Lawyers representing foster children asked the high court to reinstate a contempt order against the state, and the judge who issued it.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
Posted in
Economy
SpaceX wins federal approval to launch more rockets in South Texas
The federal approval comes after vote from residents — mostly SpaceX employees — to form a new city at the Rio Grande Valley beach.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Bill requiring air conditioning in all Texas prisons wins House approval
House Bill 3006 would require the installation of climate control in state prison facilities by 2032.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Senate panel advances bill that gives schools more latitude to discipline students
House Bill 6 is a response to reports of more violent classroom disruptions after the pandemic. It lowers the bar for when schools can discipline for the state’s homeless and youngest students.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Texas House votes to repeal ban on “homosexual conduct”
An unlikely group of Republican allies joined Democrats to approve repealing the ban, which has been unenforced since 2003. It is the first time the bill has made it to the House floor since it was first proposed decades ago.
Posted in
Investigations
Texas lawmakers push to enforce election transparency law after newsrooms found school districts failed to comply
ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found nearly three dozen school districts were missing required campaign finance reports online. Now lawmakers are pushing to impose steep penalties on local governments that fail to abide by the law.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Juvenile detention, imported shrimp, forever chemicals among hundreds of bills cut off by House deadline
Some measures that made it through before midnight dealt with jail bonds, an unconstitutional ban on gay sex, and the liability of vaccine manufacturers.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Faculty and students blast Texas House panel for limiting testimony on bill that targets state universities
The House’s higher education committee closed registration to testify on Senate Bill 37 less than half an hour after the hearing started. About 20 people said they didn’t get to address lawmakers.
Posted in
Running Out: Texas’ Water Crisis
These are the proposals lawmakers hope will save Texas’ water supply. Track them here.
Most lawmakers — as well as Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — want to invest big in water. Here are the proposals that would do it.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2025
Bill that would give the Texas Lottery “a two-year lease on life” gets Senate approval
Senate Bill 3070 would allow the Texas Lottery’s games to continue under a new department, abolish the agency and create restrictions on ticket purchases.
