Bill declaring fantasy sports legal passes House committee
In a hearing Tuesday, the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures approved a bill that would affirm the legality of online fantasy sports. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune -
Senate approves recusals for county clerks, judges objecting to same-sex marriage
Under a Senate-backed proposal, county clerks with religious objections to same-sex marriages can recuse themselves from signing marriage licenses. Full Story
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![Pamela Holwerds holds up her marriage license following the ceremony that married over 40 same-sex couples on the south lawn of the Texas Capitol in Austin on July 4, 2015.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for the Texas Tribune -
Senate panel considers requiring rest breaks for Texas construction workers
A Texas Senate panel considered legislation Tuesday that would require construction companies to give workers mandatory rest breaks — an effort to prevent illnesses and deaths from the sweltering Texas heat. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers seek to ensure no state funds reach abortion providers
An amendment to ban abortion providers from receiving any funds from the state budget passed in the House, but it's unclear how effective it would be in fully defunding groups like Planned Parenthood. Full Story
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![State Rep. Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, speaking at a Texas Tribune symposium. Jan 14, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Hazlewood plan would leave benefits for current veterans untouched
Colleges are asking the state to pare back the state program that offers free tuition to veterans or their children. But key lawmakers in the Texas House don't want to mess with what's being offered to current veterans and their families. Full Story
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![Texas A&M Kingsville Army ROTC cadets (l-r) Andrew Wilson, Nathaniel Estes, Octavio Calleja-Ponce, Daniel Obrego and Cristian Barriosalas raise the flag in front of Texas A&M Kingsville's College Hall on October 26, 2016.]()
Credit: Eddie Seal for the Texas Tribune -
Has Top 10 Percent Rule impacted diversity at UT-Austin? It's complicated.
It's hard to know exactly how the Top 10 Percent Rule has impacted diversity at UT-Austin, but data suggests it does boost the school's Hispanic population right now. Full Story
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![The University of Texas Tower, Austin.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
"David's Law" would criminalize cyberbullying, mandate school policies
A Texas senator wants to criminalize cyberbullying when it leads to a minor's serious injury or suicide. Critics of the bill say prevention is more effective than punishment. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Tim Park for The Texas Tribune -
Senate backs bill requiring minors obtain parental consent before joining unions
Minors in the state may be required to obtain parental approval before they can join a labor union under a proposal the Texas Senate tentatively approved along party lines Monday. Full Story
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![Happy Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, watches passage of SB 1 budget bill on a 30-1 vote April 14, 2015. Lone no vote was Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston.]()
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Bill penalizing celebratory gunfire up for debate in House panel
The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee heard testimony for a bill Monday that would penalize people for discharging a firearm without an intended target. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Texas lawmakers consider election law change for language interpreters
Texas lawmakers on Monday considered changes to the state's election code regarding language interpreters for voters who are not proficient in English, three years after a voter's son was blocked from helping her cast a ballot. Full Story
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House lawmakers take a stab at funding for trafficking victims
A Texas House member's proposal would cut $3 million from Gov. Greg Abbott's homeland security budget and give it to victims of human trafficking. Full Story
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Analysis: A state school finance system that can choke a city’s growth
A state that wants to grow by freeing economic engines from regulations and taxes is throttling its cities and school districts with regulations and taxes. Full Story
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The House takes up the budget: a day in pictures
After more than 15 hours of debate, the Texas House passed its budget proposal early Friday morning, 131-16. Here's the story in pictures. Full Story
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![The Texas House of Representatives takes up the budget on April 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
How to testify before lawmakers at the Texas Capitol
Nervous to testify before a House or Senate committee? Texas lobbyist Blake Rocap explains how to make your voice heard — even if you can’t make it to Austin. Full Story
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Analysis: Texas budget writers have the cash, but won't let go of their tricks
The state has a Rainy Day Fund with billions of dollars in it, but Texas lawmakers would rather use accounting tricks to balance their next budget. Full Story
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House passes budget after more than 15-hour debate
After 15 and a half hours of debate on hundreds of amendments to the Texas House budget, lawmakers in the lower chamber passed the two-year, $218 billion document, with 131 votes in favor and 16 votes against. Full Story
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![State House Speaker Joe Straus on the floor as the House takes up the budget on April 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
As lawmakers try to fix city pensions, personal and business ties emerge
Several Texas lawmakers have personal or business ties to the Houston and Dallas pension systems, as the Legislature considers bills aimed at fixing both cities' pension problems. Full Story
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![Texas House Pensions Committee Chairman Dan Flynn, R-Canton, listens to testimony on April 3, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Amid clash over procedure, Texas House moves to defund Enterprise Fund
While the Texas House on Thursday voted to defund a controversial economic development program and put the money toward services for vulnerable children, a group of Tea Party Republicans complained about the way the vote was handled. Full Story
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![As the state House debates its $218 billion budget on April 6, 2017, Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, tells a packed house that he is upset about a procedural battle that caused his voice to be silenced.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
House delivers rebuke to TABC, cuts travel budget
The Texas House on Thursday voted unanimously to cut the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's travel budget and restrict its use of money from outside groups. Full Story
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![This graphic humorously references a trip that top state liquor regulators took to the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators in 2015 at a cost of more than $7,000 in taxpayer money. The illustration was created by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission during work hours on a state computer with input from top agency officials, records show. Pictured from left to right are TABC Director Sherry Cook, Licensing Director Amy Harrison, Analyst Jesse Valdez and then-TABC technology contractor Jim Andrews.]()
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Texas families fear closure of state homes for people with disabilities
Legislators are considering a bill that would create a commission tasked with determining the fate of Texas’ 13 state supported living centers by 2018. Full Story
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Credit: Tamir Kalifa