The legislative session may be over, but that doesn’t mean it’s vacation time for many of the Capitol’s lobbyists. With a Sunday deadline for Gov. Greg Abbott to veto legislation, some of them are still making a last-ditch effort to kill bills.
84th Legislative Session
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Catch Up on Law & Order Issues From This Session
During the 84th legislative session, lawmakers passed open carry and campus carry legislation and voted to make cannabis oil available to epilepsy patients. Find more details on these and other law and order issues on the Texas Legislative Guide.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Catch Up on Our Environmental Coverage From the 84th Session
Take a look at the environmental issues we kept an eye during the 84th legislative session. You can also use our Texas Legislative Guide to see everything else we covered during the session.
Posted in
Economy
Signing Tax Cut Bills, Abbott Predicts “New Era of Job Growth”
Declaring “a new era of job growth in the state of Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed a $2.56 billion bill cutting the franchise tax rate paid by businesses by 25 percent.
Posted in
Politics
Inside Texas Politics: A Sit-Down With the Lt. Gov.
This week’s edition of WFAA-TV’s Inside Texas Politics features an extended interview with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Catch Up on Energy Issues From This Session
The Texas oil boom slowed during the 84th legislative session, creating implications for the state’s budget. See how lawmakers responded to volatile oil prices, local drilling ordinances and other energy issues this session in the Texas Legislative Guide.
Posted in
State Government
Roundup: Perry, Pastors and an Abortion Ruling
In the Roundup: Former Gov. Rick Perry is officially in the 2016 race for president, Gov. Greg Abbott is busy signing key legislation into law and abortion providers are grappling with the latest court ruling that could leave just a handful of clinics open statewide.
Posted in
State Government
State Budget Includes $500,000 to Subsidize Texas Almanac
Tucked in the $209 billion budget lawmakers passed last month is a budget rider allocating $500,000 for a nonprofit to publish the Texas Almanac, a reference guide that had gotten by for over a century as a for-profit publication.
Posted in
State Government
Abbott Signs “Pastor Protection Act” Into Law
Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed a bill Thursday that allows clergy members to refuse to conduct marriages that violate their beliefs, said that “pastors now have the freedom to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Posted in
State Government
Deconstructing the Session: What Happened Under the Dome?
During the 84th legislative session, state lawmakers had 140 days to pass a budget and other bills they thought were priorities for Texas. In this special collaboration with Texas Standard, we look at the big takeaways from the session.