The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas was spared from mass destruction once the storm came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane. But it caused enough damage to disrupt electricity for a large swath of the Texas coast, including the Houston and Galveston areas. Full Story
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The field for the Sept. 28 contest has attracted three Democrats and two Republicans. Full Story
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It's usually the state suing the feds, but now the federal government is suing Texas for outlawing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. There are more lawsuits between the state and federal governments to come. Full Story
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The law will be carried out by civilians “deputized” to do what the state cannot: enforce its new restrictive abortion law. Here’s where the process is laid out in the statute and what it means. Full Story
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The new law may soon be in conflict with federal regulators. A decision from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on one company’s license could come as early as Monday. Full Story
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For House Democrats, the story of the second special session is much different from that of the first one. The excitement of leaving the state had worn off, the media spotlight had dimmed and the pressures to return home were mounting. Full Story
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Abbott has long resisted making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory. There may be legal precedent on Biden’s side. Full Story
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Garland called the law a "scheme to nullify the Constitution of the United States." It prohibits the procedure before many people know that they are pregnant. Full Story
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The state is expected to award the contract in mid-September to begin the construction of a Texas-Mexico border wall. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed legislation designed to protect dogs earlier this year. Now he's asking the Legislature to fix it — before next year’s elections. Full Story
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On top of redistricting, Abbott wants lawmakers to take up bills on restrictions for transgender student athletes and the allocation of billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds. Full Story
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As Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to punish any school district that defied Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, Republican legislators were largely indifferent on the matter. Full Story
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Garland provided no details of how federal officials may challenge one of the nation’s strictest bans on abortion. His statement came days after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the law, at least for now. Full Story
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Lawmakers will return to Austin at least one more time this year to redraw the state's political maps. Only Gov. Greg Abbott knows when that will be and if there will be additional special sessions beyond that. Full Story
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Caseloads have left districts scrambling when many have said they have fewer tools at their disposal to combat the spread of the virus. Full Story
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Texas’ new near-total abortion ban, one of the most restrictive in the nation, punctuated a week that brought into stunning relief just how far the state’s political pendulum has swung to the right since the 2020 election. Full Story
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Months after the deadly gas killed at least 17 Texans during a massive winter storm, lawmakers have failed to take significant action to protect most of the state’s residents. Full Story
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The Texas Medical Association called two anti-abortion bills unconstitutional and criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for not blocking the broader law from going into effect. Full Story
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The numbers have stayed within a few hundred of a grim milestone as the state battles the pandemic’s latest surge. Full Story
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Senate Bill 8, which allows anyone to sue anyone who performs or aids in an abortion, marks an unprecedented change to who has standing to bring a lawsuit. The tactic is also an emerging trend in Republican-dominated states that may compromise constitutional rights, some legal experts said. Full Story
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