State news in Texas
Statewide Texas News
Texas House to Vote on Mexican Guest Worker Plan While Immigration Priorities Sit Idle
The Texas GOP platform explicitly calls for prioritizing American workers.
AG Paxton Nabs Frio County Officials & Election Workers in Vote-Harvest Ring
The individuals are accused of manipulating senior citizens to harvest their votes.
House Finally Hears Senate Priority To Protect Students From Sexual Content
Legislation passed last session failed to keep sexually explicit books out of kids’ school libraries.
Abbott Presses Lawmakers: ‘Citizens or Criminals?’
While the Senate passed its set of bail reform measures earlier in the session, the House has yet to do so.
State Archive
Lawmaker Claims Abbott Will Not Sign Property Tax Reform Bill Unless Schools are Added
According to sources inside the Texas Capitol, Gov. Greg Abbott is telling lawmakers he will refuse to sign property tax reform legislation that does not include the largest item on a taxpayer’s bill—school taxes. Now one lawmaker is coming forward and claiming the...
Lawmakers Must Protect Property Tax Reform, Reject Poison Pill Amendment
A total of 180 amendments have been prefiled in the Texas House in advance of the upcoming property tax reform debate. While each of them is impactful, one could likely scuttle the bill if adopted. On Thursday, lawmakers are anticipated to debate House Bill 2 by Ways...
Greg Abbott Wants to Raise Your Taxes
Yes, you read the headline correctly. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is supporting a new tax increase claiming it will be used to lower property tax rates. The problem is, there's no mechanism to ensure it results in real property tax relief for taxpayers. Even though...
Hundreds Rally, Testify to Abolish Abortion in Texas
Over 400 citizens from across the country descended on Austin on Monday to participate in the public hearing over legislation ignoring the U.S. Supreme Court and enacting an outright ban on abortion, the first hearing on such a bill in the entire nation. House Bill...
Swanson Passes Legal Protections for Gun Owners
Gun rights advocates are celebrating what appears to be a rare victory this session in the fight to protect gun rights in the Lone Star State. With only some Democrats voting in opposition, State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R–Spring) successfully passed House Bill 121 on a...
Abbott, Patrick, and Bonnen Propose Sales Tax Increase
Texas’ “Big Three” statewide leaders have begun to coalesce around a proposed solution to delivering property tax relief this session: raising the sales tax. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, Gov. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen...
Bill to Raise Smoking Age Gets Senate Approval
The Texas Senate has advanced legislation to raise the state’s smoking age to 21. In a diversion from the principles of liberty and personal responsibility, the aptly named Senate Bill 21 raises the age for the purchase, use, and possession of tobacco products from 18...
State Spending Limits Legislation Approved in Senate
On the same day they unanimously approved a budget which spends $5 billion above population and inflation, the Texas Senate approved legislation to strengthen the state’s spending limits. Senate Bill 1891 by State Sen. Kelly Hancock (R–North Richland Hills) seeks to...
Senate Unanimously Votes to Bust Conservative Budget
In yet another slap in the face to the taxpayers who elected them, the Texas Senate voted on Tuesday to approve a budget that grows state spending beyond Texans’ ability to pay for it. And not a single senator objected. When the Senate Finance Committee, led by State...