The latest 85th Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
The Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday considered a pair of bills that would allow adult adoptees in the state to more easily access their birth certificates and medical history and would make it easier for adult adoptees and their biological parents to make contact. Full Story
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The Texas Senate tentatively approved legislation that would revamp the state’s voter identification rules, a response to court rulings that the current law discriminates against minority voters. Full Story
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House Republicans will look to force a vote on the regulations in the Senate’s “bathroom bill.” And a Democratic lawmaker has an amendment aimed at forcing the business community to take sides in the sanctuary cities debate. Full Story
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The denizens of the Texas Capitol are already talking about the possibility of a special session if lawmakers haven't finished the budget and other bills by Memorial Day. They might be worried, but you shouldn't be. Full Story
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As Baylor University continues grappling with the fallout from a sexual assault scandal, legislators from both parties say what happened at Baylor has sparked a bipartisan effort to address the issue at the state level. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus said the controversial bathroom bill felt "manufactured and unnecessary." Full Story
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Watch a livestream of Texas House Speaker Joe Straus discussing the 85th Legislative Session with Jim Henson of the Texas Politics Project. Full Story
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What issues matter most to you this session? Texas House Parliamentarian Chris Griesel explains one of the most basic ways to engage elected officials on those issues: speaking up. Full Story
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The Texas Senate is proposing a new accounting trick to balance its 2018-19 budget. The contrivance would work, mathematically speaking, but it raises constitutional questions and faces derision from the House. Full Story
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Groups suing Texas over its political maps have asked a federal court to ensure new congressional districts are drawn ahead of the November 2018 elections. Full Story
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When it comes to child sex trafficking, Texas lawmakers are once again poised to focus on criminal enforcement this legislative session rather than providing resources to victims. Full Story
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In a radio interview Thursday, House Speaker Joe Straus said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has a different audience than he does. "He’s an entertainer, a talk show guy. And a statewide elected official. I’m not," Straus said. Full Story
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In a 7-3 vote, the Senate Education Committee passed a bill that would create two public programs subsidizing private school tuition and homeschooling expenses. Full Story
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Tourism officials in the state's four biggest cities expect to lose at least $407 million in revenue from upcoming events if the "bathroom bill" becomes law. Scores more event planners are likely to bypass Texas entirely in the future, they say. Full Story
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The House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee on Wednesday voted to approve a bill that would raise the age of criminal responsibility in Texas from 17 to 18. Full Story
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Texas senators voted 19-10 on Wednesday afternoon to require women to pay a separate premium if they want their health plan to cover an elective abortion. Full Story
Despite the Trump administration’s early moves to ramp up detentions and deportations and build a border wall, Texas budget writers don't appear likely to significantly dial back funding for state-based border security operations this year. Full Story
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By delaying a diversion of sales tax money for transportation projects, Texas Senate leaders said they had an additional $2.5 billion to spend on needs such as health care and schools. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott has hit tough sledding with his call for more spending on early education in Texas. Lawmakers aren't warm to the idea, to say the least, and the governor hasn't assembled an army of supporters to back up his position. Full Story
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The Senate Higher Education Committee on Wednesday considered several bills related to limiting tuition increases. Full Story
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