Texas teachers, parents lose protection over “obscene” material
A fiery debate on the House floor Friday gave way to the Senate Bill 412’s final vote. Supporters say it’s needed to protect children. Full Story
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![The library at Blanco Vista Elementary in San Marcos on Nov. 4, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Everything we know about the 3 people who want to run Starbase, Texas’ next city
All three — running unopposed — have longstanding connections with SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company headquartered in South Texas. Full Story
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![People take photos in front of a Starbase sign at SpaceX Starbase near Brownsville, Texas, on April 16, 2023.]()
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How Greg Abbott took a flailing school voucher movement and turned it into a winning issue
Abbott tapped into a powerful national conservative movement and his own campaign war chest to turn legislative races into multimillion-dollar affairs. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott takes a photo with students and staff after speaking about school vouchers at Parent Empowerment Night at Harvest Christian Academy in Edinburg on Feb. 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Gabriel V. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Will Saturday’s elections be the last one in May for Texas?
The Texas House is considering a bill to abolish May elections, which have the lowest turnout of any election. Full Story
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![Love Vial, center, votes at the West Gray Multiservice Center in Houston on Election Day, Nov. 7, 2023.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Bill that would make vaccine exemptions easier to obtain clears Texas House
The bill would allow a vaccine exemption form to be downloadable. Currently, a form must be requested from the state and mailed to the recipient. Full Story
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![A nurse administers a dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine at a clinic organized by the Travis County Mobile Vaccine Collaborative at Rodriguez Elementary School on July 28, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Join the TribCast team June 11 in Austin or online to discuss session’s impact on Texas schools
We’ll explain what happened, look ahead toward the impact on Texas schools and libraries, and hear from experts about what comes next Full Story
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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to lead Trump’s commission on religious liberty
The commission includes Ben Carson, “Dr. Phil” McGraw and religious figures. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speak at a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden at the White House on May 1, 2025 in Washington, D.C.]()
Credit: Samuel Corum/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Texas House panel advances THC bill with stricter regulations — but no ban — for hemp industry
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has called banning THC products a top priority. The latest draft of the lower chamber’s THC regulation bill would allow retailers to continue selling edibles and drinks. Full Story
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![Restart CBD displays beverages in a fridge on Thursday, May 9, 2024 in Austin. Beverages are a really interesting opportunity for this industry as they are accessible like edibles, but also allow for people to consume drinks that aren’t alcohol but still have some sort of benefit.]()
Credit: Maria Crane/The Texas Tribune -
Weary from COVID deaths, Hispanic Texans embraced vaccines. It saved their lives.
In the deadly summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths, spurring many to vaccinate. Today, in a startling flip, Hispanics make up less than a quarter of deaths from the disease. Full Story
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![Delia Ramos, center, holds a photo of her and her husband Ricardo with her daughter, right, and son tk. Ricardo died in July 2020. Brownsville on March 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas will share equipment database with local fire departments to help beat wildfires
The legislation, which won unanimous approval in both chambers, was written following the state’s historic Panhandle wildfires last year. Full Story
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![A firefighter with Forest Bend Fire Department extinguishes flames at the site of the Borrega wildfire on March 31, 2022. The wildfire burned through a large part of the King Ranch and surrounding areas in Brooks, Jim Wells and Kleberg counties.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
John Bash, first candidate to enter Texas attorney general’s race, exits
The former federal prosecutor cited shifting priorities after a family health scare for his withdrawal, which comes less than a month after his entry into the race. Full Story
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![U.S. Attorney John Bash and the prosecution team leave the courthouse following Carlos Uresti's sentencing, on June 26, 2018.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
Fired state employees breached the personal data of 33,529 more Texans
So far, nine Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees have been fired for improperly accessing Texans’ data. Full Story
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![A Texas Health and Human Services client application on April 24, 2018.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
A 20-hour wait to speak: A pre-dawn House panel takes up Ten Commandments bill
Dozens of people who signed up to speak were ready at 4 a.m. to debate whether public school classrooms should have to display the Ten Commandments. Full Story
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![The Ten Commandments, written out on a monument, sit outside the Texas Capitol on March 17, 2025.]()
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With AI on the rise, Texas House passes bill requiring more transparency in political ads
The bill faced fierce opposition from hardline conservatives who say it is policing speech and could allow the state to jail people over silly political memes. Full Story
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![State Rep. and former House Speaker Dade Phelan talks with supporters on May 28, 2024 outside of a runoff polling location in Beaumont.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers advancing bill to ban kids from social media
The Texas House passed onto the Senate a proposed ban Tuesday, alongside another bill that would require a social media warning label for minors. Full Story
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![Bonham Middle School students walk between classes Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
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Advocates fear Texas lawmakers are about to worsen the state’s homelessness crisis
Republican lawmakers are considering a bill to strengthen the state’s ban on homeless encampments and speed up the eviction process. Full Story
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![Tents are pitched in front of Austin City Hall protesting camping bans on May 10, 2021.]()
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Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta confirmed as Trump’s ambassador to Italy
The Texas billionaire has said he will drop his position at Landry’s, but will continue his ownership of the Houston Rockets. Full Story
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![University of Houston President Renu Khator talks with the U of H board of regents Chairman Tilman Fertitta at the university on Feb. 21, 2024.]()
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Texas House approves antisemitism bill in response to pro-Palestinian protests
The bill, which would require schools to use a definition of antisemitism when considering discipline for students, will soon head over to Abbott’s desk. Full Story
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![Protestors chant at Texas Department of Public Safety troopers as they begin to push students towards Guadalupe Street from the South Lawn during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in the Gaza conflict on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the University of Texas in Austin.]()
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The Texas House wants voters to approve billions to save the state’s water supply
The Senate has a similar proposal, but is more prescriptive in how the money should be spent. The two chambers must agree on the final proposal to send to voters. Full Story
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![Jairo Benavides, center, removes soil as the crew works on upgrading pipes and valves at a North Alamo Water Supply Corporation water plant in Donna on Thursday, July 18, 2024. In order to increase the amount of water the plant is able to distribute, pipes were upgraded and replaced, connect to the plant’s existing facility with the newly expanded infrastructure.]()
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Bill clarifying when doctors can perform medically necessary abortions clears Senate
The bill, which must still go through the House, received unanimous approval from the upper chamber. Full Story
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![Dr. Franz Theard, looks at a patient's sonogram at his abortion clinic, Women's Reproductive Clinic of New Mexico in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on Jan. 13, 2023. Dr. Theard's abortion clinic, less than a mile from Texas, where abortion is illegal since the landmark legal case Roe v. Wade which protected a woman's constitutional right to an abortion was overturned, provides medical abortions for women who are flying and driving hundreds of miles across Texas.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein