Texas investigating highly contagious whooping cough at state Capitol
Lawmakers were alerted that a page on the House floor had the infection, triggering discussions about vaccine policies in the state. Full Story
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![State Capitol on June 20, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Kamala Harris draws large crowd, prominent Democrats in first major Texas swing
"This is Harris County!" declared a bevy of colorful signs at a campaign rally Saturday for the California Democrat. Harris has made clear she plans to cede no ground to Democratic rivals who hail from the Lone Star State. Full Story
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![Democratic 2020 presidential candidate and Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Texas Southern University on Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Houston.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Point of Order: Texas and the sexes
In the latest episode of our podcast about the 86th Legislature, Evan Smith talks to House members Mary Gonzalez, Sarah Davis and Toni Rose about gender, politics and public policy in a state where the population is majority female but elected officials are overwhelmingly male. Full Story
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On some big issues this year, Texas lawmakers are going against the polls
Issues like city-mandated paid sick leave and "red flag" gun laws are popular among Texas voters, polls suggest. Will opposing them have consequences in 2020? Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol Building.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate confirms Brett Busby for Supreme Court post
Busby, a Republican judge and former U.S. Supreme Court clerk, served on an appellate court in Houston until voters rejected him in November as part of a Democratic sweep. Full Story
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Julián Castro: "I’m confident that by the time people start voting that I’m going to do well"
At a meet-and-greet with Democrats in Dallas Tuesday night, Castro dismissed suggestions that his bid for president was being overshadowed by Beto O'Rourke and said he was working hard "to make sure that at the right time I’m the frontrunner of this race." Full Story
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![Julian Castro, the former Mayor of San Antonio and the former Director of House and Urban Development announced Saturday January 12, 2019 that he is a candidate for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination. Castro made the announcement in Guadalupe Plaza in the San Antonio neighborhood he grew up in and still lives in.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
Despite powerful supporters, medical cannabis proposals face obstacle in Dan Patrick
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's wariness of proposals to expand the state's narrow medical cannabis program may block any such bills from reaching the governor's desk this session. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Parliamentarian Karina Davis on on the Senate floor on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
What the “wave of women” elected in 2018 looks like in the 2019 Texas Legislature
This freshman class of female legislators is young, diverse and — thanks to the women who came before them — treated as equals in the traditionally male-dominated chambers. Full Story
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Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas House committee backs $115 billion budget plan for 2020-21
After passing through the House Appropriations Committee, House Bill 1 now goes to the full Texas House. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, and State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, discuss the budget at a Texas Tribune event on Nov. 29, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
With major policy differences emerging, state leaders continue to project unity
Halfway through the legislative session, lawmakers say they're getting along. But they have a long way to go to achieve their goals this year. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen hold a joint press conference on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
After new admissions scandal, former Regent Wallace Hall says University of Texas' rules are a "joke"
Hall led a heated battle to reform the school's admissions procedures, which led to reforms in 2015. But after a UT tennis coach was accused of taking a bribe to help a student gain admission, Hall says more needs to be done. Full Story
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![UT Regent Wallace Hall on April 28, 2014. Lawmakers admonished and censured Hall, who was waging a personal investigation into lawmaker influence in the UT-Austin admissions process.]()
Credit: Charlie Pearce for The Texas Tribune -
Property tax proposal piles one more worry on Texas' rural hospital districts
Hospital leaders say restrictions on their property tax revenue growth could force them to scale back services. Full Story
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![The wound care center at Eastland Memorial Hospital.]()
Credit: Gary Rhodes for The Texas Tribune -
Texas senator proposes moving all youth in state lockups to shuttered adult jail
After shrinking the population at state-run juvenile lockups, state Sen. John Whitmire wants to move the remaining youth at five facilities to one recently closed adult jail. Full Story
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UT System to slash 65 jobs in second round of layoffs
The announcement, made in an internal email, is part of a new but expected wave of cuts aimed at trimming the system's overhead. Full Story
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![The University of Texas System building in Austin, Texas. Photo by Shelby Knowles]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
A fight over paid sick leave is turning into a fight over LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinances
A now-erased provision in Senate Bill 15 explicitly said a potential new state law would not supersede local nondiscrimination ordinances. Without that language, many LGBTQ advocates fear Texans could be exposed to some discriminatory employment practices. Full Story
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![State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, explains parts of House BIll 214 to Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, on August 12, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Trump to nominate Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Brown to the federal bench
If the U.S. Senate confirms Brown, the state's highest civil court would see its second vacancy in a period of months. Full Story
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![Justice Jeff Brown listens to Philip Durst during the Texas Supreme Court hearing for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice v. Maurie Levin, et al. case on Jan. 23, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate leaders unveil $1.8 billion package of disaster relief bills
In the first session since Hurricane Harvey, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and three top senators are pushing a legislative package aimed at preparing the state for natural disasters. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senators Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham and Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, hold a press conference to announce the filing of Senate bills 6, 7, and 8. Mar. 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Santa Fe official testifies in somber committee hearing on school safety bills
The proposals that earned the support of lawmakers of all political stripes included ones that strengthen security and beef up mental health initiatives in schools. Full Story
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![Senate Education Committee Chariman and state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, during a committee meeting on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Broad Texas school safety bill proposes threat assessment teams, expanded emergency training
It’s unclear how much it would cost to implement all of Sen. Larry Taylor’s proposals. Senate Bill 11 appears to take an unspecified amount from the rainy day fund to help cover the costs. Full Story
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![After an extended evening recess, Sen Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, begins an explanation of the committee substitute to House Bill 21, the school finance bill on Aug. 14, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Will Texas decriminalize marijuana this year? There is growing support.
The repercussions Texans face for possessing small amounts of pot — something several states no longer consider criminal — can all depend on where in the state they live. Some lawmakers want an across-the-board relaxation of criminal charges. But stigma fuels lingering opposition. Full Story
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![Sydney Sigler, 26, holds her daughter in her home in Robinson, Texas on Feb. 26, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune
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