The Texas House for hours on Sunday debated its proposal to better prepare for extreme weather. The chambers have a little more than a week to wrap up remaining work.
Texas Legislature 2021
The 87th Texas Legislature approved hundreds of new laws during its regular session that ended in May 2021, including a near-total ban on abortions. Lawmakers then returned to Austin for three special sessions aimed at passing additional conservative priorities. Although House Democrats fled the state for weeks, lawmakers eventually passed new voting restrictions. They also approved new political maps and a proposed constitutional amendment that could lower property tax bills.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Polling places for urban voters of color would be cut under Texas Senate’s version of voting bill being negotiated with House
Voters in some urban, Democratic areas of Harris and Tarrant counties would see a drastic drop in polling places under the Senate version of Senate Bill 7, a Texas Tribune analysis shows.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Bill that would make it a felony for Texas protesters to obstruct emergency vehicles heads to the governor’s desk
The Senate passed House Bill 9, filed in response to last year’s nationwide protests against police brutality, on a 25-5 vote. Gov. Greg Abbott has already indicated his support.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas’ divisive bill limiting how students learn about current events and historic racism passed by Senate
The bill aims to ban critical race theory in public and open-enrollment charter schools. Supporters say it merely ensures students aren’t taught that one race or gender is superior to another. Critics say it limits how race in America is taught.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Day after Texas House demands action, Senate committee moves on a few criminal justice reform measures
Among the bills approved by the Senate Jurisprudence Committee is one that would require police officers to keep their body cameras activated during investigations.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, Texas’ top elections official, to resign after Senate takes no action on her confirmation
The Senate Nominations Committee never took up Hughs’ nomination, requiring her to leave office at the end of the legislative session.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Legislators running out of time to pass bills curbing law enforcement agencies from hiring bad officers
Texas law enforcement agencies have long dealt with troublesome officers who move from one department to another. Transparency bills aim to make their disciplinary records more easily accessible to such agencies.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Statewide ban on homeless encampments approved by Texas Senate
The vote comes only weeks after Austin residents voted to reinstate a local public camping ban — two years after it was lifted.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Allocating $16 billion in coronavirus relief funds will be part of special legislative session in the fall, Gov. Greg Abbott says
Abbott already planned to call a special session later in the year for the Legislature to do its decennial redrawing of Texas political maps.
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Texas Legislature 2021
A bill to expand Texas’ medical marijuana program started moving in the Senate. Advocates worry time is running out.
House Bill 1535 would expand the state’s medical cannabis program to include those with chronic pain, all cancer patients and Texans with post-traumatic stress disorder.