The latest 83rd Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
A fee paid by millions of Texans and businesses on their electric bills would be abolished in September under a deal made Friday, the Senate's budget writer said. The fee goes to a fund that helps low-income Texans with their utility bills. Full Story
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With three days before the end of the legislative session, Gov. Rick Perry has revealed his opposition to one portion of a bill considered critical to a budget deal forged between the House and Senate. Full Story
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The deadline for bills to win approval from the House and the Senate passed earlier this week, resulting in the death of a lot of legislation. Most of what remains is to reconcile differences between versions of legislation passed by both chambers. Our updated bill apps — one for House bills and one for Senate legislation — detail the results. Full Story
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David Dewhurst, the state's lieutenant governor for the past decade, started this legislative session looking for some momentous conservative victories. He's still looking. Full Story
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The clock is ticking for lawmakers hard at work to pass prize bills in the final days of the 83rd legislative session. Here's a look at what's still outstanding. Check back often: We'll update this story as deals are brokered or broken. Full Story
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Full video of my 5/23 TribLive conversation debriefing the 83rd Legislature with state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio. Full Story
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Who is really in power in state government? According to the calendar, the clout is days away from moving firmly to the governor's office. Full Story
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After two days of deliberations that culminated Thursday evening with a closed-door meeting with Capitol lobbyists and staff from the governor's office, it appears leaders in the House and Senate have reached a deal on two high-priority education bills. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, talked about the Legislature's resistance to expanding Medicaid. Full Story
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UPDATED: If lawmakers don't do something quickly, the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas in the state, could disappear. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, talked about why the Legislature has made so little progress on transportation funding — and what happens now. Full Story
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The budget deal that took a step closer to passage Wednesday evening would spend $3.9 billion from the state's Rainy Day Fund. That would leave more in the fund than many lawmakers or Gov. Rick Perry had earlier proposed. Full Story
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UPDATED: Sen. Royce West's proposal for a special statewide school district to manage underperforming campuses will have to find another lifeboat. The Dallas Democrat has removed the bill from the legislation he had attached it to after it died in the House. Full Story
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UPDATED: After days of jockeying and one-upsmanship, the Texas House and Senate each approved measures Wednesday evening critical to passing their next two-year budget. Full Story
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End-of-session dinners are commonplace for legislative committees at the end of the session, and they can be lavish affairs. One this week cost more than $22,000. Full Story
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The next four days will probably be the most critical period in determining the fate of the session's major education bills, which address standardized testing and curriculum requirements, as well as charter school expansion. Full Story
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UPDATED: The Texas House allowed the clock to run out Tuesday night on Senate Bill 11, an initiative that would have created a drug testing regimen for some welfare benefits. Full Story
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Elementary and middle school students will take fewer standardized exams under legislation approved by the state Senate on Tuesday — if Texas can get a waiver from the federal government. Full Story
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The Senate raised the bar Tuesday evening in its standoff with the lower chamber by tying the provisions in a major franchise tax relief bill to key legislation being held up in the House. Full Story
The public doesn't closely follow legislative debates over the budget, but sometimes those budget debates line up pretty accurately with public opinion. Full Story
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