State news in Texas
Statewide Texas News
House Passes Weakened Higher Education Reform Bill
A time consuming conference committee is likely.
House Passes Immigration Enforcement Bill Mandating Local ICE Cooperation
Lawmakers approved legislation requiring counties with jails to enter into immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government.
House Advances Legislation on Prayer and Ten Commandments in Schools
Two of the three measures considered were legislative priorities of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Lawmakers Look to Slash School Superintendents’ Severance Pay
Senators heard a House-passed bill to limit the tax-funded payouts to six months’ salary and benefits.
State Archive
Who Is That on the Dais? Meet the Legislative Officers
If you have ever tuned in to any livestreams of the Texas Senate or House of Representatives proceedings, you are probably familiar with seeing non-elected officials—who are granted access to the floor—provide certain functions as a part of the overall legislative...
Lawmakers Sign Bipartisan Request to Allow STAAR Opt-Out
UPDATE: After publication, Commissioner Morath announced that online-only students will be able to opt out of the exam. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is asking the agency that oversees public education to let students skip state-mandated testing this year, citing...
Local Officials Encouraged to Hike Taxpayer Debt During Hardship
As Texans suffer the economic effects of government shutdowns and restrictions, a publication for local officials encouraged county governments to hike taxpayer debt. This comes as Texans wonder if the Legislature will force local officials to deliver property tax...
Democrat Caucus Leader Lands Spot as Chairman of House Business & Industry
Last week, Speaker Dade Phelan announced committee assignments for the Texas House of Representatives, and some of the chairmen assignments might send signals that business owners and those who favor limited government find worrisome. The House Business and Industry...
The Path to Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
Banning local governments from using taxpayer dollars to lobby against citizen interests is a top concern for the grassroots this year. Lawmakers’ past votes indicate an easy path in the Texas Senate but a difficult path in the Texas House. Citizens noticed Gov. Greg...
New Bill Challenges Biden’s ‘Pro-LGBTQ’ Executive Order
A Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill that will require Texas school districts to separate sports teams based on biological genders, directly challenging a recent federal executive order praised by Democrats. House Bill 1458, introduced by State Rep. Valoree...
Blockchain Bill Filed in Time for Crypto-Surge
One Texas state representative wants to make it easier to identify economic growth and development opportunities presented by blockchain technology and assess the current blockchain industry in Texas, as cryptocurrencies are becoming more relevant in today's...
Republican State Lawmaker Files Ethics Bill Package
This week, Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) introduced a number of proposed laws to bring more ethics reforms to the state and local governments so taxpayers know how their money is being spent. “Government transparency is a basic taxpayer right,” said Middleton...
Democrat Joe Moody Appointed to House’s ‘No. 2 Spot’
When Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan announced committee assignments last week, he also made another declaration—liberal Democrat State Rep. Joe Moody (El Paso) will once again serve as the speaker pro tempore. As prescribed by the rules of the Texas House, the...