Houston area representatives call for hearing on allegations of HISD violating state law
Nine Houston area state representatives have written a letter to the Speaker of the Texas House requesting a public hearing on allegations that Houston ISD violated state law by having unaccredited teachers in the classroom.
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.
Vouchers, border security, abortion: The issues you heard about in 2023 will continue to be hotly debated in 2024
After nearly a yearโs worth of legislative sessions, several issues are poised to dominate Texas politics this year. Hereโs a look at how things ended on several fronts last year โ and where theyโre headed next.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and AG Ken Paxton promised retribution for votes they didnโt like. Hereโs who they are targeting.
Paxton has been seeking revenge on fellow Republicans who voted to impeach him earlier this year. Similarly, Abbott is looking to unseat GOP House members who voted against school vouchers.
Texas superintendents say lack of school safety funding may lead to budget cuts
The fourth special legislative session this year ended without any increased funding for school safety โ even though public schools have complained for months they donโt have enough money to meet new safety mandates approved this year.
After school voucher bill falls apart, supporters and opponents get ready for future fights
The Texas Houseโs vote to block education savings accounts disappointed voucher advocates and likely spelled doom for additional public school funding. Both bands say theyโll keep pushing for their priorities during next yearโs primary elections and the 2025 legislative session.
School voucher fallout leaves Texas Legislature with no clear sense on next steps
Vouchers were left without a clear path forward after a decisive vote Friday. Gov. Greg Abbott, who had threatened lawmakers with more special sessions to pass the proposal, seems to have turned his attention to punishing voucher opponents in next yearโs primary elections.
โOur public school system is our townโ: Why this rural Republican is voting against school vouchers
Despite intense political pressure, Republican Rep. Gary VanDeaver said he wonโt support a bill that includes school vouchers. Rural Republicans like VanDeaver have long opposed school vouchers because of the unique role public schools they play in their communities.
Texas House committee advances school voucher bill, overcoming key hurdle
The committee action means school voucher legislation is poised to get its first House floor vote in recent history. Gov. Greg Abbott said if the Legislature fails to pass it this time, he will continue to call them back into session until they do.
The Texas Houseโs new priority education bill offers concessions to sway voucher skeptics
The revised bill promises a significant funding increase for public schools and academic accountability measures for students participating in the proposed voucher program, two of the biggest requests from voucher opponents.
Texas GOP lawmakersโ border and education wishlist would expand state budget by $2.7 billion โ and counting
If bills now being considered pass, lawmakers will be left with $3.3 billion to take care of unforeseen costs over the next two years. Some experts worry that Texas canโt sustain its massive spending on the border and public education.
Defend Texas Liberty backs Brent Money in special election to replace Bryan Slaton
The far-right political action committee is getting involved in a critical special election for the Texas House, the first major test of its influence since its then-leader was spotted meeting with a prominent white supremacist.
Gov. Greg Abbott says heโll add teacher pay to the special session โ but only if lawmakers pass school voucher bill
Though lawmakers have drafted a bill to increase public school funding and teacher salaries, it cannot pass during the special session unless Abbott adds those issues to his agenda.
School voucher bill gets initial approval in the Texas Senate, heads over to a more skeptical House
The Senate also approved Senate Bill 2, which would infuse $5.2 billion to school districts to help them with teacher raises and rising costs. Gov. Greg Abbott said he would add those items to the special sessionโs agenda once lawmakers approve a voucher program.
Vouchers return this special session โ and school funding might be left out. Hereโs what you need to know.
Gov. Greg Abbott called lawmakers back to Austin to try again to pass education savings accounts, which would let families use state funds to pay for their childrenโs private schooling. Teacher pay was not part of his agenda.
Hereโs how Ken Paxtonโs impeachment trial will operate
Under rules previously adopted by the Texas Senate, the trial will feature crucial votes on dismissing articles of impeachment as well as testimony under oath, private deliberations by senator-jurors and votes conducted without debate or discussion.
New accusations: Ken Paxton used burner phone, secret email account, fake Uber name to hide ties to Nate Paul
After Paxtonโs lawyers sought to dismiss articles of impeachment as unsubstantiated, House managers responded by accusing the suspended attorney general of going to great lengths to cover up his relationship to the real estate investor.
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.
City of Houston files lawsuit against Texasโ โDeath Starโ Super Preemption Law
The City of Houston filed a lawsuit in Travis County against the State of Texas to declare House Bill 2127, also known as the โDeath Starโ or โSuperโ preemption bill, โunconstitutional, void, and unenforceable,โ according to a news release.
Here are the top allegations that led to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonโs impeachment
In 2020, deputies in the attorney generalโs office met with FBI agents to accuse their boss of misconduct. Their accusations would form the backbone of articles of impeachment against one of the stateโs most powerful officials.
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.
This year, Texas lawmakers zeroed in on existing health care programs, leaving bolder measures by the wayside
Pregnant moms on Medicaid will get health care coverage for a year, patients will get more detailed billing and nurses will get help with school loans. But efforts failed to gain steam for legalizing fentanyl test strips, increasing the pool of mental health professionals who accept Medicaid and expanding Medicaid benefits to more Texans.
With Texas House adjourned, Senate takes bigger swing at border enforcement and human smuggling
Rather than accept the House legislation as is, senators passed their own โ more expansive โ proposals for border security. But unless the House convenes again, the bills canโt go to the governorโs desk.
Dan Patrick says Senate wonโt budge on property tax relief โ but thereโs no House to negotiate with
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says the Senate wonโt accept a property tax relief bill the lower chamber left behind before adjourning for the special session. An anti-migrant smuggling bill also appears imperiled.
No teacher raises. A failed school voucher push. Armed guards. Hereโs what changed for public education this legislative session.
Lawmakers sacrificed school funding to block school vouchers, but the issue could be debated again in a special session. Districts will get new funds for school safety, though Uvalde families were ultimately left disappointed with inaction on gun restrictions.
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.
Gov. Greg Abbott can pick a fill-in attorney general. Heโs so far been silent on impeachment.
Abbott himself is a former attorney general, preceding Paxton in the position. The governor has built deep connections in the conservative legal world and is known to lean on former aides for high-profile appointments.
Texas lawmakers find consensus on bill banning diversity, equity and inclusion offices in public universities
The full House and Senate still must approve the final bill language before sending the legislation to Gov. Greg Abbott. If it becomes law, Texas will become the second state in the country to ban DEI offices at public universities.
GOP-led Texas House panel issues 20 impeachment counts against state Attorney General Ken Paxton
Texas lawmakers have issued 20 articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, ranging from bribery to abuse of public trust as state Republicans surged toward a swift and sudden vote that could remove him from office.
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.