As Texas faces a backlog of thousands of untested rape kits, lawmakers appear unwilling to spend state dollars to address the problem — but they’re considering crowdfunding.
85th Legislative Session
Posted in
State Government
Unicycles and feral hogs: former lawmaker unveils his top bill descriptions
Having trouble classifying your electric unicycle? Want to identify your deer but don’t want to get it tattooed? The 85th Texas Legislature is here to help.
Posted in
Politics
Senate Committee approves Texas voter ID overhaul
A Texas Senate panel has advanced a bill that would overhaul the state voter identification rules, an effort to comply with court rulings that the current law discriminates against black and Latino voters.
Posted in
Politics
Analysis: A week to test local powers in Texas
The Texas Legislature is going to be busy this week with issues that ordinarily belong to other governments, as it considers the wisdom of local ordinances on restrooms, ride-hailing, short-term rentals, sanctuary cities and plastic bags.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Mayors say Texas, U.S. politics increasingly undermine city needs
A major source of division among cities and state officials is differing opinions on what local control means — and to whom it provides the power to govern.
Posted in
Politics
With proposal to penalize men for masturbating, legislator aims to shake up health debate
State Rep. Jessica Farrar, a Houston Democrat, has filed House Bill 4260, which would fine men $100 for masturbating.
Posted in
Economy
Tesla tries a new, ambitious approach at Texas Capitol
A pair of bills filed Friday would allow any vehicle manufacturer to sell directly to Texans — bypassing the middleman dealers — in the biggest challenge yet to a longstanding state ban on the practice.
Posted in
Economy
House proposal could claw back billions Texas voters approved for roads
The Texas House’s chief budget writer filed legislation Friday that would pave the way for lawmakers to claw back billions of dollars that voters approved for state highways, freeing them up for other budget needs.
Posted in
Public Education
Public charters fight uphill battle for facilities funding
Charter schools, seeking more state money, want the public to know that they’re public schools, too.
Posted in
State Government
Analysis: The party in power in Texas acts more like two parties at war
The leadership battles in the Texas Legislature are often attributed to personalities — or to traditional House-Senate rivalries. But there’s another factor: The Republicans in power are from different factions of their party.
