State news in Texas
State
New Texas Laws Protect Parental Rights
Lawmakers paid special attention to issues arising in family courts.
US Supreme Court Upholds Texas Age-Verification Law for Online Porn Sites
The Court found that the law is a constitutionally permissible exercise of the state’s authority to protect children from sexually explicit content.
State Lawmakers Ask Abbott To Add Conservative Priorities to Special Session Agenda
Requested additions include banning taxpayer-funded lobbying and banning in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
Texas Education Board Delays Vote on New Standards for Trustee Training
SBOE Chairman Aaron Kinsey decided to create an ad hoc committee to further consider the revised training framework.
State Archive
AG Paxton Secures Win Against Deferred Action Policy
Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a win in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed that the Biden administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy is unlawful. Created in 2012 by the Obama administration, DACA provides illegal...
Lt. Gov. Patrick Upholds GOP Priority, Names All Republican Committee Chairs in Senate
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has announced Texas Senate committee appointments for the 89th Legislature, upholding his promise to not appoint Democrats to chair committees. “No Democrat Chairs” is a legislative priority of the Texas GOP, which maintains that the majority...
Texas Joins Multi-state Lawsuit Over Gas Water Heater Regulation
Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined a legal challenge against the Biden administration's recent regulation targeting gas-powered water heaters. On December 26, 2024, the Department of Energy issued a final rule that would prohibit the sale of non-condensing...
Online Lottery Ticket Vendor Partners With Uber to Entice Gambling?
An Uber passenger in Texas recently reported receiving a free lottery ticket offer from Lotto.com through the Uber app after completing a ride. Lotto.com sells lottery tickets, including scratch tickets, online and accepts credit card payments—practices that are not...
Texas Takes On Porn Industry at US Supreme Court
Texas went before the U.S. Supreme Court this week to defend the state’s age verification law enacted in 2023 to protect children from the harmful effects of online pornography. The porn industry challenged the state law in federal courts, claiming the verification...
A&M Business School Dean Historically Supports DEI and ESG
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School Dean Nate Sharp has faced criticism for initially sponsoring a DEI conference that excluded white and Asian students. Following backlash from Gov. Greg Abbott, who threatened to fire TAMU President Mark Welsh for failing...
Aggie Scorecard, Investigations, Longhorn Scorecard, Raider Scorecard, State
Report: Security Needed at Texas Universities
State lawmakers recommended action to shield university research from infiltration, but a security specialist found their recommendations lacking. A Texas House committee report analyzed hostile foreign threats to Texas. Higher education was among the vulnerable areas...
DOJ and Austin Real Estate Developer Reach Plea Agreement
The day after Democrats teamed up with a minority of Republicans to make Dustin Burrows the next speaker of the Texas House, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul agreed to a plea deal with the Department of Justice. Paul is set to plead guilty to one count of making...
Texas Senator Proposes State Homeland Security Division
Republican State Sen. Tan Parker of Flower Mound has filed legislation intended to strengthen Texas’ security infrastructure. Senate Bill 780 would establish a Homeland Security Division within the Texas Department of Public Safety to coordinate multiagency and...