State government

As thousands of students take the online STAAR assessment were booted from the testing server this week, parents and special education advocates argued that the students most affected by these glitches are the ones most ill-equipped to bounce back.

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Total spending on public education has stayed relatively steady over the past decade. But who is paying for it has shifted.

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Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders have shown resistance to expanding gambling in the state in recent years. 

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Texas is one of just a handful of states that doesn't offer online voter registration. Advocates are hoping a recent ruling from a federal judge could change that.

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The two Democratic candidates for governor sounded out their differences — sometimes with rancor — at a church in Austin on Friday evening in their first and likely only debate before the May 22 runoff.

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Civil rights advocates hope that the ruling by U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia could force Texas to adopt a version of online voter registration. 

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Watch the Democrats competing to take on Gov. Greg Abbott meet for the first and only debate before the May 22 primary runoff.

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The candidates in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas governor, Lupe Valdez and Andrew White, will hold their sole debate on Friday. You can watch them virtually debate in our Split Decision series and find out where they stand on abortion, gun control and legalizing marijuana.

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The Texas Rangers have been investigating Karolyi Ranch since January, but lawyers for survivors say action from the state attorney general is needed as well. 

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The longtime law enforcement officer gained international attention helping Democrats topple a Republican establishment in Dallas County. But she's already had some stumbles as she attempts an ascent to the governor's office.

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Paul Storey's case had been granted another review less than one week before he was scheduled to be executed. 

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Running for speaker in a chamber that's nearly two-thirds Republican seems like a long shot for Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas. But there might be things he could gain other than the gavel. 

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Two years ago, Texas won a case blocking an immigration policy just one letter different from DACA. As it challenges the narrower, more popular program, Texas has come armed with the same legal arguments that succeeded last time around. 

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Texas charter schools are sometimes private and sometimes governmental — a legal framework that has helped them avoid costly lawsuits. 

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We livestreamed our conversation on school finance reform with state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, state Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, Todd Williams, and Nicole Conley Johnson. Read the recap or watch some clips. 

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There’s no state or federal law requiring employers to give their workers paid sick leave. But under the mandate recently passed by the Austin City Council, many private employers in the state's capital city will be required to allow their workers to accrue up to 64 hours of paid sick leave per year.

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Smith, executive commissioner for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, will step down at the end of May after weeks of intense scrutiny over how the commission handles contracts.

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Gov. Greg Abbott's decision in 2015 to ask the Texas State Guard to monitor a federal military exercise prompted significant criticism. A former CIA director said Wednesday that the move emboldened Russians to next target elections.

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The owners of The Salt Lick have big plans for their land, from a winery to an events center. But they're stymied by Prohibition-era alcohol laws aimed at keeping producers, distributors and retailers financially separate. Will lawmakers step in with a fix?

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Our Facebook community, This Is Your Texas, spent the month of April discussing Texas education policy. With the state education agency expected to announce a plan to overhaul special education programs in public schools, we asked members of our community what questions they have about such services — and turned to a disability rights advocate for help answering them.

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