Texas Legislature 2019

While critics say fantasy sports sites are hubs for illegal online gambling, others contend the games are based on skill and are therefore legitimate. Full Story 

The Senate Education Committee approved the school finance bill in a hurried meeting Wednesday. The full Senate is now expected to vote on the legislation Friday. Meanwhile, a House panel advanced a proposal to let voters decide whether a sales tax increase should fund property tax relief. Full Story 

One of the Legislature’s priority property tax reform bills, Senate Bill 2, was approved by the House on a 107-40 margin Tuesday. More than 20 Democratic lawmakers broke party ranks to support the measure. Full Story 

Black students, who are already overrepresented in disciplinary referrals, say their fears come as lawmakers consider a slew of bills to expand the state's school marshal program in response to a deadly shooting last year. Full Story 

Lawmakers are in their last month of a regular session, with their priority issues — public education and property taxes — still incomplete. If they can't finish without a special session, they'll run into someone else's deadlines; school districts write budgets and set tax rates in June. Full Story 

The House approved the bill designed to slow local property tax revenue growth, but made the bill contingent on the passage of a school finance bill, which is still pending in the Senate. Full Story 

His comment comes the day after the Texas House gave preliminary approval to the bill in a 98-43 vote. Full Story 

Is paid sick leave on life support? Did "constitutional carry" advocates shoot themselves in the foot? With just weeks to go in the session, lawmakers are handling the pressure to get their bills across the finish line in different ways. Full Story 

The Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs took public testimony on a bill that would strengthen state oversight of above-ground tanks that hold hazardous hydrocarbons. Full Story 

The lower chamber gave initial approval to a bill creating a pretrial process to determine if a capital murder defendant is intellectually disabled — more than 15 years after the U.S. Supreme Court said executing such prisoners is cruel and unusual punishment. Full Story 

The House vote Monday is the first time the lower chamber approved such a measure, marking significant progress. But the opposition of the lieutenant governor remains a major hurdle. Full Story 

Senate Bill 11 is authored by state Sen. Larry Taylor, whose district includes Santa Fe High School. Full Story 

An amendment added to a Senate property tax bill ties it to school finance — a signal the Texas House doesn't want to leave the harder-to-pass education bill behind. Full Story 

Texas tries to track the number of students with vaccine exemptions every year, but the data is incomplete and doesn't include the opt-out rates for individual public schools. Amid a recent rise in measles cases across the country, some in the Legislature are calling for more detailed reporting. Full Story 

Several bills meant to protect Texas landowners facing condemnation for oil pipeline construction and electric transmission projects generated heated debate on Thursday at a Capitol committee hearing. Full Story 

The House approved the changes in amendments to a broader bill about the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's operations. The Senate still could strip the changes from the bill. Full Story 

The bill differs in significant ways from the version the House approved this month. Full Story 

Three quarters of the way into the legislative session, lawmakers are still juggling several proposals related to school district taxes, including some that would not provide any tax relief. Full Story 

The end of the legislative session — deal-making time — is looming, and the priorities set out by the state's top leaders three months ago remain undone. In fact, those centerpiece school finance and property tax measures aren't even teed up for the final negotiations. Full Story 

The executive director of Texas Gun Rights said Bonnen should apologize for how he characterized McNutt's lobbying efforts for "constitutional carry" legislation that has since been declared dead in the lower chamber. Full Story