Guides

An attempt to raise the sales tax to pay for state leaders' ambitious goals failed, raising questions about long-term effects of the property tax limitations in the school finance bill. Full Story 

Earlier this month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said a bill that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana was "dead on arrival" in the Senate. But his party's platform supports marijuana decriminalization. So what gives? Full Story 

Texas is growing at a rate of 1,000 people per day, and for the second year in a row, most of the people who moved to the state came from other countries in 2018. And the biggest growth in international migration isn't from Latin America. Full Story 

You can't use credit to buy beer from wholesalers, but you can own more liquor stores if you do business with family. Full Story 

The encampment is a makeshift shelter surrounded by fencing and razor wire where migrants are held when Border Patrol stations can't hold more people. Border Patrol agents say it's a temporary solution amid a surge of undocumented immigration. Full Story 

A fire that broke out Sunday morning at a petrochemical storage facility in the industrial Houston suburb stopped burning overnight. Full Story 

The state is keeping the list of voters it's reviewing secret, but county elections offices are supposed to tell individuals if they are on the list. Full Story 

State lawmakers are again trying to abolish daylight saving time in Texas, arguing it's antiquated. But supporters of the practice argue it gives Texans a crucial extra hour of light in the evenings during the summer months. Full Story 

State lawmakers are trying to reform a complicated taxing system where everything from suburban growth to gentrification and a homeowner’s age influence how much Texans pay their local governments. Full Story 

The fight over property tax rates is really about state leaders telling local officials how much their revenues can grow before voters get to step in. Full Story 

For his 2020 campaign for president, Julián Castro selected his twin brother, a Democratic representative from San Antonio, as his campaign chairman. Full Story 

Several government entities — from appraisal districts to city councils — play independent roles that collectively determine how much money Texas landowners owe local governments each year. Full Story 

Average Texans and lawmakers alike are going back to the basics on school finance, as the state Legislature prepares to tackle a longstanding challenge. Full Story 

A group of Texans is headed to court in hopes of blocking the Trump administration from including a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Here's a primer on the legal fight and what it could mean for the state. Full Story 

For the few months of each new 140-day legislative session, the respective chambers typically adjourn after meeting for less than an hour. There are several reasons lawmakers can't get off to a faster start. Full Story 

It can and it has. Last year, Texas lawmakers voted to override several local ordinances with new statewide measures — including relaxing regulations for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Full Story 

Texas is one of a handful of states that convenes its Legislature once every two years. And in Texas, a session lasts only 140 days. Full Story 

And should Texans expect to give up more of their property to the government as border wall and high-speed train projects move forward? Full Story 

Most states have ended straight-ticket, or “one-punch,” voting, but Texas kept it going — as long as it helped the majority party. The state is getting rid of it starting in 2020. Full Story 

Tuition and fees at Texas universities have more than doubled since 2003. There's plenty of blame to go around. Full Story