The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
After moving at a glacial pace several times this Legislative session, the Texas House on Saturday kicked into high gear and passed measures that could help them avoid a special session. Full Story
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The lower chamber responded to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's threats of a special session by moving key legislation — but omitting provisions that he wanted included. Full Story
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After being denied by the House Freedom Caucus multiple times, a measure to let schools give meals to students without money in their accounts was revived as an amendment to another bill. Full Story
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The Texas House on Friday approved two measures aimed at combating sexual assault on college campuses across the state. Full Story
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The bill would mandate that county jails divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues toward treatment, make it easier for defendants with a mental illness or intellectual disability to receive a personal bond and require that independent law enforcement agencies investigate jail deaths. Full Story
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GOP House lawmakers took a sweeping approach to anti-abortion legislation on Friday, passing a measure that would ban the most common form of second-trimester procedure and change how health care providers dispose of fetal remains. Full Story
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The bill's author, state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, said he will concur with the Senate's changes. Full Story
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A controversial property tax bill may not get a House vote for a few more days, as the legislative clock winds down and the lieutenant governor's threats of a special session linger. Full Story
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A proposal to dramatically reshape the state’s savings account to set aside more funds for tough economic times has effectively died in the final days of the legislative session. Full Story
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State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, says he doesn't have enough votes to repeal or peel back the Top 10 Percent Rule for college admissions. Full Story
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There's a simple test to tell you whether the promise of a tax cut is really a tax cut: Is there money in your hand? Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says state lawmakers might be staying in Austin past May 29 if some key measures, including the “bathroom bill,” don’t pass the House. Full Story
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In a Houston Chronicle op-ed, Perry endorsed two measures moving through the Texas Legislature: one that would seal certain offenders' records and another that seeks to make the grand jury process more fair. Full Story
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The Texas House has thwarted an effort to patch what some called “glaring loopholes” in public records law, recently punched by the Texas Supreme Court. Full Story
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Educators and advocates found it hard to concur on the Senate's version of House Bill 22, either finding it too restrictive and tied to standardized tests or not quite strict enough. Full Story
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The Texas House on Thursday passed a package of sweeping measures aimed at addressing a crisis in the state's child welfare system. Full Story
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The Texas Senate Finance Committee has voted to spend about $800 million in state funds to cover a Medicaid shortfall in the current two-year budget. Full Story
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Currently, parents need permission from a justice of the peace or medical examiner to see their deceased child if his or her death occurs outside a hospital or health care institution. Full Story
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After a debate among lawmakers over the best way to regulate services like Uber and Lyft, the Texas Senate tentatively backed a proposal that would override local regulations concerning ride-hailing companies. Full Story
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Members of both chambers of the Texas Legislature say they are getting closer to agreeing on a budget. One of the last sticking points? Higher education. Full Story
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