Texas Legislature 2021

Republicans were assigning blame after the measure’s dramatic failure Sunday night, but were also already looking ahead to a special session. Full Story 

House Bill 20 would have made it harder for arrestees to get out of jail without cash and limited charitable bail funds’ ability to post bond for people. Gov. Greg Abbott said bail legislation will be included in a special session. Full Story 

Midnight was the deadline for the House to approve the legislation that would alter nearly the entire voting process, create new limitations to early voting hours, ratchet up voting-by-mail restrictions and curb local voting options. Full Story 

The proposal’s low bill number signaled it was a priority of new House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Beaumont Republican who referred to the legislation as “the House’s blueprint for pandemic response.” Full Story 

Senate Bill 7 includes provisions to limit early voting hours, curtail local voting options and further tighten voting by mail. The upper chamber suspended its own rules to approve it after debating it for hours overnight. Full Story 

Senate Bill 7, a Republican priority voting bill, would limit early voting hours, curtail local voting options and further clamp down on mail-in voting, among several other provisions. Full Story 

House and Senate negotiators have reached a deal on competing versions of Senate Bill 7. Once both chambers sign off on the agreement, it will head to the governor’s desk before it becomes law. Full Story 

House Bill 1535 expands eligibility for the Texas Compassionate Use Program to people with cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder. It's effective Sept. 1. Full Story 

The bill would add an extra four months of health insurance for low-income women, who now get Medicaid coverage from pregnancy until two months after delivery. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for signature. Full Story 

Texas educators worry the bill would have a chilling effect on tough conversations about race and racism. GOP lawmakers say they wanted to ensure teachers’ personal biases stay out of their lessons. Full Story 

In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to state Rep. Donna Howard and state Sen. Kel Seliger about sniping and snark on the road to sine die. Full Story 

Gov. Greg Abbott has signaled that he would sign the bill, which does not allow cities to opt out of enforcing a homeless encampment ban. Full Story 

Democratic lawmakers wanted to replace a defunded agency by creating a new office that would look at health inequities across the state. But after Republicans pulled it into ongoing debates about transgender rights and critical race theory, the bill died in the Senate. Full Story 

Tensions between the two chambers are peaking, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is putting pressure on Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session for unfinished business on conservative priorities Full Story 

Abbott has the power to veto individual line items he objects to. Full Story 

After failing last session, lawmakers finalized a bill — described as a “delicate compromise” — that provides new protections for landowners in negotiating with companies attempting to seize their land through eminent domain. Full Story 

Some conservative lawmakers are worried right now about bills falling to end-of-session deadlines, but several top Republican priorities have either crossed the finish line or are very close. Full Story 

The leader of the Senate gave himself leverage to force a special legislative session when he neglected to pass a bill to extend the life of the regulating agency for Texas law enforcement. But after blowback from the governor, Patrick said “we’re not holding anything hostage.” Full Story 

The Texas House and Senate both approved negotiated versions of Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 3, the two sweeping bills to change the state’s power grid and the people who oversee it. Full Story 

Senate Bill 321 would enroll new state workers in a cash-balance plan — similar to a common 401(k) retirement account — rather than the defined-benefit pension plan that current employees have. Full Story