Texas Legislature 2019

The House Elections Committee on Wednesday night resumed its discussions on a controversial bill pitched as an election security measure but that critics say is a pathway to state-sanctioned voter suppression. Full Story 

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has done his best to knock down rumors he might take a job with the Trump administration. That hasn't stopped talk about what might happen if he leaves his current job. Full Story 

The announcement Tuesday from Comptroller Glenn Hegar came amid lawmakers' closed-door haggling over the two-year budget, which includes funds for public schools and property tax relief. Full Story 

The bill already passed the Senate but will require another vote in the upper chamber due to minor changes made in the House. Full Story 

Behind the 181 members of the Texas Legislature, thousands of people work to keep the Capitol humming during legislative sessions. The work isn't always glamorous, but many view their small roles in helping state government function as an honor. Full Story 

When weighing in on issues like property taxes, the main interest group representing cities has encountered skepticism. Full Story 

The measure, which had yet to advance in the Senate, was swiftly voted out of a surprise committee hearing Monday, days after companion legislation in the House died on the floor. Full Story 

A bill aims to lengthen the amount of time people can sue someone who sexually abused them when they were children. But the House stripped language extending the limit for certain entities that may be culpable. Full Story 

Once knocked as detached, the governor has become more involved in a legislative session hinging on two big-ticket items he's prioritized: school finance and property tax reform. Full Story 

Some of the central issues are momentous, but the 86th Texas Legislature has managed — so far — not to lose its temper. That's out of the ordinary, but for a group of politicians who don't want to be compared to their federal counterparts, it counts as a kind of success. Full Story 

A measure to limit arrests for misdemeanors that only result in fines initially got House approval. Then it failed on a subsequent vote amid what some say was confusion over what the bill would do. Lawmakers tried to revive it Friday evening — after several lawmakers had left the chamber — but that attempt also failed. Full Story 

Democratic state lawmakers filed multiple bills this year to require the state to prepare for a warming planet. None of them have been scheduled for public hearings. Full Story 

States across the country are advancing "heartbeat bills" that aim to overturn the landmark Supreme Court decision, but major Texas anti-abortion groups are worried that such an approach could backfire. Full Story 

Legislation swapping higher sales taxes for lower property taxes flopped this week, and for lawmakers, it flopped in the best way possible: They never had to cast a vote. Full Story 

The LGBTQ Caucus, formed this year, notched a major victory Thursday evening, defeating a controversial measure as the Texas House raced toward a midnight deadline. Full Story 

The bill was one of several bail reform measures filed after federal court rulings, jail deaths and a state trooper's murder drew attention to Texas' pretrial jailing practices. A late addition to limit who could be released from jail at no cost was removed by lawmakers Friday. Full Story 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill weeks after a federal judge blocked the existing state law in response to a lawsuit. Full Story 

For the past year, an influential conservative think tank has lobbied to make wind and solar projects ineligible for a popular local property tax abatement program. A measure to do that has stalled, but renewable advocates are watching for last-minute changes to other legislation. Full Story 

Under the measure, defendants who have active psychotic symptoms of certain mental illnesses at the time of the crime would be ineligible for capital punishment. The bill now heads to the more conservative Senate. Full Story 

On this week’s TribCast, Aman talks to Ross, Matthew and Shannon about how Texas lawmakers' plan to raise the sales tax collapsed, why the 2019 session is like the 1997 one and what we'll be watching out for in the session’s final three weeks. Full Story