Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes bill requiring children under 2 to ride in rear-facing car seats
Abbott said the measure "is an unnecessary invasion of parental rights and an unfortunate example of over-criminalization." Full Story
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![A mom buckles her infant son safely into a rear facing car seat as they get ready to drive somewhere in their vehicle. The baby's mouth is visible with a big smile. Sunlight shines in from behind. Horizontal with copy space.]()
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs $250 billion budget with no line-item vetoes
In addition to signing the 2020-21 budget, Abbott vetoed several dozen bills that the Legislature had passed. Full Story
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![Senate Bill 2 and the pens Gov. Greg Abbott used to sign it, in Austin on June 12, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The Texas legislative session’s over. Now, all lawmakers have to do is sell it to voters.
Lawmakers are finished with the regular session and now enter the political season, figuring out how to discuss their work in a narrative voters will find appealing in next year's elections. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen at a press conference on the $11.6 billion school finance reform bill. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bil into law at Parmer Lane Elementary School in Austin on June 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Abbott extends state plumbing board until 2021 after Legislature abolished it
The governor cited Texas' continued recovery from Hurricane Harvey as a reason why he was issuing an executive order to continue the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, which was on track to shut down. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott signs disaster relief and preparedness bills in Houston
The legislation includes framework that provides more than $1.6 billion for flood control projects and repairs across the state. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott signs Senate Bill 7, one of four bills he signed into law on Thursday, June 13, 2019 in Houston, aimed at bolstering the state's emergency preparedness and disaster relief programs, including framework that provides $1.6 billion for flood control projects and repairs across the state.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
After House Republicans tackle big challenges in session, they face another one: saving themselves
Some Democrats are mobilizing in hopes of taking the nine House seats they need for a majority in 2020 as Republican House Speaker Dennis Bonnen tries to prevent intra-GOP challenges in the primaries. Full Story
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![Opening Day of the 86th session of the Texas Legislature with action in the Texas House
Election of Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, by unanimous vote.]()
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Watch: Dallas and the 86th Legislature
Check out our morning conversation in Dallas with four Dallas-area legislators: state Sen. Nathan Johnson and state Reps. Angie Chen Button, Jessica González and Morgan Meyer. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill designed to limit property tax growth
A top priority of state leaders, the legislation requires voter approval before local governments increase their property tax revenue by more than 3.5%. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott signs Senate Bill 2 to limit property tax growth during a press conference at Wallyâs Burgers in Austin on June 12, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas vaccine exemption rates have reached an all-time high. Did Texas make it too easy for parents to opt out?
Texas has resisted recent attempts to change its vaccine laws, allowing parents to get their children exemptions for "reasons of conscience." Use our lookup tool to see how exemption rates have changed in school districts and private schools across the state. Full Story
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![Doses of the meningitis vaccine, August 7, 2012 in Houston at Legacy Community Health Services. Each vial contains one dose.]()
Credit: Eric Kayne for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Greg Abbott, a song of accomplishments and an out-of-tune tweet
The governor is busy touting the accomplishments of the recently ended Texas legislative session while inadvertently reminding his Twitter followers of one of his administration's errors. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott in the Governor’s mansion. Jan. 8, 2019.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott signs $11.6 billion school finance measure into law
The high-priority bill boosts per-student funding and reduces property taxes across the state. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott signs the $11.6 billion school finance bill into law while surrounded by lawmakers at Parmer Lane Elementary School in Austin on June 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas governor signs bill clarifying that women are allowed to pump breast milk in public
Previous state law explicitly permitted breastfeeding in public, but the bill adds a protection for women who choose to pump breast milk in public. Full Story
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![Arika Rodriguez feeds her son, Parker, after giving birth at the Holy Family Birthing Center in Weslaco, Texas, on Sept. 28, 2017.]()
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill declaring children's lemonade stands legal
The bill, which goes into effect Sept. 1, prevents cities and neighborhood associations from prohibiting or regulating children who sell nonalcoholic drinks on private property. Full Story
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![Focus on sign at lemonade stand. A lemon, strawberry and pile of red plastic cups in foreground. Out of focus girl in background.]()
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The Texas governor accused people of lying about Texas' maternal mortality rate. The critics relied on the state's own bad data.
Problems with the state’s data led to initial reports that Texas' maternal mortality rate was far higher than it is. Full Story
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![Vanna Waldron (left) evaluates Erika Piñon at the Holy Family Birthing Center in Weslaco, Texas. Waldron is a Certified Nurse Midwife from Seattle, Washington, who is volunteering at the birthing center for a year.]()
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Here's how some of the Texas Legislature's most important bills fared in the 2019 session
Greg Abbott is done vetoing and signing bills for the 2019 Texas session. Here are the big bills that passed — and the ones that failed. Full Story
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Watch: The Rio Grande Valley and the 86th Legislature
We're livestreaming our conversation in Edinburg at noon recapping the 86th legislative session with Rio Grande Valley-area legislators, including state Sen. Chuy Hinojosa and state Reps. Bobby Guerra and Oscar Longoria, moderated by Tribune CEO Evan Smith. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott signs several school safety bills in wake of shooting at Santa Fe High
The bills would, among other things, strengthen mental health initiatives available to children, abolish the cap on how many school marshals can carry guns on public school campuses and allot money to school districts that can go toward “hardening” their campuses. Full Story
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![From left: State Sens. Jane Nelson, Larry Taylor and state Rep. Greg Bonnen look on as Gov. Greg Abbott talks about bills he's signed to improve school safety and provide greater mental health resources to students, in Austin on June 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
"No fist fights. No gun threats." Lawmakers give 86th Texas Legislature high marks
Members of the Texas House and Senate wasted little time touting the never-ending "kumbaya" feeling that enabled them to reform school finance and property taxes. For those who covered the Capitol, a substantive, successful session meant a "boring" one. Full Story
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Some Texas gun rights groups oppose a state-funded gun storage safety campaign. But not the NRA.
Some gun rights groups want Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a line item in the Texas budget that puts $1 million toward a public safety campaign on gun storage. But one powerful bloc isn't actively opposing the measure: the National Rifle Association. Full Story
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![Rifles on display at McBride's Gun Inc. in Austin.]()
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Abbott vetoes popular domestic violence bill because of an unrelated provision about radioactive waste fees
The bill would have required domestic violence survivors to be notified when offenders are released on bond. But the Republican governor nixed the legislation over a provision by Democratic state Rep. Poncho Nevárez that would have delayed a West Texas waste facility's increase in state fees. Full Story
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![State Rep. Poncho Nevárez, D-Eagle Pass, on the House floor on May 1, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune