Texas passed sweeping changes to cannabis policy, including expanding the medical marijuana program and banning hemp products, while also boosting psychedelics research.
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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The Texas Tribune-ProPublica Investigative Unit
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.
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Politics
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.
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Texas Legislature 2025
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.
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Politics
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.
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Criminal Justice
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.
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Texas Legislature 2025
Texas Rep. Jolanda Jones announces bid to succeed Sylvester Turner in Congress
Jones, a Democrat elected to the Texas House in 2022 and previously served on the Houston City Council, joins a slate of candidates running to fill the solidly blue seat.
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The 2025 Texas Tribune Festival
Meet the next 20 speakers joining TribFest 2025
Michael Curry, Joe Lonsdale, Beto O’Rourke, Katie Phang and Margaret Spellings, among many others, join us this November in downtown Austin
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Texas Legislature 2025
Gov. Greg Abbott signs $8.5 billion public education funding plan into law. Here’s how it works.
The spending package will give schools more money for staff pay raises, operational expenses, special education and more.
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Health care
Texas hospital that discharged woman with doomed pregnancy violated the law, a federal inquiry finds
Federal investigators found that the Round Rock hospital had violated a Biden-era law intended to provide abortions in emergency situations.