What started as unity at the top of Texas government is now in the hands of state legislators, who are better known for killing bills and changing the original intentions. Case in point: property taxes.
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
This Texas program lands poor people in jail. Getting rid of it has been too complicated — but that might be changing.
Lawmakers in both chambers and parties want to fix the controversial Driver Responsibility Program, but the program funds state trauma centers. Where will they find $144 million to fill the gap?
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Texas Legislature 2019
Republican, Democrat advance to runoff for Texas House seat in San Antonio
Republican Fred Rangel and Democrat Ray Lopez are heading to an overtime round in the race to replace former state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Special election runoff to replace Carol Alvarado in Texas House to be held March 5
Voters will decide the successor to former state Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, who was elected to the Texas Senate in December.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Voters in four states have approved Medicaid expansion by ballot. Will Texas do the same?
Idaho, Maine, Nebraska and Utah voters approved Medicaid expansion through ballot initiatives. Now Texas legislators have filed bills for a vote over whether the state should expand coverage for the joint federal-state health insurance program.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Four Democrats and one Republican vie for Justin Rodriguez’s Texas House seat
The Democratic state representative from San Antonio gave up his seat in January after being appointed Bexar County commissioner.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Days after heated meeting, Texas Senate property tax committee passes 2.5-percent rollback rate bill
The Senate panel’s vote came despite fierce pushback from city and county leaders, who say a lower election threshold on increased property tax revenues could hamstring their budgets.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Point of Order: Investing in the future of Texas
In the latest episode of our podcast about the 86th Legislature, Evan Smith asks state Rep. John Zerwas, the chief budget writer in the Texas House, whether we have enough money to fund today’s priorities and tomorrow’s — and which hard choices we have to make.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: The challenge of reining in property taxes at no cost to schools
A Texas Senate committee is moving rapidly to require voter approval for local property tax increases over 2.5 percent. But some want to see the Legislature’s school finance bill before they vote on property taxes.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: A green appointee’s harsh introduction to Texas election politics
Between his office’s bungled efforts to find noncitizens among the state’s registered voters and Democrats pouncing on state actions they believe are targeted at Hispanics and other groups, Texas Secretary of State David Whitley’s confirmation is in peril.