Analysis: Property tax relief — but not for all Texas taxpayers
Giving every property owner in Texas a significant tax cut is expensive, but there are less ambitious plans under consideration along with the big ones. Full Story
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Credit: The Texas Tribune -
The Texas budget is up for debate in the House. Here are four things to know.
House members have proposed more than 300 amendments to the chamber's spending plan. The proposals that pass could have major implications for hundreds of other issues regulated by the state. Full Story
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![A view of the house floor during the second day of the 86th legislative session. Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune. -
Everyone wants a piece of the Texas budget. It's hard to succeed when most of the money is accounted for.
Disability advocates want the Texas Legislature to invest in pay raises for home care workers. Even in a year of surplus, it's a difficult battle. Full Story
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![Susie Angel on the back patio of her home with her attendant Sandy White in Austin on Jan. 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Texas investigating highly contagious whooping cough at state Capitol
Lawmakers were alerted that a page on the House floor had the infection, triggering discussions about vaccine policies in the state. Full Story
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![State Capitol on June 20, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate advances bill to shore up teacher pension fund
The bill would increase state, school district and teacher contributions to the fund, and provide a one-time additional check for retirees. Full Story
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![State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, during a meeting of the Senate State Affairs Committee on March 27, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Some of the secrets of Texas government aren’t supposed to be secrets
The Texas Legislature, full of people who believe in open government and who also like to settle things quietly and outside of public view, is diving into open-government legislation. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, during the Senate Education Committee meeting on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas lawmakers will obviously need a special session, right? Not so fast.
Halfway through the session, the Capitol's hallways are full of talk of a special session on school finance and property taxes. That won't happen — unless the Legislature makes a mess of the time it's got left. Full Story
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![Speaker Dennis Bonnen and state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, with other House members hold a press conference to announce their school finance bill on Mar. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas officials say it would cost $1 billion to cool prisons – but they’ve grossly overestimated AC costs before
An estimate to put air conditioning into one prison changed from more than $20 million to $4 million last year. Full Story
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![Telford prison in New Boston.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Tribcast: Dan Patrick's stance on medical cannabis, Castro's struggles, O'Rourke's first week
On this week’s TribCast, Aman talks to Alex, Aliyya and Ross about the mood in the Texas Capitol halfway through the session, why Dan Patrick has some pot advocates feeling paranoid and how the two Texans running for president are doing — and yes, there are still two. Full Story
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Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Point of Order: Texas and the sexes
In the latest episode of our podcast about the 86th Legislature, Evan Smith talks to House members Mary Gonzalez, Sarah Davis and Toni Rose about gender, politics and public policy in a state where the population is majority female but elected officials are overwhelmingly male. Full Story
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On some big issues this year, Texas lawmakers are going against the polls
Issues like city-mandated paid sick leave and "red flag" gun laws are popular among Texas voters, polls suggest. Will opposing them have consequences in 2020? Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers eye a rainy day fund withdrawal that could set a new record
Proposals in the Texas House would spend $6.6 billion from the state’s savings account; the Senate would spend $4.4 billion. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Texas Senate signs off on billion-dollar package to assist with Harvey recovery, guard against future storms
The upper chamber cast three, 31-0 votes on Wednesday to approve disaster recovery and preparedness legislation that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick named a top priority. Full Story
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![The neighborhood along Buffalo Bayou just below Barker Reservoir dam in Houston on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Despite powerful supporters, medical cannabis proposals face obstacle in Dan Patrick
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's wariness of proposals to expand the state's narrow medical cannabis program may block any such bills from reaching the governor's desk this session. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Parliamentarian Karina Davis on on the Senate floor on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott's influence has shifted Texas bail reform efforts toward a bill that would give him more control
There are now two sets of bail reform bills named after a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who was murdered while the suspect was out of jail on a $15,500 bond after allegedly assaulting a sheriff’s deputy. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott. joined by DPS Director Steve McCraw (seated, left) and Kasey Allen, widow of Damon Allen, speaks at a press conference in Waco on August 7, 2018. Abbott announced a proposal to reform the bail system in Texas. The proposal is in honor of State Trooper Damon Allen, who was killed while on duty in 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
What the “wave of women” elected in 2018 looks like in the 2019 Texas Legislature
This freshman class of female legislators is young, diverse and — thanks to the women who came before them — treated as equals in the traditionally male-dominated chambers. Full Story
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Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Texas House committee backs $115 billion budget plan for 2020-21
After passing through the House Appropriations Committee, House Bill 1 now goes to the full Texas House. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, and State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, discuss the budget at a Texas Tribune event on Nov. 29, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
With major policy differences emerging, state leaders continue to project unity
Halfway through the legislative session, lawmakers say they're getting along. But they have a long way to go to achieve their goals this year. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen hold a joint press conference on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Asking Texas voters to swap higher sales taxes for property tax cuts
Texas voters told candidates they want property tax relief, and it's remarkably expensive. That's why state lawmakers are talking about higher sales taxes. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, discusses public education at an event moderated by Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith in Austin on March 14, 2019. Huberty is chairman of the House Public Education Committee.]()
Credit: John Jordan/The Texas Tribune -
Point of Order: Rural Texas at a crossroads
In the latest episode of our podcast about the 86th Legislature, Evan Smith talks to state Rep. Four Price about the public policy challenges and opportunities in communities that may be losing population but remain critical to our history and heritage. Full Story
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