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Texas Senate Passes Package of Conservative Priorities

The Texas Senate capped off an extremely busy week in which lawmakers passed a large number of conservative priorities. Here are some major items you might have missed: Phasing out the Franchise Tax The franchise tax is Texas’ onerous business tax that imposes a heavy...

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Democrat Leadership Coalition Limits Members’ Power

Members of the Texas House are leaving Austin this week with decidedly less power than they had when they arrived. Amending bills on the floor was once considered an almost sacred right of every member of the state’s lower legislative chamber, limited only by...

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Diluted School Choice Proposal Passes Texas Senate

Though school choice legislation has passed the Texas Senate, advocates for the issue have a lot less to celebrate than originally planned. Championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, school choice has been a major issue this session with advocates for and against the...

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Voter ID Update Passes Texas Senate, Heads to House

On a bipartisan 21-10 vote, the Texas Senate on Tuesday passed modifications to the state’s photo voter ID law aimed at ensuring it passes constitutional muster while protecting election integrity and preventing voter fraud. SB 5, authored by State Sen. Joan Huffman...

Hundreds Flood Texas Capitol for Constitutional Carry Hearing

After constitutional carry languished without any action for the duration of last session and three months of the current session, advocates finally had a chance to officially make their voices heard at the Texas Capitol. On Tuesday, the House Homeland Security &...

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Where is the legislature on pension reform?

Houston’s pension reform deal has been making its way through the legislature, but not without bumps along the way. Both chambers’ pension committees have heard the plan, which passed the Senate Pension Committee by 7-1 and was left pending in the House Pensions...

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Senate Unanimously Passes Fiscally Responsible Budget

Coming in under available revenues, the Texas Senate passed a fiscally responsible state budget that meets needs. And in what can only be described as a repudiation to the bizarre claims of the Texas House leadership, the budget was passed unanimously. Senate Finance...

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Conservatives Oppose Gutting of Sanctuary Cities Reform

A priority for Gov. Greg Abbott and the Republican Party of Texas, lawmakers quickly got to work on legislation to ban sanctuary cities and compel law enforcement officials to cooperate with federal authorities. As with all of Abbott’s other “emergency items,” the...