Budget conferees for the House and Senate wrapped up their work on Thursday night following approval earlier in the day by House Ways and Means on a compromise approach to extend property tax relief via an expanded residential homestead exemption.

News emerged Thursday that four large donors to the American Phoenix Foundation, which has been secretly recording Texas lawmakers, are well-known backers of conservative causes.

The House on Thursday overwhelmingly gave initial approval to legislation, commonly called the Pastor Protection Act, which aims to clarify a clergy member's right to refuse to conduct a marriage that violates his or her beliefs.

A major piece of border security legislation cleared another hurdle in the Texas Legislature on Tuesday, prompting lawmakers to predict that a compromise between the House and Senate will be hashed out before the session ends June 1.

A far-reaching proposal to restrict the mechanism used by minors seeking abortions without parental consent, known as a judicial bypass, was close to being heard on the Senate floor after being passed out of committee on Wednesday.

A deadly shootout between biker gangs in Waco on Sunday renewed scrutiny on their activities in Texas, but it did not dissuade lawmakers from pushing ahead this week on legislation allowing properly permitted gun owners to openly carry handguns.