The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Senate Bill 18 faces an uphill battle at the Texas House, where Speaker Dade Phelan has expressed concerns with completely eliminating the commonplace job protection. Full Story
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Voters in nearly 100 counties — mostly rural — can vote at any polling site in their county. The sponsor, without offering evidence, said the practice was not secure despite years of successful elections in Texas with the system. Full Story
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The Senate also passed a bill that would set prayer and Bible reading times during the school day. Full Story
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Proposition A on the May 6 ballot will test the city’s political climate and progressives’ ability to advance a controversial agenda. Full Story
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The legislation heads to the Texas House, where members have been more muted about the proposal to disband offices, programs and training that foster diversity. Full Story
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Senate Bill 11, which aims to get hundreds of districts without adequate safety protocols to adopt one, would also beef up truancy laws. Full Story
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Gutierrez has served in the Texas Senate since 2021 after previously serving over a decade in the House. Full Story
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The House passed a bill with a late amendment to make it a state jail felony for a “public officer” to give alcohol to a minor under any circumstances. Slaton voted for the amendment. Full Story
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Supporters say the proposals would increase efficiency and expertise, but opponents argue the attempts are political and probably unconstitutional. Full Story
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The families of Uvalde shooting victims waited hours to testify at a House committee hearing in support of House Bill 2744, which would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21. Full Story
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City officials say the full scope of the legislation advanced Tuesday is still unclear, but it would limit their ability to issue worker protections, water restrictions and more. Full Story
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Texas Tribune journalists were also finalists or honorable mentions in numerous other categories. Full Story
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The House Select Committee on Community Safety is scheduled to hear testimony on bills that would change how people buy firearms and how authorities report those purchases. One of these bills would raise the minimum age to 21 years old to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles. Full Story
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Many bills that would limit access to firearms or ammunition likely won’t become law anytime soon. But people who advocate at the Texas Capitol see emerging signs that there’s appetite for finding some middle ground. Full Story
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Heider Garcia, like many other election officials across the country, faced death threats that stemmed from lies about the outcome of the 2020 election. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Public Safety did a sweep of Capitol grounds with K-9 dogs and found no explosive devices. Full Story
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With six weeks remaining in the legislative session, advocates implored Texans to join the “resistance” against fast-moving efforts to curb health care, drag queens, education, trans athletes and more. Full Story
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The judge who delivered a high-stakes abortion pills ruling last week removed his name from a law review article during his judicial nomination process, emails show. Full Story
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The new details about the allegation stem from the complaint filed against Slaton to the House General Investigating Committee. Full Story
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The committee would not say who was being issued the subpoenas or for what purpose. Full Story
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