TEXAS LEGISLATURE

The university distributed vests to theater students after an officer drew a gun on a Black student rehearsing a violent scene last year. Officials walked back the requirement amid recent student criticism.

For the first time, Abbott makes it clear which policy he supports. Bills that would allow parents to get state money to send their kids to schools outside of the state’s public education system have been floated previously, but top lawmakers believe the policies will pass this session.

Three of Paxton’s four former employees who sued him for unjustly firing them when they reported his actions to authorities are considering settling with the attorney general.

Republicans are wrestling over how much of the state’s nearly $33 billion budget surplus to spend on property taxes. Democrats have their own ideas about what to do with the cash.

Rural school leaders in Texas have been able to stave off the legislative priority of some of the state’s most prominent Republicans. But private school officials hope this year will be different.

School closures and hazardous road conditions are expected throughout a large portion of Texas, according to forecasts. State officials caution Texans about local power outages but expect the grid to stay up.

The governor said Mike Banks, a recently retired Border Patrol agent, will work with the Texas National Guard and state troopers to find ways to deter people from crossing the border illegally.

After 21 days, the last of many Texas prisoners to consistently refuse food ended his hunger strike. In letters to The Texas Tribune, two prisoners spoke out on the dire solitary confinement conditions that led them to starve themselves.

The COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and burnout have pummeled teachers in the last few years. Lawmakers from both parties agree they should get a pay bump — but it won’t happen without some negotiation.

The Texas Railroad Commission has rejected the proposal twice over water contamination concerns, but locals are dismayed that the commissioners keep giving the developer more chances to alter its application.

The decision to drop the course followed a Jan. 24 school board meeting that saw dozens of residents and parents speak out against the curriculum, which has been in place since 2014.

Abbott lauded the efforts of the anti-abortion movement after a landmark year for opponents of the procedure.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s office mounted pressure on several federal agencies earlier this month leading up to Abdul Wasi Safi’s release on Tuesday.

In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Jolie about a hunger strike in Texas prisons and a lawsuit seeking to reform the use of solitary confinement on death row.

The judge warned the state could be held in contempt of court for not following through with three mandates: youths not knowing their rights, not adequately responding to abuse allegations and still having too many children without placement.

More than 60% of Texans polled by Texas Lyceum said the country is on the wrong course, and the poll found steep drops in the number of people who think democracy is the best form of government.

Patrick has made no qualms in the past about bending arms or using public pressure to get other state officials — including Gov. Greg Abbott — to go along with his plans.

Given the stiff headwinds to getting any expansion in gambling passed, sports betting and casino advocates may be competing against each other, rather than working in tandem.

The airplane manufacturer was accused of fraud for misleading federal regulators about the safety of its jets, but stayed out of court by making a deal with prosecutors. Victims’ families say they were cut out of the process.

Men sentenced to death in Texas are held in isolation until their execution dates, with little human contact, medical care or legal help, according to a lawsuit filed to improve treatment of the condemned.

The spectrum of ideas on immigration could throw cold water on hope that there will be a breakthrough in Congress.

Abbott doubles down on his long-standing call to lawmakers to prohibit local governments from enacting mask and vaccine mandates.

In Texas, the number of homeless veterans has dropped 65% between 2007 and 2020, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

A Texas Tribune analysis of state data found that at least 268 people in Texas were killed by heat last year, and a large portion of those deaths were likely migrants who died after crossing the border.

The debt ceiling has long been a political tool to force partisan agenda items across. But Roy is facing some resistance within his own party on his border plan.

State policymakers have mapped out familiar territory early in the legislative session, with Democrats seeking to expand voting access and Republicans pledging to make elections more secure.

Commenting on the EPA’s proposed new rule to reduce methane leaks nationally, environmentalists said Texas regulators are hesitant to address emissions of the climate super-pollutant.

Patrick made the comments at a daylong conference in Austin hosted by The Texan, a political news site started by former GOP state Sen. Konni Burton.

As legislators begin to debate their public education priorities, the Charles Butt Foundation released a poll Tuesday showing Texans are mostly supportive of their public schools but are split on voucher-like programs.

Last month, the administration said the U.S. will let up to 360,000 people per year enter the country from four countries. A lawsuit filed Tuesday claims the policy is illegal.

After months of publicity and a bipartisan congressional effort to request a pardon from the president, Abdul Wasi Safi could be set free.

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat, introduced a package of legislation that includes a bill that would end qualified immunity, which shields government officials from liability for constitutional violations.

In Maverick County, 26 bodies pulled from the Rio Grande were buried, some without attempts to identify them. Teams of Texas State students are trying to learn their names so their families can be notified.

Conservative activists have pushed for legislative leaders to ban Democrats from leading committees.

