Texas Legislature 2025

In this week’s episode, we talk about state House politics, proposals for the budget and the condition of water infrastructure in the state. Full Story 

Meanwhile in the Panhandle, Republicans were less excited that Burrows won the speaker contest thanks largely to Democrats. Full Story 

Social media’s danger on youth mental health has captured the attention of Texas lawmakers, at times, eclipsing focus on bigger threats — provider shortages and funding cuts to programs. Full Story 

Emboldened by Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s nomination and disdain for pandemic-era mandates, skeptics are pushing for bills to make it easier to opt out of vaccines. Full Story 

Senate Bill 2 starts a new debate on a school voucher program in Texas. A funding proposal would allow up to 100,000 K-12 students who want to enroll to a private school to participate. Full Story 

Conservative activists in the GOP caucus called any power sharing with the minority party a betrayal of Republican voters. Full Story 

Vouchers would let parents use public funds to pay for their kids’ private education. Learn about how they could work and the political battle around them. Full Story 

Both chambers set aside $1 billion for a voucher-like education savings account program — double what was on the table two years ago — in a sign that supporters are emboldened after recent electoral gains. Full Story 

Patrick on Sunday said the Legislature should amend the language of the state’s near-total abortion ban to address confusion over when doctors may terminate pregnancies. Full Story 

In 2023, Texas passed a DEI ban at the state’s public universities. Now Abbott wants the state to stop funding diversity programs in K-12 schools. Full Story 

Texas’ population is booming and there is not enough water for everyone. State Sen. Charles Perry hopes to fix that. Full Story 

The new speaker’s power over the budget and committee assignments is expected to bolster established Republican leaders and some Democrats who supported the winner. Full Story 

Abraham George’s comments are the latest sign of the state GOP’s embrace of fundamentalist ideologies that seek to center public life around their faith. Full Story 

The race pitted state Reps. David Cook and Dustin Burrows against each other. Here’s how each representative voted. Full Story 

Burrows defeated Rep. David Cook with a coalition of Republican and Democratic votes. Full Story 

The Texas House kicked off the 2025 session by electing an establishment Republican to lead the chamber, drawing criticism from within the GOP. Full Story 

From debating school vouchers and improving the state’s water supply to reining in property taxes, the GOP-led body will look to pass its conservative priorities amid fighting within the party. Full Story 

The new speaker will have a dramatic impact on the direction of this year’s lawmaking — and potentially the future of the Legislature. Full Story 

The estimate includes $23.8 billion leftover from the current budget cycle. Full Story 

Here’s a rundown of how legislation moves through the Capitol, the ways lawmakers operate and who the power players are. Full Story