The spending package includes a provision that will criminalize the sale of almost all consumable hemp products nationwide, restoring a similar ban to the one vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Health care
In-depth reporting on public health, healthcare policy, hospitals, and wellness issues shaping communities across Texas, from The Texas Tribune.
The number of whooping cough cases in Texas is the highest it’s been in 11 years
The state has recorded more than 3,500 cases of whooping cough so far this year, 10 times the number in 2023.
Gov. Greg Abbott launches reelection campaign for fourth term
Abbott framed his campaign as a means to keep Texas as a conservative bastion, touting efforts to lower property taxes, bolster education and strengthen public safety.
Uncertainty grows on when Texans will get SNAP benefits as U.S. Supreme Court emergency order blocks full aid
The order will expire two days after an appeals court issues a more permanent ruling on the funding while the Trump administration will continue with partial SNAP payments.
Texas applies for $1 billion in federal funding for rural health initiatives
Texas wants a piece of the $50 billion Congress approved for rural health in the One Big Beautiful Bill earlier this year.
How El Paso’s Mental Health Court integrates recovery in criminal justice system
State law requires counties with a population of 200,000 or more to establish a mental health court program.
All 17 Texas Constitutional amendments pass
The propositions include restrictions on the creation of certain taxes, new tax exemptions, investments on water infrastructure and dementia research.
“We don’t know what we’re going to eat”: Texans are still waiting for November SNAP benefits
Although the federal government has said it will deposit half of November benefits, Texans are still unsure when money will land in their accounts.
New York judge dismisses Ken Paxton’s legal challenge in abortion pills case
The Texas attorney general wanted a New York court to enforce a civil judgment against a doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills. The suit was a test of New York’s “shield law.”
Texas ACA insurers hike monthly premiums by 35% on average
The amount Texans will pay toward their ACA premiums will likely rise more steeply, with enhanced subsidies set to expire.

