The latest Governor's Office news from The Texas Tribune.
Before sign-waving supporters, Gov. Greg Abbott formally launched his re-election campaign Friday in San Antonio, days before he brings the Texas Legislature back for a special session. Full Story
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As state lawmakers and city officials gear up to battle over land-use legislation, a liberal watchdog group says $34 million in campaign donations from real estate and construction industries "paved the way" for this month's special session agenda. Full Story
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Within hours of Gov. Greg Abbott issuing his proclamation announcing next week's special session, lawmakers had filed dozens of bills including two so-called bathroom bills from state Rep. Ron Simmons, a Carrollton Republican. Full Story
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The emails reveal how the governor's vetoes caught some state lawmakers by surprise, while his staff has let evangelical Christian leaders know about vetoes of bills they opposed. Full Story
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The regular legislative session belonged to legislative leaders — primarily Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who aggressively set an agenda for the Senate. Now, with a special session looming, Gov. Greg Abbott is asserting himself. Full Story
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A bill to end annual vehicle inspections died during the regular legislative session — but might come back during next month’s special session. Full Story
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Local government attorneys in Texas are about to take a page from Greg Abbott, who spent 12 years as the top attorney for the state of Texas — suing a faraway government that has its nose in their business. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott is plotting an aggressive approach to the upcoming special session of the Legislature, diverting from his above-the-fray style to try to see through an ambitious 20-item agenda. Full Story
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Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott revealed which bills he had decided to veto from this year's regular legislative session. How close were you paying attention? Take our veto quiz to find out. Full Story
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House Bill 3287, which Gov. Greg Abbott didn't veto, will force larger breweries to pay a distributor to deliver their beer — even if they're delivering it to on-site taprooms just yards away from where it's produced. Full Story
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Child welfare providers can use their "sincerely held religious beliefs" to decide what homes and services foster and adoptive children should receive. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott has vetoed 50 bills that were passed during the regular legislative session, his office announced Thursday. Full Story
Texas recently became the 47th state to pass a statewide texting-while-driving ban. The governor's proposal to pre-empt local ordinances on drivers' mobile phone use could weaken stricter city ordinances that have been in place for years. Full Story
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Dozens of cities and towns in Texas have ordinances aimed at protecting trees. During the special legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott wants to change that. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers will return to Austin in a month to take another swing at more than a dozen issues they couldn't resolve during the regular legislative session. So what has changed? Full Story
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Before he became governor, Greg Abbott was asked to replant trees on his Austin property — a regulation he has set out to axe during the upcoming special session of the Texas Legislature. Full Story
A special session of the Texas Legislature reveals a hole in the state's ethics laws, allowing elected officials in Austin to make laws at the same time they're raising campaign funds — from the people most interested in those new laws. Full Story
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Some of the 20 topics Gov. Greg Abbott is asking the Texas Legislature to consider during a special session have been his priorities since his State of the State Address in January. On some of the other topics, though, he's been relatively quiet. Full Story
Craft brewers want Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a bill that would put limits on some regulatory relief that benefits them. But supporters, including some major distributors, say the bill is needed to stop big beer companies that gobble up independent craft brewers from taking advantage of relaxed regulations. Full Story
Gov. Greg Abbott snatched the spotlight from his rivals with a long, long list of priorities for a special legislative session — one that takes care of must-do legislation and buries everything else. Full Story