Republican David Whitley faces questions from Democrats about how he handled an attempt to review the citizenship of 95,000 registered Texas voters.
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
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht calls for nonpartisan judicial elections, bail reform
In the wake of a midterm election that saw four major state appeals courts flip on partisan lines, Hecht called on lawmakers to consider changing Texas to a system of merit selection and retention elections.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: A State of the State address that’s short on surprises, long on collaboration
What Texas Gov. Greg Abbott didn’t say in Tuesday’s State of the State speech was important. School finance and property taxes were the big issues before the speech — and Abbott didn’t stray from those subjects.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Gov. Greg Abbott names school finance, property tax reform emergency items
The governor focused on bread-and-butter policy in a forum that has often featured a lot of red meat.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Courts have called Texas bail practices unconstitutional. Will that push this year’s reform efforts to success?
Two years after a bail reform bill died in the Legislature, new bail legislation has other factors working in its favor.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Watch Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s State of the State address
Abbott stayed on message about education and taxes, and touched on school safety, disaster response and mental health programs.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Texas government is often entertaining, but it’s not all show business
Property taxes and school finance — the top two priorities of state leaders this legislative session — aren’t the sorts of issues that fire up political partisans. Sometimes, lawmakers are just trying to do some work.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking more power this session to prosecute voter fraud and abortion-related crimes
Paxton’s office has asked lawmakers for millions more in funding and expanded jurisdiction to go after certain crimes. Critics say the requests are aimed at political gains.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas still doesn’t have a law on intellectual disability and the death penalty. Will that change this year?
Nearly two decades after the U.S. Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional to execute those with intellectual disabilities, Texas still has no process on determining the condition — leaving life-and-death decisions in the hands of courts with very different methods.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: Something’s missing from the opening bid for property tax “relief” in Texas
The property tax legislation unveiled by state leaders this week carries an implicit promise — that local school districts will get more state money — but doesn’t say where that money might come from.