The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
An out-of-district house and a Child Protective Services vote are the topics of competing campaign materials from incumbent Republican Rep. Kenneth Sheets and his opponent, Democrat Victoria Neave. Full Story
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State officials would like to lower local school property taxes, but they've got a secret: Some of those local school tax revenues make it easier to balance a tight state budget. Full Story
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Days after a House hearing in which lawmakers gave the issue skeptical treatment, Patrick made clear private school choice topped his list of legislative priorities. Full Story
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“Unfortunately you were provided with 4 tickets which were not intended for your office,” read the letter slipped under legislators’ doors. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants faith-based communities to help find foster and adoptive homes for kids in need. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials are largely silent on why they haven't fulfilled their vow to cut off funds to women's health programs offered to poor Texas women by Planned Parenthood. Full Story
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Regulators are deciding how much lobby wining and dining Texas lawmakers can accept without revealing their names. Hint: It's a lot. Full Story
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A new wave of campaign finance reports is bringing into focus how competitive some state legislatives races are. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office and four other agencies were questioned Wednesday about granting departing employees “emergency leave” as a form of separation payment. Full Story
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Attorneys for the state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland are considering asking a judge to throw out his indictment for perjury. Full Story
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Registering to vote doesn't mean you have to vote, but not registering means you can't. Tuesday is the deadline in Texas. Full Story
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The Texas Ethics Commission regulates legislators. Legislators control the commission's laws and budget. It's a complicated relationship. Full Story
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Lawmakers wanted the state to pay less for children's therapy services without cutting off access to care, but that balance is proving impossible in some cases. Full Story
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Faced with growing state attention on improper student-teacher relationships, the Texas Education Agency is asking lawmakers for hundreds of thousands of additional dollars to help investigate them — plus new legislation. Full Story
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The state health commission has begun advertising for someone to fill a new executive job overseeing “women’s education services” — including abstinence education and counseling on alternatives to abortion. The position could pay six figures. Full Story
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The state’s escalating dependence on local tax dollars to fund public schools is expected to be a focus during a joint hearing of two House committees Wednesday and Thursday. Full Story
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The Texas Legislature has become the court of last resort for companies and industries fighting local regulations in the state's cities and counties. And for those interests, Austin can be a very favorable venue for appeals. Full Story
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After more than two decades of effort by lawmakers to install a monument at the Capitol celebrating African-Americans, the main components of a bronze and granite memorial were quietly lowered onto the south lawn on Tuesday. Full Story
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A significant cut to the amount of money Texas pays therapists who treat children with disabilities was finally cleared to take effect when the Texas Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear a lawsuit over the budget cut's legality. Full Story
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Despite intense outcry from the medical community and reproductive rights advocates, Texas isn't budging on a proposed rule to require the cremation or burial of fetal remains. Full Story
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