THC ban stalls out down the homestretch of Texas special legislative session
High priority bills that propose banning THC have not moved through the Texas House, as the current overtime session could conclude in the coming days. Full Story
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![THC edibles on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, outside of Midway, TX.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott signs new Texas congressional map designed to give GOP five more seats
The governor was expected to sign off on the new district lines, which passed the Legislature last week and aim to flip five Democratic seats in the 2026 midterms. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol seen on Monday June 30, 2025 in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
ACLU, other groups sue to block Texas' DEI ban on K-12 public schools
The suit alleges the new state law unconstitutionally silences the viewpoints of students and teachers. The law’s supporters say DEI programs use public funds to promote political agendas. Full Story
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![Temple, Texas - 4/17/25: JoMeka Gray teaches a class of kindergarteners at Kennedy-Powell Elementary in Temple, Texas. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Texas Tribune -
A rigorous accreditation program inspired Texas’ camp reforms. Here’s what that process looks like.
More than 75 Texas camps have met dozens of safety standards to become accredited by the American Camp Association, which can be a lengthy and costly process. Full Story
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![Camp Mystic in Hunt on July 9, 2025.]()
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Spared from dissolution, Texas Lottery gets a second chance under new management
After months of controversy, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation must tackle poor sales and legislative scrutiny as it takes over the games on Sept. 1. Full Story
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![Commissioner Lori High and Vice Chair Thomas F. Butler during The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation Meeting on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025.]()
Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House clears bill that shields some police complaints
A previous effort went down in the Texas House over a technical error Monday. Gov. Greg Abbott revised his call for the bill a day later, clearing the way for it to be reconsidered. Full Story
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![El Paso police block off Leavell Avenue by Dyer Street in Northeast El Paso, Texas, in the Logan Heights neighborhood as they investigate a shooting on Thursday, April 17, 2025. A man was found dead after police officers responded to the shooting.]()
Credit: Gaby Velasquez/El Paso Times/USA Today Network via REUTERS -
“Bathroom bill” aimed at trans people approved by Texas House after decade of failed attempts
Senate Bill 8 will restrict restrooms in government buildings, public schools and universities based on sex assigned at birth and apply $25,000 fines for violations. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, speaks on the floor of the Texas House on Aug. 18, 2025, two weeks after democrats walked out during the middle of the special session.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett for The Texas Tribune -
Jodey Arrington, Brandon Creighton being considered for Texas Tech System’s top job
Arrington represents Lubbock in Congress. Creighton is a longtime state lawmaker. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, left, and state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe.]()
Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via REUTERS, Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
As Republicans make gains in the Rio Grande Valley, Democrats are fighting among themselves
A faction of Hidalgo County Democrats has raised concerns over how the party is spending money and blocking the group from doing business for several months. Full Story
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![Madeleine Croll expresses her disagreement as she was one of the people who Stacy Solís did not agree should be precinct chairs that she approved during the Hidalgo County Democrats’ Third Quarter meeting in San Juan, Texas on July 26, 2025. They were hoping to introduce the new precinct chairs during the meeting as well as listening from their newly formed committees. Croll had been precinct chair for a few years before until she missed to fill out a form to continue serving. She has been trying to be precinct chair ever since but she has been unable to as some members, she says, have been keeping her from doing so because she believes that in part it is due to her being a transgender woman.
Gabriel V. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Gabriel V. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Mystery surrounds $1.2 billion Army contract to build huge detention tent camp in Texas desert
The Pentagon has refused to release the contract or explain why it selected Acquisition Logistics over a dozen other bidders to build the massive tent camp at Fort Bliss in west Texas. Full Story
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![Camp East Montana, site of a migrant detention center on Fort Bliss in East El Paso, under construction in East El Paso on August 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune -
Former MLB player Mark Teixeira announces run for 21st Congressional District
The former Texas Rangers slugger, who is running as a Republican, launched his campaign after incumbent Rep. Chip Roy announced he was running for attorney general. Full Story
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![Mark Teixeira (left) is congratulated by Alfonso Soriano after hitting a two-run home run during the 76th MLB All Star Game in Detroit, Michigan on July 12, 2005. Teixeira has announced he's running for Congress in Texas Congressional District 21, which is being vacated by U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin.]()
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Texas Rep. John Lujan files to run in redrawn 35th Congressional District
Lujan, a Republican, represents a state House district that covers southern and eastern portions of San Antonio, overlapping with the new congressional seat. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Lujan, R-San Antonio, at the state Capitol in Austin on Jan. 11, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
More than 800 new laws will go into effect in Texas on Sept. 1. Here are some of the significant ones.
New laws range from school vouchers and water infrastructure funding to a ban on city and county-funded abortion travel funds. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol in Austin June 30, 2025.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
Harris County constables, sheriffs could contract with HOAs without commissioners’ OK under bill heading to Abbott
House Bill 26 advanced out of the Texas Legislature on Wednesday evening, two days after being added to the second special session’s agenda. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott addresses law enforcement officials during a Southwestern Border Sheriff’s Coalition event in Austin on April 29, 2025.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune -
RFK Jr. praises Texas for implementing his health vision
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. complimented Texas as Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a prohibition on using state tax dollars on specific products with additives, among other measures. Full Story
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![U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks about the state of American healthcare at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025 during Gov. Greg Abbott’s signing of the Make America Healthy Again bill.]()
Credit: Manoo Sirivelu/The Texas Tribune -
Minneapolis gunman appears to promote “Brandon Herrera for president” in video posted before shooting
Herrera, a gun rights activist with millions of online followers, said he was “disgusted” to be mentioned by the shooter. Herrera is challenging U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary. Full Story
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![Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and Brandon Herrera, Republican candidate for the US House for Texas’ 23rd congressional district, were seen during a campaign event at the Angry Elephant, a politically themed bar, in San Antonio, Texas on March 14, 2024.]()
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Former GOP Rep. Mayra Flores switches districts to challenge Rep. Vicente Gonzalez for third time
Flores, who was going to challenge Rep. Henry Cuellar, is returning to her old district after a newly passed map improves Republicans’ chances of ousting Gonzalez. Full Story
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![Mayra Flores, the Republican candidate for the Congressional District 34, speaks to her supporters during her watch party in Harlingen, Texas on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Gabriel Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Legislature approves bill making ivermectin an over-the-counter drug
Some people use the drug to treat COVID, even though it’s not approved by the FDA for such use. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature. Full Story
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![A box of Ivermectine drug in a pharmacy in Paris, France on April 16, 2021.]()
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Bill giving attorney general authority to prosecute election crimes heads to Abbott’s desk
The measure comes four years after the state’s highest criminal court ruled the agency could not bring election cases without an invitation from local prosecutors. Full Story
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![Voters visit the Gilmer Civic Center during the first day of early voting on Monday October 21, 2024, in Gilmer.]()
Credit: Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribune -
As measles exploded, West Texas officials looked to CDC scientists. No one answered.
Emails show how overwhelmed West Texas officials were as they asked CDC for guidance on how to respond to the explosive outbreak. Full Story
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![As a measles outbreak exploded in Texas in February, local health officials struggled to reach CDC scientists who were grappling with changes under the new Trump administration, according to interviews and emails obtained by KFF Health News. The first three clips above are excerpts of emails from Katherine Wells, the public health director in Lubbock, Texas. The bottom clip is from Scott Milton, at the Texas Department of State Health Services. (KFF Health News illustration; 500Px Plus; photo of Lubbock, Texas, from Getty Images)]()
Credit: KFF Health News illustration; 500Px Plus; photo of Lubbock; Texas; from Getty Images