Legislature Sends $209.4 Billion Budget to Abbott
Texas lawmakers in both chambers on Friday overwhelmingly approved a $209.4 billion two-year budget, a 3.6 percent increase over the current one. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. Full Story
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![Group congratulates Rep. John Otto R-Dayton after HB1 passes on May 29, 2015]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Budget Deal Includes $25 Million Boost for Alamo
Budget writers have added some last-minute cash for the Alamo, in large part to ensure the state holds on to a collection of Alamo artifacts from British music legend Phil Collins. Full Story
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![Phil Collins with his collection of Alamo artifacts at his home in Switzerland.]()
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Supplemental Budget Bill Addresses Health Care for Retired Teachers
The Texas Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to pass a $564.6 million bill that plugs holes in the current budget and shores up the health care plan for retired teachers. Full Story
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![Chairman State Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton and Chairman Sen. Jane Nelson at Joint Committee on Appropriations May 20, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
House Unanimously Backs Property Tax Break
In a 136-1 vote, the House favored Senate Bill 1, which would raise the homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000 if voters approve an amendment to the state Constitution in November. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, on the House floor on May 13, 2015.]()
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House, Senate Negotiators Reach Deal on Budget
Top House and Senate negotiators sealed up the final unresolved issues on a two-year budget deal on Thursday evening, including removing controversial language that would have killed a proposed Dallas-Houston bullet train. Full Story
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![Sens. Lois Kolkhorst, Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, Jane Nelson, Charles Schwertner, Joan Huffman and Reps. Larry Gonzales, Sarah Davis, Sylvester Turner, John Otto and Trent Ashby make up the 2015 budget conference committee.]()
Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Budget Writers Settle School Funding, Border Security
The House and Senate stepped closer to a final deal on a two-year budget Wednesday evening, settling dozens of differences between the two chambers including funding for public education and border security. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, and Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, are shown at a joint budget hearing on May 20, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
House, Senate at Odds Over Provision That Would Block Bullet Train
House and Senate leaders are in the midst of intense negotiations over a budget rider that could kill a proposed $12 billion bullet train project connecting Dallas and Houston. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
The Brief: May 18, 2015
With two weeks left in the legislative session, here are a couple of takes on the state of play on taxes and the budget, the only piece of legislation that must be passed. 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.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Limited Contracting Fixes Moving Forward
Amid a series of scandals, most lawmakers say they want to reform the way Texas hands out billions in state contracts. Discussion has narrowed to a handful of bills that some warn are merely first steps. Full Story
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![Chairwoman of the state Senate Finance Committee Jane Nelson and state House Appropriations Chairman John Otto.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: May 13, 2015
The House's tax writing committee on Tuesday took up the Senate's proposal to cut property taxes by raising homeowners' residential homestead exemption. But what transpired on Tuesday was far from a kumbaya moment. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, celebrates passage of his tax cut measures during the House session April 28, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: May 7, 2015
The Legislature's two chambers are still not on the same page when it comes to figuring out how to extend tax relief. The prognosis on whether they find room to compromise varies as well. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Senate Announces Budget Negotiation Team
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has named the Senate lineup of budget negotiators who will meet with House counterparts and hash out a final version of the two-year state budget. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick after votes on first reading of SB #11 March 18th, 2015]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Brief: April 16, 2015
For all the talk about undocumented immigrants qualifying for in-state tuition at Texas colleges and universities, it turns out that these students make up a very small portion of the college-going population. Full Story
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![Students arrive in caps & gowns to Texas Capitol on April 6th, 2015. The Senate sub-committee on border security will listen to testimony on SB #1819 relating to determination of resident status of students by public institutions of higher education]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Senators Approve Partial Consolidation of Health Agencies
The Texas Senate on Wednesday tentatively approved a measure to partially consolidate the state’s massive health and human services system. Full Story
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Video: Senate Budget Debate Presents a Contrast
The Texas Senate passed out a state budget plan Tuesday that spends $211 billion over the next two years. The budget debate on the Senate floor contrasted greatly with the marathon budget debate in the House two weeks ago. Full Story
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Texas Senate Approves $211 Billion Budget
Senators on Tuesday voted 30-1 to approve the state's two-year budget. It will now go to conference committee to be reconciled with the House version. Full Story
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![Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, lays out the property tax relief portion of Senate Bill 1 for final passage in the Senate on March 25, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
The Brief: April 9, 2015
Republicans leery of granting more eminent domain authority acted to fast-track to nowhere a proposed high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas. Full Story
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Senate Committee Moves $211.4 Billion Budget Forward
Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said she expected the Senate version of the budget to be debated by the full Senate next week, “probably Tuesday.” Full Story
![Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, lays out the property tax relief portion of Senate Bill 1 for final passage in the Senate on March 25, 2015.]()
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Rules Hurt Family Violence Programs, Nelson Says
State regulations are unnecessarily holding up funds for shelters and programs that help victims of family violence, state Sen. Jane Nelson says. She wants to loosen the rules, even as she leads the charge to tighten other state contracting procedures. Full Story
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![Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, during a Health and Human Services committee hearing on Feb. 19, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Brief: April 1, 2015
It took more than 17 hours, but the House gave preliminary OK to a budget. Anticipated fights over vouchers and in-state tuition for undocumented students failed to materialize. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, carries literature laying out House Bill 1 as he prepares to discuss the appropriations bill on the House floor March 31, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich