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas House and Senate about $3 billion apart on public education spending
Two rival budget proposals offer a starting point for debate between the two chambers on public school funding and property tax relief. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, visits with Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, on the Senate floor on May 25, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate proposes $3.7 billion for mandated teacher raises
Senate leaders say they will require districts to use the money to give $5,000 raises to each teacher. Full Story
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![Lt. Governor Dan Patrick address the crowd at the Oath of Office Ceremony at the capitol grounds. Jan. 15, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
A group of Texas lawmakers wants to fix higher education funding — but it won't be easy
A panel of state lawmakers is set to reconsider the complicated way Texas funds its public colleges and universities on Wednesday after an attempt to overhaul the system failed last year. Full Story
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![Tuition costs are rising in Texas as per-student state funding for higher education shrinks.]()
Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune -
Despite sunny economy, Texas budget forecast is dreary
Though unemployment is low and tax revenue is on the rise, big bills coming due for the state’s highways and health care programs are giving Texas lawmakers some heartburn. Full Story
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![Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announces his office has picked a private vendor to run the Texas Bullion Depository, which will be designed to store gold for both the state and private citizens, at the Capitol on June 14, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Legislature sends $217 billion budget to Gov. Abbott
Amid increased talk of a special session over other issues, both the Texas House and Senate voted Saturday evening to approve a $217 billion, two-year budget, the only bill lawmakers are required to pass. Full Story
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![House Appropriations Chairman John Zerwas, R-Richmond, and Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound.]()
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Texas budget negotiations turn to higher education as a deal inches nearer
Members of both chambers of the Texas Legislature say they are getting closer to agreeing on a budget. One of the last sticking points? Higher education. Full Story
![House Appropriations Chairman John Zerwas, R-Richmond, and Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound.]()
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Texas Senate passes bill to cut franchise tax paid by businesses — later
The Texas Senate approved legislation Tuesday that aims to eventually slice — and possibly eliminate — the state’s franchise tax, a levy on businesses earnings that’s widely unpopular among the state’s Republican leadership. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Paul Hudson -
Analysis: Cutting the Texas budget, even with money on hand
If Texas legislators cut the state budget this year, it won't be because they didn't have the money. It'll be because they didn't want to spend the money they have. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Paul Hudson -
House leaders push for withdrawing $1 billion more from state savings account
The proposal from state Rep. John Zerwas would withdraw about $2.4 billion from the Rainy Day Fund. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Zerwas, chair of House Appropriations, at the Austin Club before speaking with Evan Smith Feb. 23, 2017]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas university leaders warn of dire consequences if Senate budget is implemented
In a day-long hearing, university presidents and chancellors said their schools might have to lay off faculty and cut classes if hundreds of millions of dollars worth of "special items" aren't put back in the budget. Full Story
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![Happy Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, watches passage of SB 1 budget bill on a 30-1 vote April 14, 2015. Lone no vote was Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston.]()
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Analysis: A Senate budget that takes more off the top than it first appears
The Texas Senate's proposed budget, with one exception, is a carefully assembled conservative start to a 20-week legislative spending negotiation. But they finished off their work with a chainsaw. Full Story
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![September 15, 2016 Senate Finance Committee hearing at the Texas Capitol]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Dan Patrick makes only one change atop Senate committees
Only one committee received a new committee chair in the Texas Senate. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, will chair the Senate Administration Committee. Full Story
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In dueling budget proposals, Texas House and Senate billions apart
Texas House and Senate leaders are starting out the legislative session nearly $8 billion apart according in dueling budget proposals released Tuesday. Among the sticking points: spending on public education and border security. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Paul Hudson -
Backers hopeful Texas ready to screen welfare recipients for drug use
While Texas already has some of the strictest eligibility requirements in the country for welfare benefit applicants, some lawmakers plan to try again next year to add required drug screenings or testing to the process. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Texas lawmakers set a spending cap they likely won't reach
The Legislative Budget Board picked 8 percent as the growth rate in the state’s two-year budget, capping how much lawmakers can spend in next year's legislative session. Lawmakers say the state doesn't have enough money to reach that cap. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Is Texas Building Too Many Medical Schools?
Texas universities are racing to build new medical schools, but without enough slots for post-graduate residents, some worry they're building a pipeline that will funnel new doctors out of state. Full Story
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![The Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin under construction.]()
Credit: John Jordan