State news in Texas
Statewide Texas News
Open or Closed? The Future of Texas Primary Elections
The Republican Party of Texas is challenging Texas’ open primary system.
Report: UT Researchers Worked With Chinese Military-Linked Academics
Research projects were backed by the U.S. Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense.
Texas GOP Ballot Will Ask Voters About Property Taxes, Immigration, and Sharia Law
While the outcomes don’t create law or amend the state constitution, they do send a clear signal to lawmakers about what the Republican base expects from its elected officials.
Texas GOP Sues State To Close Primaries
If successful, the case could mark the most significant shift in Texas primary election law in decades.
State Archive
Texas Republicans Urge Abbott To Add Redistricting to Special Session
Republicans are urging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to add congressional redistricting to a special legislative session this summer. Redrawing the state’s congressional district maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections could help the GOP maintain a majority in the U.S....
University of North Texas Initiative Promotes ‘Diversity’
Despite recent backlash to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, a University of North Texas initiative appears to creatively skirt state laws intended to curb them. UNT’s “Hispanic Serving Institution Initiative” is designed to comply with a federal program for...
Legislators Warn Universities to Comply With Federal Ruling on Discounted Tuition for Illegals
Following a federal court ruling that struck down a Texas law allowing illegal aliens to pay discounted in-state tuition rates, a group of state lawmakers has issued a stark warning to public university leaders: comply or face legal consequences. In a letter sent...
US Senate Rejects Proposal Deterring States From Regulating AI
The U.S. Senate has removed provisions from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that would not only have deterred states from regulating artificial intelligence but also could have undone measures already passed by Texas lawmakers to safeguard Texans from the potential harms...
Texas Officially Phases Out Temporary Paper License Plates
As of today, Texas will no longer issue temporary paper license plates to new vehicle purchasers. Instead, purchasers will receive new metal license plates. The transition was first outlined in House Bill 718 of the 88th Legislature’s regular session in 2023, which...
Lawmakers Ask Abbott To Put Library Limits on Special Session Agenda
Dozens of Texas GOP lawmakers are asking Gov. Greg Abbott to add legislation protecting minors from sexually explicit materials in public libraries to his special session agenda. State Rep. Daniel Alders (R–Tyler) and 38 other Republicans in the Texas House signed the...
Texas A&M System Joins Fellow Republican-led State Universities in New Accreditation Agency
The Texas A&M University System will join several other university systems from Republican-led states to launch a new accreditation agency. According to U.S. News and World Report, the Texas A&M University System will join the university systems of Florida,...
New Texas Laws Protect Parental Rights
This session, lawmakers passed legislation to place checks on Child Protective Services' powers and strengthen parental rights. Although the Texas Family Code explicitly ensures that parents have the right to direct the moral and religious upbringing of their...
US Supreme Court Upholds Texas Age-Verification Law for Online Porn Sites
In a win for protecting children from the harmful effects of pornography, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring age verification to access X-rated content online. Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the 6-3 opinion finding that the state’s age verification...