Texas Senate votes to allow people to carry guns without a license during disaster evacuations
After final Senate approval, the bill will head back to the House, where members will decide whether to accept the changes made in the Senate. Full Story
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Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez for The Texas Tribune -
Texas medical marijuana expansion gains steam in Senate, even after previous stonewalling
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has expressed wariness to expanding the Compassionate Use Program, but the bill's Senate sponsor said Patrick helped craft the version that cleared a key hurdle Friday. Full Story
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![State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braufels, speaks with State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, shortly after he received the gavel as Senate President Pro Tempore on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
How Santa Fe rebuilt itself in the year after a school shooting
As lawmakers in Austin work to pass a sweeping school safety bill, many Santa Fe survivors and their loved ones say they’re focused less on what’s happening at the Capitol and more on what can be done to rebuild and uplift their community. Full Story
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![Crosses bearing the name of of the victims killed in a shooting at Santa Fe High School are seen in Santa Fe, Texas, U.S., May 21, 2018.]()
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Texas demographer: Census citizenship question isn't necessary
Responsible for providing population projections for the state, Lloyd Potter said citizenship information is not needed “for the purposes of the census." Full Story
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Credit: Emily Albracht for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes religious liberty bill that LGBTQ advocates fear licenses discrimination
The measure moved quickly through the Senate after the LGBTQ Caucus killed a near-identical proposal on a procedural motion last week in the Texas House. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, on the Senate floor on May 15, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
This Texas bill that opponents say could lead to voter suppression has lost a key bipartisan provision
The controversial and wide-ranging Senate Bill 9 has been pitched as an election security measure, but critics have raised concerns about the effects it could have on marginalized voters. Full Story
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![House Elections Committee hearing on SB9 at the Capitol on May 15, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes bill to kill program that critics say can trap poor people in a cycle of debt
The bill to end the unpopular program, which adds annual surcharges on top of traffic fines — and prompts the suspension of millions of driver's licenses — is headed for Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. If he signs it, pending surcharges will be dropped. Full Story
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![A Dallas police car on patrol.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
Texas farmers could begin growing hemp under legislation gaining steam in both chambers
House Bill 1325 would legalize hemp and hemp-derived extracts like CBD oil as long as they contain no more than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive element in marijuana known as THC. Full Story
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![State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, on the Senate floor on May 15, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Tribcast: A snoozer Texas legislative session and blowing up the kumbaya
In this edition of the TribCast, Alexa talks to Ross, Matthew and Patrick about a legislative session that’s putting some folks to sleep, lawmakers’ report card for Gov. Greg Abbott and what could blow up the kumbaya session in its final days. Full Story
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![State Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, smiles at a colleague as her baby plays on the Texas House floor on April 17, 2019.]()
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Watch Senate Bill 9 hearing on voting rights and access in Texas House committee
The House Elections Committee on Wednesday night resumed its discussions on a controversial bill pitched as an election security measure but that critics say is a pathway to state-sanctioned voter suppression. Full Story
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![A voter walks into the Howson Branch Library in Austin on the last day of early voting in Travis County.]()
Credit: Rachel Zein for The Texas Tribune -
"People were giving us lip service": Texas cities' legislative efforts have struggled this year
When weighing in on issues like property taxes, the main interest group representing cities has encountered skepticism. Full Story
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![The Houston skyline on Dec. 17, 2018.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
"I'm honestly still stunned that I work here": Meet the folks who keep the Capitol running
Behind the 181 members of the Texas Legislature, thousands of people work to keep the Capitol humming during legislative sessions. The work isn't always glamorous, but many view their small roles in helping state government function as an honor. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers see a more engaged Gov. Greg Abbott. Will it pay off?
Once knocked as detached, the governor has become more involved in a legislative session hinging on two big-ticket items he's prioritized: school finance and property tax reform. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott chats with state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, on the House Floor on April 30, 2019.]()
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Why Texas abortion opponents aren’t leading the charge to overturn Roe v. Wade
States across the country are advancing "heartbeat bills" that aim to overturn the landmark Supreme Court decision, but major Texas anti-abortion groups are worried that such an approach could backfire. Full Story
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![Pro-Life advocates at the Rally for Life march at the Capitol on Jan. 27, 2018.]()
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Texas LGBTQ Caucus marks major victory, killing bill they feared would hurt gay people
The LGBTQ Caucus, formed this year, notched a major victory Thursday evening, defeating a controversial measure as the Texas House raced toward a midnight deadline. Full Story
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![State Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Carrollton, speaks with a colleague in the House Chamber on March 5, 2019.]()
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Texas narrows law barring contractors from boycotting Israel
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill weeks after a federal judge blocked the existing state law in response to a lawsuit. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott and House at a press conference regarding property taxes on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Let’s talk about diversity in tech
We're livestreaming our conversation in Austin on demography, inclusion, innovation and social entrepreneurship, moderated by the Tribune's Evan Smith. Full Story
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TribCast: How did that tax swap fall apart?
On this week’s TribCast, Aman talks to Ross, Matthew and Shannon about how Texas lawmakers' plan to raise the sales tax collapsed, why the 2019 session is like the 1997 one and what we'll be watching out for in the session’s final three weeks. Full Story
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![From left: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Greg Bonnen discuss property taxes at a press conference at the Capitol on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes bill to prohibit telemarketers from falsifying caller ID
The measure aims to prohibit caller ID spoofing — when callers tamper with information transmitted to people’s phones to disguise their identities. Full Story
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Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate removes exception that allows abortion after 20 weeks if the pregnancy is unviable
The bill would also prevent what abortion opponents call "discriminatory abortions" — where a woman or a doctor pursues an abortion on the basis of the fetus' sex, race or disability. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, during a February 21, 2018 Interim Committee on Higher Education Formula Funding.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune