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Texas Legislature 2019
The 86th Legislature runs from Jan. 8 to May 27. From the state budget to health care to education policy — and the politics behind it all — we focus on what Texans need to know about the biennial legislative session.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Greg Abbott sets March 12 as date of special election runoff for San Antonio state House seat
The race pits Republican Fred Rangel against Democrat Ray Lopez for the seat formerly held by state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio.
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In Texas, property tax levies can be as individual as homeowners themselves
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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Political climate changes in Texas congressional districts
Sorted by congressional district, the 2018 general election results illustrate which members of the Texas delegation will be on Democratic and Republican target lists leading into the 2020 election cycle.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Democrats lay out their priorities for Texas school finance as lawmakers await leadership-endorsed bill
The Texas House Democratic Caucus is calling for a $14.5 billion package that includes all-day pre-K, teacher raises and property tax relief.
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Texas officials call it “property tax relief” — but legislation won’t lower tax bills or decrease budgets
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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
After Texas’ second Supreme Court loss in a death penalty case, reform bill lands key GOP support
The chairs of two House committees signed on as joint authors of a bill that would set the method of determining if a capital murder defendant is intellectually disabled and therefore ineligible for execution.
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How do Texas governments calculate your property taxes? Here’s a primer.
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.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Skirting the rules in the Texas Senate — but doing it by the book
Sometimes, the way around the established traditions of the Texas Senate is to be found in the least obvious place: the Senate’s own rulebook.
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Texas Legislature 2019
After state leaders’ unified rollout, 2.5 percent rollback rate on property tax bill looks unlikely to stick
Weeks after state leaders trumpeted a consensus property tax reform proposal, few seem married to the bill’s pitch to cut the rollback rate to 2.5 percent.