State government

A nonbinding opinion issued Monday by Attorney General Ken Paxton continues a battle between lawmakers, restaurants and the Texas Department of Agriculture over regulation of scales used to measure food.

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Republicans said the Democratic county chair never signed the candidates' ballot applications. Democrats called the suit a frivolous partisan attack.  

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For Texans with severe epilepsy, a new treatment recently became legal: medical cannabis oil. As the state’s first dispensaries open, we followed two families trying the medication to reduce seizures. Watch our video documentary, “Out of Options.”

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Ron Pigott, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's deputy executive commissioner for procurement and contracting services, is the latest person to leave the agency amid a shake-up over contract mismanagement.

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Benefits for Texas teachers have been a point of contention between educators and lawmakers for years — and often a hot topic at the Legislature. But where does Texas fall nationally when it comes to teacher pay, health care and retirement benefits?

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This time, the fight is happening in the courts after attempts to overturn short-term rental ordinances failed in the Legislature. 

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Last month's bombing spree "would have overwhelmed any major city police department," Austin's interim police chief told a congressional committee as he thanked state and federal agencies for their help in tracking down a serial bomber.

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Heather Griffith Peterson, chief operating officer for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, resigned amid continued criticism from auditors over mismanagement of state contracts.

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The State Auditor’s Office released a 30-page report on Monday showing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of State Health Services bungled a contract with Genesis Systems Inc.

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No Green Party candidate got enough votes in 2016 to guarantee the party a place on the November ballot. As it prepares for its convention, the party isn’t optimistic that it can collect the signatures it needs to be a player in this year’s election.

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Damage from heavy trucks has battered local roads in and around the state's oil fields, and many counties want the state to help pay for repairs and maintenance. Will lawmakers take action?

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A study published this week in a medical journal revealed that a new state methodology drastically reduced the count of maternal deaths in Texas for 2012. What will that mean for state policy on maternal mortality?

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Students across Texas are taking state standardized tests this week. Take some of the tests' most difficult questions to see if you'd pass.

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Two years after software problems rendered results on the statewide STAAR exam unusable, students taking the test Tuesday reported more technical problems.

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Students at many Texas colleges struggle to find enough food to eat — and struggle academically as a result. Houston Community College hopes giving them healthy food will change that. 

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A handful of elected officials used more than $28 million from their campaign accounts for investments, making it the second largest category of expenditures in the 2018 election cycle.

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Labor groups are praising Democrat Laura Moser's campaign for its collective bargaining agreement. But some argue campaigns are too unpredictable to guarantee workers the benefits that come with unionizing.

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Texas state law says that teachers could lose their teaching certificates and pensions if they go on strike. 

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The chairman of the House Business & Industry Committee said he was "stunned" to learn there is an obscure law that makes it easy for rent-to-own companies to file criminal charges against customers who fall behind on payments. The committee is looking at changing the law after a joint investigation by The Texas Tribune and NerdWallet.

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The conservative House Freedom Caucus called for the Legislature to address "head on" a state statute they say impedes Texans' ability to work and makes it even harder for them to pay back their debt.

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