The proposed constitutional amendment would affirm that voters must be citizens, a requirement that’s already in state law.
Brian Birdwell
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Politics
Trump taps Texas Sen. Brian Birdwell for assistant secretary of defense
The U.S. Senate must confirm the appointment. The Granbury Republican previously announced he would not seek another Texas Senate term.
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Politics
GOP state Sen. Brian Birdwell says he won’t seek reelection
Soon after Birdwell announced his retirement, state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, said he was running for the seat.
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Texas Legislature 2025
A Republican effort to set deadlines to plug orphan wells in Texas hits resistance
The bill would have set deadlines for the oil and gas industry to plug inactive wells, which can pose a danger to the environment.
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Ken Paxton Impeachment
Despite promise of “total transparency,” secrecy will be a big part of Ken Paxton impeachment trial
From deliberations to documents, the Texas Senate’s rules create an opaque process for the suspended attorney general’s impeachment trial, set to begin Sept. 5.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate moves to create new immigration enforcement unit, allow state police to arrest for border crossings
The House has already passed the bill, but the two chambers will need to iron out the differences in their versions before it is sent to Gov. Greg Abbott.
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Texas Legislature 2023
GOP border bill expanded to stiffen penalty for human smuggling, create border-crossing crime
State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, tacks two of his stalled bills onto legislation that would create a border police unit and increase state spending in border communities.
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Operation Lone Star
Texas Guard’s border mission needs an additional $531 million to continue past this month, top general says
Texas Military Department leaders say they’ve addressed many of the issues that arose late last year when the mission ramped up to 10,000 service members — but more money is needed to run the mission at its current pace.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas lawmakers hope an additional $200 million will decrease dreaded wait times at driver’s license centers
The money will be used to hire more employees, give a raise to current staffers and open two new driver’s license offices in Angleton and Denton. The Department of Public Safety’s management of the offices has drawn criticism, but lawmakers stopped short of moving those duties to another agency.
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Criminal Justice
He thought he had a free court-appointed lawyer. Then he got a bill for $10,000
Defendants in Texas and across the country are sometimes asked to reimburse the government for the cost of their court-appointed lawyer through a practice called recoupment.