Stories by Texas Tribune fellows

House Bill 4509 would mandate that students study documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Federalist Papers. The bill’s author added speeches from Black historical figures after criticism at a hearing last month. Full Story 

Texas ranks ninth in the nation in teen pregnancy. But lawmakers have neglected to pass a bill expanding CHIP to cover contraceptives. Full Story 

House Bill 1927 would nix the requirement for Texas residents to obtain a license to carry handguns if they’re not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a gun. Full Story 

The Austin Republican has expressed skepticism about installing Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York as the new GOP conference chair, suggesting she's not conservative enough. Full Story 

The researchers said the additional cases they tracked after students began returning to schools represented 12% of the state’s total cases during the eight weeks after reopening and 17% of deaths. Full Story 

The bill previously lacked the votes to advance out of House committee. After House Democrats spiked one of his bills, Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, revived it. Full Story 

The bill would prevent transgender Texas children from joining school sports teams that match their gender identity. Full Story 

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg won a third term Saturday. In Fort Worth's mayoral race, Mattie Parker and Deborah Peoples are headed to a runoff. Full Story 

The measure likely faces an uphill climb in the Senate, where two years ago Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick opposed similar legislation. Full Story 

Even some religious groups are opposed to Texas legislation that would bar government officials from closing places of worship in any situation — even during a pandemic. Full Story 

The upper chamber Wednesday passed Senate Bill 1646, which is among several other bills that advocacy groups say erode the rights of transgender Texans. But it’s unclear what the legislation’s chances are in the House. Full Story 

Three Austin business owners describe how the end of the state's mask mandate affected them and how they have navigated the crossroads of service and safety. Full Story 

Before moving to Minneapolis, Floyd had been a longtime Houston resident. That city's mayor on Tuesday said he and the Houston Police Department would be announcing police reforms next week. Full Story 

Senate Bill 16, filed by State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, would require an individual’s written consent for a state agency to share their personal information. Full Story 

Equality Texas CEO Ricardo Martinez said Texas has filed more anti-LGBTQ bills this session than any other state legislature. Full Story 

The lower chamber gave initial approval Monday to a series of bills responding to this year’s catastrophic power outages during a deadly winter storm. Full Story 

Texas Competes, which is made up of more than 1,450 Texas employers, chambers of commerce, tourism bureaus and industry associations, is advocating the “economic case for equality.” Full Story 

The push to steel Texas against new federal rules comes as gun violence nationwide — including a recent shooting in Bryan — has sparked Democrats to call for an assault weapons ban and stronger background checks, among other changes. Full Story 

The junior senator was among only six Republicans who opposed advancing a bill that would expedite the processing of hate crimes against Asian Americans by the Justice Department. Full Story 

Though seven of the sheriff’s officers have been fired after initially being put on administrative leave and another resigned while under investigation, the family and protesters say they don’t plan to stop until the officers have been charged with a crime. Full Story