The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Great news: The COVID-19 vaccines are coming. Not-so-great news: There won't be enough for all of us for a while, and that means the first doses will go to people deemed essential. Full Story
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Patrick and Republican state Rep. Dade Phelan, the likely next House speaker, “hope to be able to make an announcement regarding the Session shortly," a senior adviser to Patrick said Saturday. Full Story
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Jessica Tyson, an out-of-work hairdresser in Texarkana, says Congress cannot delay passing a second stimulus package. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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Residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, among others, were added to the priority list that already included hospital staff working with COVID-19 patients. Full Story
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While struggling to figure out the state's unemployment system, Alia Kirschner found a Facebook group for thousands of jobless Texans. Now she spends hours a day online, helping others with their benefit claims during the COVID-19 recession. Full Story
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The state’s unemployment system is confusing and frustrating. Getting familiar with the Texas Workforce Commission’s jargon may help you access assistance. Full Story
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People across Texas are struggling to navigate a maze-like system to get unemployment benefits. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas was opting out of some federal assistance programs, which ended June 26. Here are the answers to the most common questions about getting benefits from the Texas Workforce Commission. Full Story
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Austin Mayor Steve Adler's delivery of a stay-home message from a vacation spot in Mexico isn't just embarrassing. Mistakes like that one make it harder to lead. Full Story
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The report also recommends that anyone younger than 40 who gathered with people outside their immediate household during Thanksgiving should “assume you became infected.” Full Story
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The governor said a vaccine could start arriving by mid-December. The state has said health care workers will be the first to receive voluntary vaccinations. Full Story
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The state's leaders are as anxious as everyone else to talk about vaccines and a Texas without the coronavirus. But this is going to take time, and while they're hopeful, they are planning for more months of pandemic. Full Story
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Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar didn't provide details as he told lawmakers Monday that the financial forecast isn't as dire as earlier feared. But he said revenues are still down "significantly" compared with last year. Full Story
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At a housing unit turned health clinic in rural Brown County, the director of a family planning clinic laughs at the idea of offering tele-health visits to limit the virus' spread: “Where we are, that is just not an option for us.” Full Story
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The seasons change in the political world, too. We're in that periodic move from electioneering to governing. The Washington version is noisy. The Texas version is a bit quieter, but it's underway. Full Story
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More than 60 election-related bills have been filed in the House and Senate in the three weeks since the election. About half of them are aimed at increasing voter access, which lawmakers said became a more urgent issue during the pandemic. Full Story
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As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations balloon, public health experts and local officials worry the loopholes are one reason behind the recent rise. Full Story
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Vaccines and antibody therapies raise hopes of combatting the coronavirus. But as the holiday season begins, the pandemic is setting new records in Texas for caseloads, hospitalizations and deaths. Full Story
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Ryan Vassar, who had served as the deputy attorney general for legal counsel, was one of eight senior aides who told authorities they believed Paxton was breaking the law — a report that has sparked an FBI investigation. Full Story
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The Texas Education Agency declined to take action, saying it's up to local enforcement. A county official tried to intervene but said it should be up to TEA to enforce. Full Story
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Tearing down confidence in the election process takes everything else along with it, from winners and losers to the government itself. Full Story
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