A new version of Senate Bill 17 expected to be considered by the House’s Higher Education Committee on Monday would still ban DEI offices and prohibit required diversity training, but it would open the door for university boards of regents to approve such programs in certain circumstances.
Dan Patrick
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TribCast
TribCast: Can Texas’ political leaders stop their bickering for the legislative homestretch?
In this week’s episode, we discuss the final three weeks of the Legislature and Colin Allred’s bid for U.S. Senate.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Legislature enters homestretch with many of the session’s biggest issues unresolved
The list of potential hurdles includes property tax cuts, school choice, the power grid, the state budget, plus diversity and tenure in higher education.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Conservative Christians want more religion in public life. Texas lawmakers are listening.
Opponents of church-state separation have been emboldened by recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and the growing acceptance of Christian nationalism on the right.
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Texas Legislature 2023
For thousands of Texas professors seeking tenure, a bill banning the benefit could be a turning point in their careers
While the proposed tenure ban will likely face steep opposition in the Texas House, faculty say lawmakers’ recent attacks on higher education have raised concerns about whether Texas is the best state to build their career.
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Politics
Illegal voting in Texas likely to be a felony again after state House vote
The Texas Senate has passed similar legislation. But a key policy separates the two chambers.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate approves bill that would end faculty tenure at public universities
Senate Bill 18 faces an uphill battle at the Texas House, where Speaker Dade Phelan has expressed concerns with completely eliminating the commonplace job protection.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate moves to end countywide voting on Election Day
Voters in nearly 100 counties — mostly rural — can vote at any polling site in their county. The sponsor, without offering evidence, said the practice was not secure despite years of successful elections in Texas with the system.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate passes $308 billion budget plan, kicking off high-stakes negotiations with the House
There are $5 billion and several political wedges standing between the House and Senate plans, which now move into conference committee with less than five weeks before session ends.
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LGBTQ+ Texans
The eyes of LGBTQ Texans are upon Dade Phelan and the House
Spurred by a groundswell of far-right support, the Texas Senate has passed all of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority LGBTQ bills — and then some. What the House does next will impact queer Texans’ lives and could determine Speaker Phelan’s future.
