Texas Legislature 2025

The Texas House took its first step toward revising a priority Senate bill last week. The changes were lauded by the state’s water community. Full Story 

Local prosecutors have used the charge to punish police accused of misconduct. Legislation that would prevent that is advancing through the Legislature. Full Story 

After Republicans and Democrats fight over the budget and constitutional amendments, GOP members stake out a new battlefield. Full Story 

Democrats and other critics say Texas legislation threatens to keep citizens who can’t easily access the right documents from voting. Full Story 

Voting rights advocates worry that legislation approved by House and Senate committees could make it harder to get more people on the rolls. Full Story 

Some Republicans have bristled at the hefty cost of the bill, and Democrats could reject the funding for it over the school voucher dispute. Full Story 

The first bill to reach Abbott’s desk this session creates a regulation-cutting state agency under the purview of the governor. It was passed with bipartisan supermajorities. Full Story 

School leaders have privately criticized a bill that would make it harder to contest their performance ratings in court. But they did not testify against it to avoid lawmakers’ ire. Full Story 

The only time the state conducted such an assessment two decades ago, it found that undocumented Texans contributed more to the state’s economy than they cost the state. Full Story 

There’s political urgency for Republicans to deal with housing affordability, especially as surveys find most Texans say housing costs are a top concern. Full Story 

Texas Republican lawmakers in regions known for support of public schools defended voting for vouchers, saying they gained leverage to seek concessions. Full Story 

The lieutenant governor proposes that the Texas Senate adopt the House bill, which would eliminate a negotiation over the two versions and cement the victory for supporters. Full Story 

As lawmakers work to close loopholes that allow minors access to cannabis consumables, hemp farmers warn a total THC ban would strangle a once-hailed crop. Full Story 

Anti-voucher Republicans said they voted for the bill so they could fight to improve it, and also to fend off political retribution. Full Story 

Normally, memorial resolutions to honor Texans who have died are passed without controversy. But the resolution for Richards, a former president of Planned Parenthood who died this year, sparked a cascade of outrage from conservatives. Full Story 

After a deal to pipe water from Lake O’ the Pines to North Texas came to light, residents voiced opposition everywhere they could to block it. Full Story 

The House approved historic legislation that would implement school vouchers in Texas. Here’s how each representative voted. Full Story 

The bill would let families use taxpayer dollars for their children’s private schooling. Lawmakers also signed off on a sweeping $7.7 billion package to boost public school funding. Full Story 

The lower chamber overwhelmingly voted in favor of House Bill 2, a sweeping $8 billion piece of legislation that would also limit schools’ reliance on teachers without formal classroom training. Full Story 

The bill would require universities to report any visa-holding students who support terrorism, but its vague language could be dangerous, civil rights groups say. Full Story