Senate Passes Patrick's Tax Cut Package
The Texas Senate on Wednesday approved Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s multibillion-dollar tax relief package to cut property and business margins taxes, tossing the ball into the House's court. Full Story
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![Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, lays out the property tax relief portion of Senate Bill 1 for final passage in the Senate on March 25, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Terrell State Hospital Privatization Deal Scuttled After Audit
A plan to privatize Terrell State Hospital is dead following a scathing audit that raps the state health commission for bypassing its own contracting procedures. Full Story
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![Terrell State Hospital is one of 10 state psychiatric hospitals.]()
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Texas House OKs Ban on Texting While Driving
The Texas House on Wednesday tentatively approved a statewide ban on texting while driving, a measure that made it all the way to Gov. Rick Perry's desk in 2011 before getting vetoed. Full Story
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![State Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, after the passage of a statewide texting-while-driving ban on March 25, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Obamacare Cash Helps Pay State's Medicaid Bill
Texas Republicans have long used the Affordable Care Act as a political punching bag, but that hasn’t stopped state budget writers from taking $102 million from the president's signature health care law to pay some bills. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Clancy: Ethics Commission Should Stop Enforcing Law
The Texas Ethics Commission can't do its job if compliance is "wholly voluntary," says one member who thinks the commission should stop all enforcement activities in response to a judge's recent dismissal of its ruling against conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Proposed Change to Election of Judges Gets Cool Reception
Legislation that would remove Texas judges from the straight-ticket voting process garnered a mostly cool reception Tuesday at a hearing, as both Democrats and Republicans said that tinkering with the ballot turns off voters. Full Story
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House Committee Considers Banning E-Cigarette Use by Minors
The House Public Health Committee on Tuesday discussed five bills that would extend current restrictions on tobacco products to vapor products like e-cigarettes. The Senate passed similar legislation last week. Full Story
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![E-cigarettes vaporize a liquid solution for inhalation. They have grown steadily in popularity since they were introduced in 2005.]()
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$209.8 Billion Budget Plan Headed to House Floor
The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday backed a $209.8 billion two-year budget that would leave $8.4 billion on the table, along with billions more in the state’s savings account. The budget plan now goes to the full House. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Otto (right) proposes a constitutional amendment to use Rainy Day Fund money to pay off state debt during a news conference on Jan. 15, 2015. At left is state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Lawmakers Say Sports Shaped Their Political Careers
Five state lawmakers — all former college athletes — gathered at the University of Texas at Austin to talk about the parallels between athletics and governing and the lessons they learned from high school and college sports. Full Story
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![Students at North Forney High School work through football practice on the first day of school in Forney, Texas, in August 2010.]()
Credit: Tom Pennington -
Patrick's Tax Cut Package Fuels Debate as Senate Prepares to Vote
The full Senate is set to vote this week on a package of tax cut bills Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has championed, yet the measures have drawn opposition from some big business groups who argue that senators are cutting the wrong taxes. Full Story
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![Parliamentarian Karina Davis watches as new Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick gavels in the Texas Senate on Jan. 21, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Republican Leaders Vow to Continue Fight Against Gay Marriage
With the future of Texas’ constitutional ban on same-sex marriage uncertain, Republican leaders on Monday pledged to continue the state’s fight against allowing gay couples to wed. Full Story
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![Advocates gathered outside the Texas Capitol on March 23 to rally in support of the state's ban on same-sex marriage.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Sue Land Office
It turns out the Battle of the Alamo — or rather the Battle of the Alamo's library — is just getting started. On Monday, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas filed a lawsuit against the Texas land commissioner. Full Story
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![The Alamo in San Antonio.]()
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Analysis: A Sales Tax Cut, If Anybody Wants It
A little-noticed bill filed on deadline by the chairman of the House's tax-writing committee could hold the session's biggest tax cut, but only if the House and Senate decide to cut taxes on sales instead of property. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Gay Rights Activists Find Unlikely Republican Ally
Corsicana Republican state Rep. Byron Cook, who has an adopted child, says both same-sex adoptive parents should be listed on a Texas birth certificate. He believes it's best for the children, though it puts him at odds with his party's stance on gay rights issues. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Sid Miller's Style Sparks Blowback at the Capitol
Recent episodes highlight a rapidly deteriorating relationship between the cowboy hat-wearing agriculture commissioner and the Legislature that once counted Sid Miller as one of its own. Full Story
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![New Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller does a fist pump on election night Nov. 4, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Video: Who Decides What Bills Get Floor Consideration?
Mention the word “calendars” inside the Texas Capitol and some legislators – particularly in the House – are bound to give you a frightened glare. As part of an occasional series explaining the Legislature’s inner workings, we show you how the calendars are set in each chamber. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Houston Suburb Looks to Lawmakers for Water Fix
Residents of a small unincorporated community outside Houston hope legislation by state Rep. Armando Walle will help them get safe, reliable water service, and shine a light on parts of Texas with similar problems. Full Story
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![Leticia Ramirez, a cook at the Loving Care Learning Center in Castlewood, shows how staff use filtered water to wash their hands during the regular, random water shut-offs this unincorporated community eperiences.]()
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Roundup: Guns, Border Security Among First Floor Debates
In the Roundup: With lawmakers now more than two months into the legislative session, they are not wasting any time passing bills. The Senate has passed an open carry bill and a campus carry bill, while the House endorsed a border security measure. Full Story
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Analysis: Uncertainty on Abbott's Maiden Voyage
Rick Perry, after all of those years as governor, was pretty predictable. With Gov. Greg Abbott two months into his new job, there is a fresh vibe at the state Capitol: uncertainty. The next 10 weeks should be telling. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott delivers his first State of the State speech to a joint session of the Texas Legislature on Feb. 17, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Supplemental Budget Would Cost $433 Million, House Members Learn
House budget writers intend to add $433 million to the current two-year budget with a supplemental bill laid out Thursday, though some lawmakers expressed concern with plans for millions in leftover funds from some state health programs. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, in the Texas House of Representatives, Feb. 8, 2011.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich
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