Texas is set to improve in-person and mail-in voting for people with disabilities
Voters with disabilities have been pushing for more accessibility for years. This legislative session two bills gained bipartisan support. Full Story
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![Chase Bearden, 45, of Harlingen, the deputy executive director of The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, poses for a portrait in his office in Austin on June 8, 2023. “Disability doesn’t discriminate,” Bearden said. “We want everybody to be able to vote independently.”]()
Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers won’t shake it off. A new bill aims to stop ticket grabs by bots for hot concerts like Taylor Swift’s.
A Texas lawmaker’s daughter was one of several Swift fans blocked from purchasing a ticket to the new Eras Tour due to bots. Texas lawmakers want to make it illegal for people to use bots to grab excessive ticket sales. Full Story
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![American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs on her 'The Eras Tour' at AT&T Stadium, on March 31, 2023, in Arlington.]()
Credit: Javier Vicencio/Eyepix Group via REUTERS -
Sutherland Springs pastor announces run for Texas Senate
The pastor, Frank Pomeroy, said Sunday he will run as a Republican for District 21, currently held by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo. Full Story
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![Sutherland Springs Pastor Frank Pomeroy speaks at a panel studying school safety and student mental health issues held by Gov. Greg Abbott at the Capitol in Austin on May 24, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
After blocking David Whitley's confirmation, Senate Democrats see bills die on Abbott’s desk
A monthslong push from the governor’s office to confirm his longtime aide as secretary of state heated up in the session’s final days. Some Democrats feared retribution for defying the governor. Full Story
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![Texas Secretary of State David Whitley at a state Senate Committee on Nominations hearing on Feb. 7, 2019. Whitley was appointed to the job by Gov. Greg Abbott, but Whitley must first clear the committee, then win a two-thirds vote in the full Texas Senate.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
As demand for recyclables plummets abroad, Texas lawmakers back plan to boost market at home
A bill designed to encourage Texas manufacturers to use more recyclable materials won final approval Monday. It comes as China and India have implemented policies restricting the import of plastics and other materials. Full Story
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![A Greenstar Recycling Center employee removes plastic bags from a sort line in Garland, Texas.]()
Credit: Allison V. Smith for the Texas Tribune -
Texas bill would allow state to sue social media companies like Facebook and Twitter over free speech
The proposal aims to protect users on social media platforms from censorship if a site advertises itself as impartial. Critics say the bill is too restrictive. Full Story
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![If a social media company is suspected of restricting or censoring users, the Texas attorney general could file a civil suit against the company.]()
Credit: Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Domestic abusers can trap their victims with financial debt. This Texas bill seeks to provide a way out.
A bill authored by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would make it a felony to threaten a romantic partner into taking on debt or financing expensive items like cars. Full Story
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![Credit card debt illustration.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Some lawmakers think free speech is endangered at Texas colleges. But what can they do about it?
Free speech on campus has become a hot-button issue, but it’s unclear how lawmakers can better protect it — or if they need to. Full Story
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![The Senate Committee on State Affairs hearing on free speech on Texas college campuses, held at Texas State University in San Marcos on Jan. 31, 2018.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
After Harvey, some South Texans more wary than ever about plan to build landfill near floodplain
Months after Hurricane Harvey rainfall triggered the leak of hazardous waste, new scrutiny is being paid to a company's plan to develop a landfill outside Laredo near a floodplain. Full Story
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![An aerial view of the site of a proposed landfill by Laredo developer Carlos "C. Y." Benavides. The site is about 20 miles east of Laredo.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
House votes to end jail time for being too poor to pay fines
Senate Bill 1913, by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would allow courts to ask defendants if they are too poor to pay for traffic tickets, fines for other low-level and fine-only offenses or court costs. Full Story
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![Inmates in the Harris County Jail in 2011.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes court security bill
The bill is named in honor of state District Judge Julie Kocurek. Her assailant shot at her several times outside her home, and she suffered serious injuries from shattered glass and shrapnel. Full Story
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![District Judge Julie Kocurek, who was severely injured in a 2015 shooting, greets state Rep. Tomas Uresti after she was mentioned in Chief Justice Nathan Hecht's State of the Judiciary speech on Feb. 1, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Outlook good for texting-while-driving ban, key lawmakers say
Key lawmakers are optimistic about the passage of a bill that would ban texting-and-driving across Texas, despite failed attempts over the last few sessions. Full Story
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Credit: Tim Park for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House passes statewide ban on texting while driving
Members voted 113-32 to tentatively approve the legislation, which will get a final vote in the House before it can proceed to the Senate. A Senate committee has passed a similar measure. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
At Capitol, bill targeting plastic bag bans draws strong opposition
Ranchers, city officials and environmentalists testified on Tuesday against a bill that would prevent cities from banning plastic grocery bags or charging a fee for them. Full Story
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![Joseph Seinsheimer, chairman of the Galveston chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, dressed up as a self-proclaimed “bag monster” with dozens of plastic bags wrapped around his upper body. He testified Tuesday against legislation that would would prevent cities from banning plastic bags.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Video: Privacy, the Cloud and State Government
At our 12/9 symposium on cybersecurity and privacy, I talked about the cybersecurity of state agencies and government entities with state Rep. Larry Gonzales, R-Round Rock; Todd Kimbriel, interim executive director of the Texas Department of Information Resources; Jesse Rivera, chief information security officer at the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; and state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo. Full Story
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Texas Lawmakers Seek Abbott's Blessing on Oil Theft Crackdown
Oil rustlers of Texas beware: State lawmakers want to crack down on the those who swipe hundreds of barrels of black gold to sell on the black market. But first, they need the governor’s blessing. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Texting Bill's Demise a Victory for Tea Party Freshmen
It was a mostly new cast of characters in the Texas Senate, a chamber historically ruled by seniority, that flexed its political muscle to stop a statewide texting-while-driving ban this year. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Limited Contracting Fixes Moving Forward
Amid a series of scandals, most lawmakers say they want to reform the way Texas hands out billions in state contracts. Discussion has narrowed to a handful of bills that some warn are merely first steps. Full Story
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![Chairwoman of the state Senate Finance Committee Jane Nelson and state House Appropriations Chairman John Otto.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Guardianship Reform Could Offer New Freedoms
Dawn Carlton is intellectually disabled, but she says she manages fine on her own. The 38-year-old woman is pushing for a series of bills this legislative session to change the way court-appointed guardians are used in Texas. Full Story
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![Dawn Carlton is pushing for a series of bills this legislative session to change the way court-appointed guardians are used in Texas.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
The Brief: March 11, 2015
State contracting has become one of the signature issues of the legislative session, but finding a fix won't be easy. Full Story
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![Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, wraps up the Sunset Advisory Commission hearing on Jan. 14, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich