A second special session that has made approving the map a priority started Friday, shortly after the first one ended.
Politics
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2026 Texas Elections
Rep. Ray Lopez of San Antonio will not seek reelection to Texas House
The San Antonio Democrat was first elected to the Legislature in 2019.
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Higher Education
Judge denies undocumented students’ attempt to challenge sudden loss of in-state tuition
Two groups tried to intervene in a case that blocked Texas’ decade-old law allowing certain undocumented students to pay the lower tuition rates at public universities. They’re appealing that decision.
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Texas measles outbreak
State health officials declare West Texas measles outbreak over
With no new cases reported in 42 days, the nation’s largest measles outbreak in 30 years, is declared over.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
Texas House Democrats return to Capitol, ending walkout over redistricting plan
After two weeks out of state, Democratic lawmakers returned to Austin, paving the way for Republicans to pass their proposed congressional map.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Vaccine exemption requests in Texas spike in July, as some experts fear more families will opt out
Federal funding cuts to immunization efforts and a new law that allows exemption forms to be downloaded, instead of mailed, could drive up exemptions in the future.
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Politics
Beto O’Rourke PAC donated more than $1 million to Democrats during redistricting battle
A judge temporarily barred Powered by People from fundraising for Democrats or financially supporting the quorum break.
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Economy
U.S. will build sterile fly factory in Texas to stop screwworm from devastating livestock industry
Mounted patrol officers, known as tick riders, who typically patrol the southern border to protect cattle from fever tick, will also now serve as the first line of defense against screwworm.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Abbott calls second special session as first round ends with Democrats still out of state
The second session is set to consider the same agenda that stalled in the first, with redistricting and disaster response at the top of the governor’s priorities.
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Demographics
Dallas and Fort Worth end their diversity efforts to keep federal funding
The North Texas city councils said hundreds of millions of dollars were in jeopardy if they didn’t shut certain programs to comply with the Trump administration.