The regular 2023 legislative session is over. Here’s how the most consequential bills fared.
A look at which bills passed and which failed during the 2023 legislative session. Full Story
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Featured coverage
Watch: Live video from the Texas House and Senate
The Texas Tribune is streaming the 2023 legislative session live from the Texas House and Senate chambers. The session runs from Jan. 10 to May 29. Full Story
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Texas Legislature 101: Understanding the state government and how it passes laws
Here’s a rundown of how a bill becomes a law, how the Texas Legislature works and the power players who keep things moving under the Pink Dome. Full Story
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Latest coverage
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Watch a Texas Tribune conversation on how new laws are affecting public education in Texas
As we approach the end of the school year, we reviewed how public schools were impacted by new legislation, how they’ve reacted and what challenges remain. Full Story
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Texas gives $125 million to rural sheriffs and prosecutors for pay increases
The 2023 legislation establishing the grant program also includes new equipment for rural sheriffs. Full Story
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![Several vehicles were parked outside of the Real County Sheriff’s Office in Leakey on Jan. 12, 2022.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
How Gov. Greg Abbott lost a yearlong fight to create school vouchers
The governor projected confidence throughout 2023 that vouchers would pass. But his insistence on universal eligibility ensured his failure to convince 21 House Republican holdouts. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on the north steps of the State Capitol to supporters at a Texas Public Policy Foundation Parent Empowerment rally on March 21, 2023. Abbott has called lawmakers to Austin for a special session Monday targeted at passing private school vouchers.]()
Credit: Ricardo Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via REUTERS
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We ranked Texas senators across the ideological spectrum based on their 2023 votes
Here’s a look at Senate members, ranked from most conservative to most liberal, based on their votes cast during the 2023 regular session and four special sessions. Full Story
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![Senators cast their votes on the tenth day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial at the state capitol in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2023. The Senate announced that a verdict would be delivered that morning.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
We ranked Texas House members along the ideological spectrum based on their 2023 votes
Here’s a look at House members, ranked from most conservative to most liberal, based on their votes cast during the 2023 regular session and four special sessions. Full Story
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![Members vote to approve an anti-voucher amendment brought by state rep. Abel Herrero, D-Robstown, during a marathon session on the House floor to approve HB-1 at the Capitol in Austin on April 06, 2023.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas superintendents say lack of school safety funding may lead to budget cuts
The fourth special legislative session this year ended without any increased funding for school safety — even though public schools have complained for months they don’t have enough money to meet new safety mandates approved this year. Full Story
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![An Austin Independent School District police vehicle sits outside of McCallum High School in Austin, on Dec. 28, 2012.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
Abbott mum on another special session as he charges into voucher opponents’ primary battles
Abbott is promising to continue the fight for “school choice” but staying mum on whether that means he will call another special session as he has previously threatened. Full Story
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![Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs a bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates, at the Governor's Mansion in Austin on Nov. 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Legislature adjourns fourth special session — leaving vouchers, school safety and elections bills unfinished
The latest casualties were Senate Bill 5, which would spend $800 million on school safety measures through 2025, and Senate Bill 6, which would change the timeline of a trial after an election contest is filed by a citizen or group. Full Story
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![Morning sunlight falls on the Texas Capitol dome on Sept. 16, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
McKinney state Rep. Frederick Frazier pleads no contest to charges he impersonated a public servant
Frazier was indicted in June 2022 on two charges of impersonating a public servant, a felony offense. He pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges as part of a plea agreement. Full Story
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![State Rep. Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney, on the House floor during Sine Die of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, at the Capitol in Austin, on May 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
After school voucher bill falls apart, supporters and opponents get ready for future fights
The Texas House’s vote to block education savings accounts disappointed voucher advocates and likely spelled doom for additional public school funding. Both bands say they’ll keep pushing for their priorities during next year’s primary elections and the 2025 legislative session. Full Story