While Democrats and the far-right edge of the Republican Party remain focused on abortion, leaders in both chambers have not yet spent much time discussing the issue this session.

We would like to know more about what you’re seeing in your community to help guide our reporting during the 88th legislative session.

Texas Freedom Caucus asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in on school board association’s guidance for navigating complex issues related to transgender youth.

In a fifth report tracking the state’s efforts to remedy its embattled foster care system, federal monitors documented persistent risks to Texas children ahead of next week’s court hearing.

Sen. Lois Kolkhorst filed a bill that would ban citizens, governments and entities from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from purchasing land in the state, part of what she and other Republicans have said will help stem foreign influence in Texas.

Although the number of men refusing food has steadily declined, 38 are still starving themselves to protest Texas policies that often keep prisoners in isolation for years or even decades.

The radio ad, which criticizes Phelan for appointing Democratic committee chairs, prompted pushback from Republican colleagues in the House over why the state party would use resources to attack its own member.

In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Washington correspondent Matthew Choi and immigration reporter Uriel J. García about U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s trip to the border and the odds of Congress passing a major immigration bill.

The venue change comes days after a Conroe-based brewery faced threats and harassment for pulling out of the event.

The state set a record for the number of employed people for 14 consecutive months.

Two girls in the care of Child Protective Services were allegedly sexually assaulted in October after sneaking out of a facility run by the state agency. Advocates say it’s a symptom of the Texas foster care systems’ problems.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD moved closer to becoming a District of Innovation after the board of trustees approved a resolution to consider the designation.The resolution, which was passed unanimously[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The substantial change in the way the state’s market works will first be reviewed by the Legislature.

It’s the first-known incident where a soldier has shot a migrant since the mission began. The injury is non-life threatening.

Millie Thompson Williams was elected the tribe’s first female second chief, a lifetime appointment, last year. For the first time, her accession comes as women make up the majority of the tribe’s council.

One year later, there have been no arrests or charges filed related to the case. Cuellar maintains that he was never the target of the investigation and will ultimately be cleared of wrongdoing.

Readers sometimes ask us if the outcomes in governing are predetermined and whether civic engagement makes a difference. There are plenty of examples of Texans influencing lawmakers’ decisions.

Historically, in sessions after a mass shooting in Texas, bills seeking to restrict guns have gone nowhere.

“There will be difficult moments ahead; that happens every session,” Nelson said. Veteran Rio Grande Valley legislatures were part of those old days of cooperation and negotiation, such as state Sens. Those views have been reflected in their elected officials, who forged strong friendships, and alliances, with colleagues from both parties. That regional thinking is evident in residents’ movement throughout the Valley to shop, work and pursue entertainment. We need our representatives in Austin to recognize our common needs and work together to meet them, placing their constituents above any partisan bluster.

Veteran Rio Grande Valley legislatures were part of those old days of cooperation and negotiation, such as state Sens. The old spirit of cooperation is more important than ever in the Valley, which for the first time ever will be represented by both Democrats and Republicans in the House. Those views have been reflected in their elected officials, who forged strong friendships, and alliances, with colleagues from both parties. That regional thinking is evident in residents’ movement throughout the Valley to shop, work and pursue entertainment. We need our representatives in Austin to recognize our common needs and work together to meet them, placing their constituents above any partisan bluster.

The climate action plan, which passed 3-1 on a party-line vote, aims to reduce emissions compared to a base year of 2021.

And Texas will have $188.2 billion in general revenue for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, a 26% increase from the last biennium.

Conservatives want to use part of the money to provide property tax relief. Progressives want to boost funding for public education.

We preview the 88th regular session of the Texas Legislature, which begins Tuesday

Two Hidalgo County school districts will consider this week pushing for legislative changes that could impact the funding formula of South Texas ISD and eliminate it as a taxing authority, potentially impacting some $30 million collected by that district annually.

A uniquely structured district, South Texas ISD taxes residents in Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. Members of the South Texas Association of Schools, a group composed of South Texas districts, previously voted to propose those changes, Executive Director Jesus Chavez said Sunday. The Texas Legislature created what would become South Texas ISD in 1964. “South Texas ISD should be funded like other districts in Region 1,” the South Texas Association of Schools said in a news release. South Texas ISD taxes account for $4.2 million annually in Edinburg alone, he said.

The Texas Legislature starts slow and ends fast, and there's no escaping the consequences of its actions.

Texas is one of four states that still holds biennial legislative sessions, alongside Montana, Nevada and North Dakota.

After 30 years in the Texas Legislature, Sen. Jane Nelson will replace John Scott as the secretary of state.

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Palmhurst attorney Horacio Pena to serve as judge of the new 476th state district court in Hidalgo County.

A council organized by policy nonprofit Raise Your Hand Texas spoke with over 15,600 Texans about testing and accountability for public schools.

The blame isn’t only on TCEQ. The Legislature is responsible for taking up TCEQ’s sunset legislation, and keeping the agency accountable to the public.

While there has not been time to track the impact of the law, law enforcement reports crime, violence, shootings, and attacks on officers are rising.

By a 5-2 vote Monday, the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees adopted a property tax rate of $1.208690 per $100 valuation for the 2022-2023 school year.

The lawsuit, which a judge has combined with a similar suit by Latino and Black voters, will go to trial at the end of September, too late to affect this year’s midterm elections.

The lawsuit, which a judge has combined with a similar suit by Latino and Black voters, will go to trial at the end of September, too late to affect this year’s midterm elections.

O'Rourke, the Democratic candidate for governor, presents himself as a listener and an advocate for the state's progressive activists.

At this weekend’s convention in Dallas, a contentious election for party chair revealed racial and gender-based fault lines.

We can invest in initiatives that will lead to a better connection between student’s academic pathways and the current and future workforce needs.

In a memo issued last week, Attorney General Ken Paxton said prosecutors “may choose to immediately pursue criminal prosecutions based on violations of Texas abortion prohibitions predating Roe that were never repealed by the Texas Legislature.”

I remain skeptical the Texas Legislature will truly ever face the issue of gun violence and mass shootings -- no matter how big a problem it becomes.

The governor’s orders to the Texas House and Senate come as Democrats and gun-reform groups are instead urging lawmakers to immediately return to Austin for a special legislative session addressing gun laws.

The Republican governor asked lawmakers to form special legislative committees in order...

Find out what's on the ballot and voting locations for Nueces, San Patricio, Aransas and Kleberg county voters on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

The City of Wimberley has hired a company to help define and potentially create a historic district in the downtown area.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The idea that internet access is a luxury was already demolished before anybody ever heard of COVID-19. But the pandemic — and the demands of switching work, school and medicine from in-person to virtual experiences — made it impossible for state officials to ignore.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] Opinions San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s marching orders come after he threatened to revoke tenure for some professors who teach about critical race theory and its history at public universities.

Three years ago, Texas lawmakers were trying to honor a promise to cut property taxes and raise the state’s share of the cost of public education.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] Opinions San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he’ll make legislation eliminating tenure at state universities – as a way to ban the teaching of critical race theory – a top priority for the 88th Texas Legislature.

Attorneys for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus took their latest challenge to Texas’s new political maps to the state’s high court. They argue lawmakers violated the Texas Constitution when drawing state house districts in the Rio Grande Valley.

As Austin schools held Pride Week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the district was breaking state law.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pledged to end tenure for new faculty hires at the state’s public universities and colleges when the Texas Legislature reconvenes next year. Patrick’s Feb. 18 attack on tenured college professors came days after the University of Texas at Austin Faculty Council passed a resolution Feb. 14 defending professors’ academic freedom, particularly […]

During her two terms, state Rep. Jessica González, the first openly gay Latina in the Texas Legislature, has proven she's not afraid to make waves.

Local law enforcement held a discussion alongside Platinum Group Metals (PGM) of Texas on Wednesday morning focusing on options and solutions regarding catalytic converter theft in San Marcos.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Booming population growth, coupled with changing climate patterns, unslakable groundwater thirst and political challenges, leave the Texas Hill Country newly vulnerable. Driving the news: A recently released report from the Texas Hill Country Conservation Network reveals a region facing profound threats to its future. The network is a partnership of dozens of organizations working across an 18-county region of Central Texas to protect waterways, vistas and wildlife.Stay on top of the latest mark

Hays County has created an adult Sexual Assault Response Team, thanks to a new state law.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Answers to your questions about the state's new rules targeting transgender kids. Answers to your questions about Texas’s new rules targeting transgender kids.

The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) has earned the Texas Optimization Program (TOP) Award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for the eighth year in a row.According to th[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The lawsuit alleges a GOP-drawn map of Texas Senate districts dilutes the voting power of minorities in North Texas. Attorneys say it could be a preview of what’s to come in the larger legal battle facing the state’s controversial new political boundaries.

The 2022 Texas primary elections are March 1. Use this guide to find voting information for Nueces, San Patricio, Aransas and Kleberg counties.

All over the state, county officials report they’re rejecting hundreds of applications for mail-in ballots, an issue several attribute to recent election law changes championed by state Republicans.

All over the state, county officials report they’re rejecting hundreds of applications for mail-in ballots, an issue several attribute to recent election law changes championed by state Republicans.

GOP leaders in the Legislature signed off on the money, according to a statement.

“If they want it, they’re gonna get it.”

Most elections, experts warn, could be over during primaries — which means fewer voters will be choosing candidates.

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION — Generations of Texans are poised to benefit from action by the...