House Speaker Dade Phelan, enemy of the far-right, faces toughest reelection yet
Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and former President Donald Trump are accusing Phelan of being a โRINO,โ even as Phelan has overseen the passage of some of the most conservative bills in recent history.
Texas Legislature adjourns fourth special session โ leaving vouchers, school safety and elections bills unfinished
The latest casualties were Senate Bill 5, which would spend $800 million on school safety measures through 2025, and Senate Bill 6, which would change the timeline of a trial after an election contest is filed by a citizen or group.
With GOP priorities unfinished, Texas House plans to wrap fourth special session Tuesday
The decision to end work Tuesday leaves long odds for bills to boost school safety funding and make sure that election challenges donโt delay the implementation of property tax cuts, teacher pension raises and infrastructure spending.
Fighting between legislative leaders imperils Texas border security bills
The governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker generally agree on building more border barriers and making illegal border crossings a state crime. But disagreements over strategy and personal animosity mean those measures face long odds this special legislative session.
With time running out, House punts on taking action on school vouchers
Gov. Greg Abbott just announced heโd reached a deal with the House to advance school vouchers, but with less than a week before the Legislature must adjourn the lower chamber took no action on the governorโs priority legislation.
Gov. Greg Abbott orders special lawmaking session to begin on Oct. 9, likely on school vouchers
greg-abbott-texas-legislature-school-choice-vouchers This third special session comes as a rift between the Texas House and the Senate grew following Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs impeachment trial, raising questions about the chambersโ ability to compromise on education issues.
โLetโs clean houseโ: Paxton tells supporters to lead charge in removing his Republican rivals who impeached him
Paxton named House Speaker Dade Phelan, a fellow Republican, in his brief remarks Saturday in North Texas. The suspended attorney general faces a trial Tuesday that would remove him from office permanently.
Texas House and Senate reach a deal on how to cut property taxes
The deal would channel $12 billion to reduce the school property tax rate for homeowners and business properties, increase the homestead exemption, and create a pilot program to reduce taxes on certain residential and commercial properties. The legislation is expected to pass later this week.
A property tax deal has eluded Texas lawmakers. Hereโs where things stand at the start of another special session.
Top Republicans promised property tax cuts, but have been locked in standoffs on how to achieve it. Gov. Greg Abbott has called another overtime legislative session in hopes of solidifying a plan.
Texas senators include more property tax cuts for businesses in new pitch to break impasse with House
The Senateโs latest proposal is an apparent effort to appease Gov. Greg Abbott and the lower chamber. The stateโs top Republicans have been at odds for months over how to use the stateโs historic budget surplus to cut property taxes.
Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan join forces on property taxes. It might help the push for school vouchers.
Phelan announced the formation of a House committee that could set the tone in favor of vouchers ahead of an expected special session on education. The move comes weeks after Abbott sided with Phelan on a plan to lower property taxes.
Fossil fuels got a boost from lawmakers aiming to fix Texasโ grid, while renewable energy escaped stricter regulations
The bills will give owners of natural gas power plants incentives to build more capacity, but they donโt go as far as originally proposed to change how electricity is created and sold in the Texas market.
Texas Republicans are fighting over how to split $12.3 billion in property tax breaks between homeowners and businesses
Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan back a plan that spreads property tax relief among all landowners, while Lt. Gov. Dan Patrickโs proposal would give homeowners a bigger boost than businesses.
The 2023 Texas legislative session started with โhistoricโ budget surplus and ended with an impeached attorney general
The 2023 legislative session started with a $32.7 billion surplus. It was mired in Republican infighting and multiple scandals. Then, the House impeached the stateโs attorney general.
Aide to Ken Paxton calls investigation into attorney general โillegal,โ says Paxton canโt be impeached for current allegations
Chris Hilton, head of litigation in the attorney generalโs office, told reporters that lawmakers canโt oust Paxton. His comments came as a House committee met behind closed doors about its investigation into the stateโs top lawyer.
Texas House votes to repeal sales tax on menstrual products and diapers
The bill, which Democrats have been pushing for years, has become a top priority after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The Senate has already passed the bill, which would provide tax relief on the purchase of menstrual products, diapers and other child care necessities.
Why tax policy experts fear the Texas House plan to lower property taxes could have dire ripple effects
Both the House and the Senateโs proposals on property tax cuts would give modest savings to the typical Texas homeowner, but critics say the House plan could create vast inequities and disproportionately benefit wealthy homeowners.
Texas House committee recommends expelling Rep. Bryan Slaton
The House General Investigating Committee found that Slaton, a Republican from Royse City, engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a subordinate. The Texas Tribune previously reported on an allegation that he had sex with one of his staff, a woman under 21, and gave her alcohol.