Senate committee advances proposal to gut the Top 10 Percent Rule
A proposal to substantially weaken the Top 10 Percent Rule took an important step forward Wednesday. Full Story
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![Students on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Dallas officials say state lawmakers share blame for city's pension woes
Amid a legislative session that aims to fix massive pension shortfalls in two of Texas' biggest cities, Dallas officials argue it's state law that created some of their current problems in the first place. Full Story
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Analysis: How cars and booze might split sellers, buyers and lawmakers
Lawmakers get uncomfortable when their voters and their business supporters are out of sync. And the "bathroom bill" isn't the only legislation where there's daylight between those groups. Full Story
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![Barrels of wine at William Chris Vineyards in Hye, Texas, on Feb. 22, 2017.]()
Credit: Erika Rich for The Texas Tribune -
Senate budget "unambiguously" unconstitutional, House leadership says
In a letter sent Tuesday, an attorney for two House leaders urges Attorney General Ken Paxton to side against a $2.5 billion accounting trick proposed in the Texas Senate's version of the state budget. 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 -
House committee approves modified permitless carry legislation
A bill that would allow Texans to carry a firearm without a permit could be headed to the full Texas House. Full Story
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Texas Senate approves bill curbing regulation of short-term home rentals
Under Senate Bill 451 by state Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, Texas cities would be prevented from banning short-term rentals and their ability to write ordinances restricting the practice would be narrowed. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, chairman of the Business & Commerce Committee, at a hearing on March 9, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas bill requiring burial of fetal remains passes out of House committee
Texas hospitals and abortion clinics would have to bury or cremate fetal remains under a measure that passed out of a House committee on Tuesday. Full Story
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![House State Affairs Committee Chairman Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, at a hearing on the disposal of fetal remains on March 8, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Abbott signals support for House proposal on bathroom regulations
Gov. Greg Abbott is signaling support for House legislation that some hope will serve as an alternative to the Senate's "bathroom bill." Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott prepares to deliver his State of the State address, flanked by (l.-r.) Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, state Sens. Donna Campbell, R-San Antonio, and Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, and House Speaker Joe Straus.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Five death penalty reform bills heard in Texas House committee
Five death penalty bills were heard in a seven-hour-long meeting at the Capitol Monday night. Full Story
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![State Reps. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, left, and Jeff Leach, R-Plano, speak at a press conference on the death penalty and the law of parties on April 17, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas made a school district take in more students. But will it help fund them?
As lawmakers debate possible reforms to the school finance system this week, they might decide whether to continue offering extra funds to districts like Texas City ISD, which last year was forced to annex a struggling district next to it. Full Story
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![Myritha Lenor, a senior at La Marque High School, wears her Sears badge — she works there part time — while studying at Texas City ISD's Challenge Academy.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Cosmetology licensing under scrutiny in Texas House
Three bills aimed at reducing what it takes to get licensed for certain cosmetology jobs were considered in a House committee hearing Monday evening. Full Story
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![Bri Liu, a client at Wink Threading Salon in Austin.]()
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House lawmakers approve bill requiring more study for hog poison
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s push to use a warfarin-based poison to kill feral hogs in the state has a long list of opponents that now includes more than two-thirds of the Legislature where Miller once served. Full Story
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New study renews fears about Texas bathroom bill's financial impacts
Proposals to regulate which bathrooms transgender individuals may use could cost the state $3.3 billion in annual tourism dollars and more than 35,600 full-time jobs, according to a study by the Perryman Group. Full Story
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![Bathroom stall at the Austin Convention Center.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Embattled TABC chief Sherry Cook is stepping down
Amid a controversy over travel to fancy resorts and other spending controversies, the head of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Sherry Cook, announced she was stepping down from her job effective May 23. Full Story
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![Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Executive Director Sherry Cook prepares to testify before the House Committee on General Investigating & Ethics on April 13, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House to wade into debate over bathroom regulations
A Texas House committee will take up a bill from state Rep. Ron Simmons this week that would ban cities and school districts from enacting or enforcing local policies that regulate bathroom use. Full Story
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![Bathroom stalls at the Austin Convention Center in 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
In Dallas and Houston, pension fights escalating, sparking unexpected debates
Houston and Dallas leaders were supposed to each be united on how they wanted state lawmakers to address their respective pension shortfalls before the legislative session even began. (Spoiler alert: They're still not.) Full Story
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![Mayors Sylvester Turner of Houston (l.) and Mike Rawlings of Dallas.]()
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Analysis: Six weeks left for the Texas Legislature, with lots to fight over
The Texas Legislature's Easter break ends with a sprint. Only six weeks remain between now and the end of this regular legislative session — and most of the 6,000+ bills under consideration are going to die. Full Story
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Texplainer: How do you navigate the Senate intent calendar?
At this point in the session, there are a lot of bills on the Senate’s “intent calendar.” How can you tell which bills will be considered on a given day? Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Tim Park for The Texas Tribune -
Outlook uncertain for bill to raise age of criminal responsibility
Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire of Houston says a bill that would raise the age of adult criminal responsibility in Texas from 17 to 18 years old fails to address his chief concerns: cost and safety. Full Story
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![State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
How do the Texas House and Senate budgets compare?
Both chambers have passed state budgets that spend around $218 billion but significant differences remain. With just a few weeks to go before the end of the session, here's a look at the key sticking points. Full Story
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![House Appropriations Chairman John Zerwas, R-Richmond, and Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound.]()