Economy

After a lengthy debate among lawmakers over the best way to regulate services like Uber and Lyft, the Texas House backed a proposal that would override local regulations concerning ride-hailing companies.

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Under Senate Bill 451 by state Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, Texas cities would be prevented from banning short-term rentals and their ability to write ordinances restricting the practice would be narrowed.

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Three bills aimed at reducing what it takes to get licensed for certain cosmetology jobs were considered in a House committee hearing Monday evening.

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Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar wants to reshape the state's Rainy Day Fund, aiming to get more bang for those stowed-away bucks. 

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Paxton’s answer to that question could shake up budget negotiations in the final weeks of session.

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Evolve Austin, a nonprofit that advocates for denser development and more affordable housing, is aligning with some high-profile real estate and business groups to push for changes to how Austin regulates land use.

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A Texas Senate panel considered legislation Tuesday that would require construction companies to give workers mandatory rest breaks — an effort to prevent illnesses and deaths from the sweltering Texas heat.

 

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While the Texas House on Thursday voted to defund a controversial economic development program and put the money toward services for vulnerable children, a group of Tea Party Republicans complained about the way the vote was handled.

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Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has opened trade relations with group of Israeli settlements in the West Bank that neither the United States nor the United Nations legally recognizes.

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Tourism officials in the state's four biggest cities expect to lose at least $407 million in revenue from upcoming events if the "bathroom bill" becomes law. Scores more event planners are likely to bypass Texas entirely in the future, they say. 

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The Texas Senate approved legislation Tuesday that aims to eventually slice — and possibly eliminate — the state’s franchise tax, a levy on businesses earnings that’s widely unpopular among the state’s Republican leadership.

 

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The Senate voted 18-12 in favor of bill that would require an election if a local government entity wanted to increase some of its tax collections by 5 percent or more. 

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Though the proposals are unlikely to get very far, House Democrats are again pushing for a minimum wage increase in Texas.

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In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accuses U.S. agencies of violating federal law by failing to license a nuclear waste repository in Nevada.

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State Sen. Paul Bettencourt's attempt to limit when cities and counties can increase property tax collections without an election drew bipartisan opposition Tuesday. But many supporters also came to the bill's defense.

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State Sen. Paul Bettencourt says Texans are tired of seeing their property tax bills increase dramatically year after year. But local government officials say his Senate Bill 2 would limit their abilities to raise necessary revenues.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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State Rep. Charlie Geren filed a bill this week that aims to overcome the car industry opposition that crushed an autonomous vehicle bill two years ago. But he says there's lots of work left to do on it.

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