Texas narrows law barring contractors from boycotting Israel
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill weeks after a federal judge blocked the existing state law in response to a lawsuit. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott and House at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: How did that tax swap fall apart?
On this week’s TribCast, Aman talks to Ross, Matthew and Shannon about how Texas lawmakers' plan to raise the sales tax collapsed, why the 2019 session is like the 1997 one and what we'll be watching out for in the session’s final three weeks. Full Story
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![From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Greg Bonnen discuss property taxes at a press conference at the Capitol on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes bill to prohibit telemarketers from falsifying caller ID
The measure aims to prohibit caller ID spoofing — when callers tamper with information transmitted to people’s phones to disguise their identities. Full Story
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Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Beto O'Rourke, once the talk of the 2020 field, settles in for long haul
Two months into his campaign, the Democratic presidential candidate is pressing forward with an aggressive campaign under a dimmer spotlight. Full Story
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![Presidential Candidate Beto OâRourke addresses the press in Iowa on May 8, 2019.]()
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Texas House passes bill to include parents with young children in curbside voting
Current Texas law only allows curbside voting for voters with disabilities. The new legislation would allow — but not require — polling places to accommodate parents with young kids. Full Story
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![Curbside voting is currently available in Tarrant County for voters who have trouble standing for long periods of time or experience other forms of disabilities. A proposed House bill would expand the option to parents in Texas.]()
Credit: Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Red-light cameras could be removed from Texas intersections after House vote
But an amendment to the bill could keep the devices in place until cities' contracts with vendors expire. Camera proponents say they make intersections safer, but critics say they undermine due process. Full Story
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![A red light camera at the intersection of I-35 and 11th St. near downtown Austin on May 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
“Pain and heartache” in the Texas Senate during debate on Confederate monuments
In a party-line vote, the upper chamber advanced a bill that would make it more difficult for cities and state agencies to remove or alter historical markers. The legislation comes amid a larger debate over whether to keep or remove Confederate monuments. Full Story
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![The 1903 Confederate monument at the south entrance to the Capitol grounds says that Confederate soldiers died for states' rights.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes second, more limited bill expanding access to medical cannabis
It was the second time in as many days that the lower chamber moved to increase which medical conditions allow Texans to use CBD oil for treatment. But both bills face an uphill battle in the Senate. Full Story
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![State Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, on the House floor on May 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
In a surprising turn, Texas House opts to delay consideration of sales tax swap legislation until 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott and other legislative leaders endorsed the sales tax increase, intended to help fund ongoing cuts to school district taxes. But it has been effectively killed this session. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, listens to testimony from State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, on HJ3. Huberty seeks to postpone a vote on the bill related to a sales tax increase. May 7, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Pro-LGBTQ bills look dead in the Texas House, but advocates say they’ve still made progress this year
"Having a hearing is sometimes a victory," said state Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, whose conversion therapy ban was debated for the first time this year. Full Story
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![State Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Carollton, speaks to the press in Austin to announce the new LGBTQ Caucus on Feb. 5, 2019.]()
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In 1997, George W. Bush couldn’t deliver a tax reform plan. Will Greg Abbott face a similar fate?
State leaders are pushing a plan to drive down property taxes using revenue from a one-cent increase to the sales tax. They have said the plan would result in roughly $250 a year in savings on a $200,000 home. Full Story
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![Gov. George W. Bush and House Speaker Pete Laney on the dais, on May 8, 1997.]()
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Texas House passes bill to vastly expand access to medical cannabis
The bill by state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, is one of two that aim to expand the scope of the narrow Compassionate Use Act and have gained traction this legislative session. Full Story
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![Michael Rubin, Director at Compassionate Cultivation, tends to home-grown medical cannabis in Austin that serves patients throughout Texas, on January 19, 2017.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott, legislative leaders assert confidence as deadline to cut property taxes nears
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen did not close the door on passing a sales tax swap with a simple majority instead of the current approach requiring two-thirds support of lawmakers and voter approval. Full Story
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![From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen speak at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Change in tax bill would let many cities and counties raise property tax levies by more than 3.5%
The revision was made in the House. But the high-priority property tax bill is expected to head to a conference committee, where negotiations could change or remove the provision. Full Story
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![The floor of the house on April 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
With business groups’ backing, House panel adds non-discrimination protection to Senate bill
State Rep. Dade Phelan added the provision to a Senate bill that would bar cities from enacting rules on how businesses schedule their employees’ shifts. LGBTQ groups worried that without the language, businesses could pick which employees get certain benefits. Full Story
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![Chairman Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, listens to testimony during the State Affairs committee hearing in Austin on Feb. 27, 2019.]()
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joins fight targeting Texas State Bar
The lawsuit has the potential to upend the structure of the entity responsible for regulating Texas' legal profession. Critics suggest that Paxton's involvement may be politically motivated. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during a press conference on Jan. 12, 2017.]()
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Joaquin Castro won't challenge John Cornyn for U.S. Senate seat
After months of speculation that he would run for statewide office, the fourth-term congressman has decided to run for reelection in the U.S. House. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, speaks at the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus Press Conference on April 17, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Tax night in the Texas Lege; state ends its voter citizenship review
On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks to Ayan, Aman and Matthew about the Legislature's progress on property taxes and school finance reform, the state’s decision to end a botched voter citizenship review and the fate of marijuana decriminalization in the Texas Senate. Full Story
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![House members take a picture of the Texas Taxpayer Transparency Act on the House Floor on April 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Here’s how each Texas House member voted on the property tax reform bill
One of the Legislature’s priority property tax reform bills, Senate Bill 2, was approved by the House on a 107-40 margin Tuesday. More than 20 Democratic lawmakers broke party ranks to support the measure. Full Story
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![Interior of the Capitol Rotunda.]()
Credit: Austin Price/The Texas Tribune -
“Guns and safety aren’t synonymous for us”: Some black Texans fear plans to arm more teachers
Black students, who are already overrepresented in disciplinary referrals, say their fears come as lawmakers consider a slew of bills to expand the state's school marshal program in response to a deadly shooting last year. Full Story
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![Students at Round Rock High School Ahmir Johnson, left, and Addison Savors, right, at school on April 26, 2019. The expansion of the marshal program could be triggering for black and brown students.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune