The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
To avoid accidentally sickening medically fragile children or elderly parents with the new coronavirus, some health care workers are aggressively disinfecting their clothes and homes or trying to isolate themselves. The efforts can take a mental toll. Full Story
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Top officials say it's safe to reopen at least some of the economy, but they're also pushing for "blanket immunity" for businesses, should anything go wrong. That leaves some people out. Full Story
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Friday was the first day that shopping malls — along with restaurants, retail outlets and movie theaters — were allowed to reopen in Texas. Under an order from Gov. Greg Abbott, stores can open their doors, but they must limit occupancy to no more than 25% of capacity. Full Story
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The Texas historic landmarks previously offered frequent guided tours to the public. But there are no plans to open the Capitol or the Governor's Mansion despite the governor's order allowing museums to reopen. Full Story
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For the past several weeks, the comptroller has been referring to the state of the economy as a recession. The latest sales tax figures give the first glimpse of how much the economic downturn will hurt the state budget. Full Story
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All eyes in Texas are on the coronavirus and the state government's response to it. But some of the biggest state agencies are still doing what they always do, like building highways and debating oil and gas regulations. Full Story
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Sixty-two percent of front-line workers in the 11 Texas cities with the the largest populations of front-line workers are women, compared with 48% of all workers there, the analysis shows. Full Story
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Many health experts said the governor was right to open the economy in phases, but some cautioned that his timeline was too quick. Full Story
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As the coronavirus spreads, black people are less likely to have access to proper health care and more likely to have health issues that make the virus more dangerous. Full Story
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Parties of six or less, disposable menus and limited capacity are among the new rules businesses will follow if they open this Friday. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott wants to reopen the state and to get the economy going. But he also wants to avoid widening the spread of the coronavirus. Texans are about to find out whether it's possible to have it both ways. Full Story
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County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s order, which carries a penalty of up to $1,000, drew harsh criticism from GOP officials and members of law enforcement. Full Story
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The poll results come as Gov. Greg Abbott prepares to announce his plans for reopening a wide range of Texas businesses. Full Story
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Even some Democrats who are dissatisfied with the president give good marks to Texas' Republican governor, according to a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll of the state's voters. Full Story
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Smaller communities have also struggled to get tests because they were not prioritized by the government or are too cash-strapped to buy them from the private sector, which runs the majority of tests in Texas. Full Story
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President Donald Trump leads Democrat Joe Biden by 5 points in the race for president in Texas, but voters give the president mixed grades on his handling of the pandemic and the economy. They think Gov. Greg Abbott is doing a better job. Full Story
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In rural areas where the presence of the virus has yet to be confirmed, testing has been scarce — raising questions about whether the virus is lingering undetected. Full Story
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The high court did not weigh in on the arguments that Gov. Greg Abbott's order went beyond his executive powers in a disaster. Instead, it ruled that the Harris County judges were the wrong plaintiffs. Full Story
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Bonnen raised the idea in a letter earlier this month to Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Full Story
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Residents' families, restricted from visiting in an effort to stop the spread, are pleading for information. Even they aren’t being told how severe the outbreaks are where their loved ones live. Full Story
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