State news in Texas
State
Experts Warn Enrollment-based School Funding Would Be Wasted on ‘Ghost Students’
Some districts are pushing to shift attendance-based funding to enrollment-based.
Dan Patrick Warns Against ‘Counterfeit Speaker’ in Texas House Race
Patrick has accused Dustin Burrows and his supporters of pursuing personal power and influential committee chairmanships at the expense of Republican priorities.
Report: Texas Land Still Vulnerable to Ownership by Hostile Nations
Specialists are arguing that there are flaws in systems that track ownership and land purchases.
Meet the Freshmen: Katrina Pierson
When it comes to accountability, Pierson emphasized her open-door policy and commitment to communication.
State Archive
Texas Senate Protects Land Owners, Taxpayers Against Proposed High-Speed Rail
Citizens opposed to the proposed high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas are celebrating victories after legislation that could derail the venture passed the Texas Senate. Last week, lawmakers in the state’s upper chamber passed two major bills strongly...
Grover Norquist to the Texas Legislature: Pass Paycheck Protection
Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist sent a letter to lawmakers today urging them to vote in favor of legislation that ends the automatic collection of labor union dues from government worker paychecks. According to some estimates, passing legislation to...
Texas House To Debate Sanctuary Cities Legislation
Months behind the Texas Senate, the Texas House is finally set to bring legislation to ban sanctuary cities to the House floor. The problem? Two powerful state lawmakers diluted and dismantled much of the original bill to the point that conservatives will need to make...
Convention of States in Jeopardy After Addition of Poison Pill
The Lone Star State could be the next to join a growing number of states across the nation calling for an Article V Convention to rein in the federal government – but only if the Texas House acts quickly to pass the measure and remove a poison pill inserted by State...
Texas House Writes Hot Check for Schools, Refuses Reforms
A hot check was written to Texas’ public schools this week by the Democrat-Republican coalition that rules the Texas House. Despite their bankrupt claims, the measure does nothing to reform the state’s broken finance system, end Robin Hood, or implement desperately...
Straus, Patrick Appoint Budget Conferees
This week, House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick each released the names of the five members they are appointing to serve on the conference committee tasked with hammering out the differences on the state budget. If they can come to a consensus, the...
Imperfect Ridesharing Legislation Passes Texas House
Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft could be coming back to Austin and other areas of the state if a measure passed by the Texas House becomes law. Earlier this week, lawmakers debated and passed House Bill 100 by State Rep. Chris Paddie (R–Marshall), which would...
Texas House Committee Scuttles Constitutional Carry, Approves Compromise Carry
On Tuesday, Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee Chairman Phil King (R–Weatherford) chose to advance House Bill 1911 by State Rep. James White (R–Woodville), which would repeal the state licensing requirement for citizens to carry a handgun. However, the...
Huffman to Offer Step Backwards on Pension Reform
Giving her colleagues less than 24 hours to digest a 215-page floor substitute, State Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston is expected to offer a significant step backwards in the fight to reform Houston’s broken pension system. Sen. Huffman’s floor substitute to SB 2190...