The Texas House for hours on Sunday debated its proposal to better prepare for extreme weather. The chambers have a little more than a week to wrap up remaining work.
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.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Polling places for urban voters of color would be cut under Texas Senate’s version of voting bill being negotiated with House
Voters in some urban, Democratic areas of Harris and Tarrant counties would see a drastic drop in polling places under the Senate version of Senate Bill 7, a Texas Tribune analysis shows.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg. Abbott says no public schools or government entities will be allowed to require masks
While 30% of Texans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the vast majority of children are unvaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine was authorized last week for children as young as 12.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas’ divisive bill limiting how students learn about current events and historic racism passed by Senate
The bill aims to ban critical race theory in public and open-enrollment charter schools. Supporters say it merely ensures students aren’t taught that one race or gender is superior to another. Critics say it limits how race in America is taught.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Day after Texas House demands action, Senate committee moves on a few criminal justice reform measures
Among the bills approved by the Senate Jurisprudence Committee is one that would require police officers to keep their body cameras activated during investigations.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, Texas’ top elections official, to resign after Senate takes no action on her confirmation
The Senate Nominations Committee never took up Hughs’ nomination, requiring her to leave office at the end of the legislative session.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Legislators running out of time to pass bills curbing law enforcement agencies from hiring bad officers
Texas law enforcement agencies have long dealt with troublesome officers who move from one department to another. Transparency bills aim to make their disciplinary records more easily accessible to such agencies.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Allocating $16 billion in coronavirus relief funds will be part of special legislative session in the fall, Gov. Greg Abbott says
Abbott already planned to call a special session later in the year for the Legislature to do its decennial redrawing of Texas political maps.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2021
Priority bills imperiled as end-of-session tensions rise between Texas House and Senate
House lawmakers expressed frustration Thursday that some of their priority legislation had not moved in the upper chamber, including a package of health care and criminal justice reform bills pushed by House Speaker Dade Phelan.
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Politics
Most U.S. House Republicans from Texas vote against forming a commission to investigate Jan. 6 insurrection
The bill creating the commission, which would have subpoena power, passed 252-175. Republican U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio and Van Taylor of Plano were the only two GOP Texans to support the measure.