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![Students enter a classroom at one of the 11 Houston-area campuses of Yes Prep, a public charter school system serving 7,000 low-income students.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes its own school safety funding bill, but little time remains to get it across the finish line
Senate Bill 5 would send an extra $800 million to public schools for security upgrades over the next two years. But the measure is at risk of becoming the latest casualty of the rift between the Texas House and Senate. Full Story
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![A DPS police vehicle sits outside of Dalton Elementary School as students wait outside their classroom on the first day of school in Uvalde on Sept. 6, 2022.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Legislature sends $1.54 billion bill for border barriers to Gov. Abbott
Senate Bill 3 would also appropriate $40 million for state troopers to patrol Colony Ridge, a housing development outside of Houston, and allow the state to send money to local jurisdictions to offset the cost of enforcing another immigration-related bill. Full Story
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![Texas National Guard and Texas DPS officers position themselves on the banks of the Rio Grande on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, in El Paso. Over 400 personnel have been sent to this border sector by Governor Abbott after El Paso city officials declared a state of emergency.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott begins offensive against school voucher opponents, endorsing first House primary challenger
Abbott on Tuesday backed Hillary Hickland, an activist mother who is running against Rep. Hugh Shine, R-Temple. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the recent 88th Legislative Session to an audience at the Texas Public Policy Foundation offices in Austin, on June 2, 2023. Abbott recounted policy victories in regards to fentanyl and the border crisis, as well as limiting gender affirming care and banning DEI practices in higher education. Abbott ended the event by promising to call a special session for school choice, after the current special session for property tax resolves.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
School voucher fallout leaves Texas Legislature with no clear sense on next steps
Vouchers were left without a clear path forward after a decisive vote Friday. Gov. Greg Abbott, who had threatened lawmakers with more special sessions to pass the proposal, seems to have turned his attention to punishing voucher opponents in next year’s primary elections. Full Story
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![House Parliamentarian Hugh Brady, center, is joined at the dais by a group of State Representatives to discuss proceedings during a special legislative session at the state capitol in Nov. 17, 2023 in Austin.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott endorses reelection bids of 58 House members who voted for school vouchers
No members who voted against Abbott’s top legislative priority received the governor’s backing. Full Story
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![Gov. Abbott speaks to parents during an event hosted by the Parent Empowerment Coalition at Covenant Christian Academy in McAllen on April 12, 2023.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzales for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House cuts school vouchers out of the education bill. See how lawmakers voted on the measure.
Here’s how each representative voted on an amendment that removed school vouchers from the education bill on Friday. Full Story
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![A state Representative prepares to vote on a bill during session on the House floor at the state Capitol in Austin on April 25, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
“Our public school system is our town”: Why this rural Republican is voting against school vouchers
Despite intense political pressure, Republican Rep. Gary VanDeaver said he won’t support a bill that includes school vouchers. Rural Republicans like VanDeaver have long opposed school vouchers because of the unique role public schools they play in their communities. Full Story
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![State Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, on the House floor on May 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas House votes to remove school vouchers from massive education bill
The outcome was an embarrassment to Gov. Greg Abbott, who spent seven months lobbying two dozen Republicans who signaled opposition to vouchers in April. Full Story
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![Bonham Middle School students enter the school’s cafeteria for lunch Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa. The school is part of the Ector County Independent School District.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas legislators approve bill allowing police to arrest people who cross the border illegally
The Texas House also voted to spend $1.5 billion on new state border walls, though that measure must be reconciled with the Senate version before it’s sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for consideration. Full Story
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![Migrants standing on the other side of barbwire speak to the Texas National Guard and Texas DPS officers along the banks of the Rio Grande, Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in El Paso, Texas. Over 400 personnel have been sent to this border sector by Governor Abbott after El Paso city officials declared a state of emergency. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House committee moves school safety funding forward
The two new measure could bring $1.3 billion more to schools to pay for security systems, fencing and personnel training. Full Story
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![A police officer monitors Maplewood Elementary School in Austin on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, a few days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune