Trump aides want Texas to redraw its congressional maps to boost the GOP. What would that mean?
The plan would shift voters from safely red districts into blue ones. Members of the state’s Republican delegation aren’t sold on the idea. Full Story
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![The newest drafts of the statewide congressional districts in Texas outside the Senate Chamber in the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 30 2021.]()
Credit: Dimitri Staszewski for The Texas Tribune -
With Rick Perry’s backing and $50 million from the state, Texas set to become a leader in psychedelics research
Lawmakers have approved funding clinical trials for ibogaine as a treatment for addiction and brain trauma. It comes as Texas contemplates banning THC. Full Story
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![The Rotunda seen from the Capitol Extension in Austin on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Here are the new Texas laws that will affect trans and LGBTQ+ people
Of the more than 100 bills aimed at LGBTQ+ people in the state, less than 10 were approved by lawmakers this session. Full Story
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![Austin Pride Parade attendees wave rainbow flags as they pass the Capitol building, on Aug. 20, 2022.]()
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Texas’ abortion bans are here to stay despite narrow clarification
Legal challenges have failed, elections haven’t moved the needle and the fight for a narrow clarification shows how immovable these laws are. Full Story
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![Protesters chant on Congress Ave. in front of the Texas State Capitol building at a pro-choice rally Friday, June 24, 2022 in Austin, TX. The Supreme Court overturned Roe V Wade Friday leading to national protests in response from pro abortion advocates. The announcement of the overturning would trigger an immediate ban on abortions in several states, including Texas. Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s push to ban THC in Texas draws rare backlash from the right
It’s an unusual situation for the lieutenant governor, long viewed by GOP activists as a stalwart conservative responsible for driving the Legislature rightward. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks about Senate Bill 3 during a press conference in the Texas Capitol on May 28, 2025. Patrick, joined by representatives from the House and Senate, spoke about the bill and how its passage would be a service to Texans, saving their lives. The bill is set to head to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, which Patrick said he wasn’t worried about.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune -
Hundreds protest in Austin against nationwide ICE detentions
Thirteen people were arrested on various charges during the protest Monday, which ended when officers fired tear gas into a crowd that neared a federal building. Full Story
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![Demonstrators march in front of the Capitol in Austin during a protest against ICE on Monday, June 9, 2025.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ GOP congressional delegation meets to discuss redrawing districts ahead of midterms
The proposal would require the Texas Legislature to return for a special session to carry out the rare move of reshaping the state’s political boundaries mid-decade. Full Story
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![2020 Census data and redistricting maps at The Texas Tribune office in Austin on Oct. 7, 2021. The state population grew by nearly 4 million and was mostly driven by people of color.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Staff vacancies hit Texas weather offices as they brace for a busy hurricane season
Houston’s National Weather Service office has lost its head meteorologist amid a federal requirement to cut 10% of NOAA’s staff. Full Story
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![The National Weather Service issued a Hurricane Warning for the Coastal Bend on July 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Pete Garcia for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ swift surrender to DOJ on undocumented student tuition raises questions about state-federal collusion
Experts say Wednesday’s action to eliminate the long-standing policy could be a “collusive lawsuit,” where the state and feds worked the courts to get a desired outcome. Full Story
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![The Texas State Capitol on Sept. 24, 2022 in Austin, TX.]()
Credit: Spencer Selvidge for The Texas Tribune -
Lawmakers passed bills this session to boost the state power grid but failed to limit renewables
With demand expected to soar, the Legislature passed bills aimed at boosting supply and making the grid more reliable. Bills to impose more regulations on renewables died. Full Story
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![A pump jack operates near a gas turbine power plant in the Permian Basin oil field outside of Odessa, Texas, U.S. February 18, 2025.]()
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A Texas Republican new to Congress, Brandon Gill has a knack for getting noticed
With a scant legislative record but a lot of face recognition, the representative from North Texas has found a way to make a mark in his first term. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Flower Mound, speaks during the news conference on the Birthright Citizenship Act at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 23, 2025.]()
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Air Force veteran Gina Ortiz Jones wins runoff race for San Antonio mayor
Jones, who served in the Biden administration, defeated Rolando Pablos, a former Texas secretary of state, in a high-profile, bitterly partisan contest. Full Story
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![Gina Ortiz Jones declares victory at Dakota East Side Ice House Saturday night.]()
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Texas Republicans pioneered in-state tuition for undocumented students. Now they’re celebrating its end.
In 2001, Texas Republicans saw expanding college access for certain undocumented students as a way to build an educated workforce. Now, some GOP lawmakers feel only U.S. citizens should receive those benefits. Full Story
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![Governor Rick Perry delivers his State of the State speech to a joint session of the Texas Legislature on Feb. 12, 2003.]()
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Texas will begin a summer lunch program in 2027, but only if feds don’t raise costs
The program would give low income families an extra $120 per child for summer lunches, but federal debate about food benefits could endanger the program. Full Story
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![Bonham Middle School employees watch as students begin to gather for lunch in the school’s cafeteria Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
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Texas lawmakers pull funding for child identification kits again after newsrooms report they don’t work
For the second time, lawmakers cut funding for kits meant to help find missing kids after ProPublica and The Texas Tribune documented the lack of evidence that the kits work. Full Story
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![The House chamber at the Texas Capitol during a session.]()
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Texas reined in recreational THC for more medical marijuana this legislative session
Texas passed sweeping changes to cannabis policy, including expanding the medical marijuana program and banning hemp products, while also boosting psychedelics research. Full Story
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![Hemp plants are seen at Caprock Family Farms, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Lubbock.]()
Credit: Annie Rice for The Texas Tribune -
Speaker Dustin Burrows, once tagged as “liberal,” kept skeptics at bay by leaning into a conservative agenda
At the same time, some Democrats acknowledged the Lubbock Republican let them leave their mark on some of the GOP bills they disagreed with. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, gavels out the 89th Texas Legislature at the Texas Capitol on Sine Die, Monday, June 2, 2025]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas bill creating more weekend early voting could boost turnout, but delay election results
A bill headed for Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk may not go into effect until 2027. Election administrators say the changes could create staffing challenges. Full Story
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![The line wraps around the sidewalk at the Cinco Ranch Branch Library on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Ft Bend County.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
First trial of immigrant accused of trespassing on Texas border military zone ends in acquittal
The trial of the Peruvian woman was the first test of the Trump administration’s new policy aimed at prosecuting immigrants who crossed the border illegally with military-related charges. Full Story
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![Near Marker 4 east of the Texas-New Mexico state line, a sign, illegible from the Mexican bank of the Rio Grande, warns that the U.S. Department of Defense has taken over the area, May 12, 2025.]()
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Texas secretary of state refers 33 potential noncitizen voters for criminal investigation
The 33 potential voting violations are a tiny fraction of the roughly 11 million who cast ballots in the November 2024 election. Full Story
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![A sign warns non-citizens against voting outside of a polling location in Canyon Lake on Nov. 05, 2024.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune