The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
The wide-ranging legislation would affirm the governor’s ability to suspend state laws during a pandemic and allow for overriding local orders issued by county judges or mayors if they’re inconsistent with state orders. Full Story
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Some heroes of the Texas Revolution were enslavers, a neglected piece of history that has helped stall a badly needed overhaul of the revered battle site. Full Story
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The Legislature still has plenty of big issues to address in its last month: electric outages, the budget and policing. At the same time, the Republican majority has its eye on issues that are dear to the conservative base: abortion, guns and elections. Full Story
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In a 78-64 vote, the House on Friday passed a pared down version of priority GOP legislation to place new restrictions on voting. Now the bill likely will be reshaped in conference committee with the Senate, largely out of public view. Full Story
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The bill previously lacked the votes to advance out of House committee. After House Democrats spiked one of his bills, Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, revived it. Full Story
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Raney, who has been fully vaccinated since February, "went home immediately and, as of this evening, is doing well," his office said in a statement. The CDC says a "small percentage" of people who have been vaccinated can still contract COVID-19. Full Story
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A federal judge in 2015 found that Texas violates foster children's constitutional rights. At a hearing this week, court monitors found some progress in reforming the foster care system — but also noted several concerns. Full Story
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Lawmakers argue that spreading costs through the whole market — which will get passed through to consumers’ bills — is necessary to stabilize the state’s electricity market and prevent even higher costs. Full Story
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Texas voters are returning to normal pre-pandemic activities, and to their customary civic and political concerns, too. The changes are evident in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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The bill still needs final approval by the House — usually a formality after it's passed in the chamber's first vote — and then will head to the Senate. Full Story
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House Bill 1927 would nix the requirement for Texas residents to obtain a license to carry handguns if they’re not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a gun. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has signaled that he is looking forward to signing the bill. Full Story
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The bill would prevent transgender Texas children from joining school sports teams that match their gender identity. Full Story
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As of April 25, about 5% — or 570,399 — of Texans who had received the first dose were 43 days or more past due for their second dose. Full Story
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Texas voters have a strong preference for politicians from their own parties, but overall, the president is as popular here as the governor or either of the state's U.S. senators. Full Story
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Reflecting both the crisis on the border and continued improvement in key pandemic measurements and increasing numbers of vaccinations, Texas voters' top concerns have shifted to the state's border with Mexico. Full Story
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State lawmakers are now trying to change the way ERCOT is governed by requiring members to live in Texas and giving more board seats to political appointees — changes that experts say may do little to improve the power grid. Full Story
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The latest revenue estimate doesn’t take into account all of the federal relief that has been sent to Texas over the past year by Congress through pandemic relief packages. State lawmakers have wrestled with how and who has the authority to spend that money. Full Story
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With the clock on the Legislative session ticking down, the Texas House moved to help fund power plant upgrades for extreme weather. Full Story
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“Oil and gas is the lifeblood of the Texas economy,” state Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, said on the House floor Monday. Full Story
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