Analysis: It’s never the ending that you expect
The Texas Legislature's special session ended with a bang, but it wasn't the sound of the property tax bill the governor was hoping for. Will he call state lawmakers back for more? Full Story
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![Texas House members huddled near the dais on Aug. 15, 2017. The House adjourned sine die one day before the Legislature's special session would have been forced to conclude.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Analysis: Broken school finance system spawns wild solutions
In Austin — the poster child for property tax recapture in Texas right now — the school district is telling taxpayers they’ll be sending $2.6 billion to the state over the next five years. That's inspiring some crazy ideas. Full Story
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![Downtown Austin on June 27, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price/The Texas Tribune -
Senate approves bill restricting abortion insurance
A bill requiring Texas women to pay a separate health insurance premium to get coverage for non-emergency abortions — what opponents have dubbed "rape insurance" — is close to becoming law. Full Story
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![State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, explains parts of House BIll 214 to Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, on August 12, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Texas House approves "compromise" city annexation bill
Legislation that would allow Texans to vote on whether cities in large counties can annex areas outside of their limits — a contentious issue that prompted a filibuster in May — got one step closer to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk Friday. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, listens as Rep. Matt Schaefer offers an amendment to Senate Bill 6 on August 11, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas state budget tricks are great — until you total them up
A new report says the deferrals and other fiscal tricks lawmakers used this year — and are considering in the current special session — are digging a hole legislators will have to fill when they return to write a new budget in January 2019. Full Story
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Abbott v. Perry, school finance, impending Sine Die (podcast)
On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Patrick about Gov. Greg Abbott's comparison of his accomplishments to former Gov. Rick Perry's, whether school finance reform has a real shot in the special session, and how soon the Texas Legislature will adjourn — again. Full Story
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Credit: Emily Albracht / Todd Wiseman -
Analysis: Even the losers get lucky sometimes
With a little more than a week left for this special session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers are preparing closing arguments — and obituaries — for their pet issues. Full Story
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![State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, speaks at a press conference held by members of the Senate Republican Caucus to discuss education and teachers' retirement, on August 8, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Hopes of going 20 for 20 in special session circle the drain
In his first special session as governor of Texas, Greg Abbott is watching his hopes for 20 wins on 20 agenda items fall victim to the same legislative discord that marred the regular session earlier this year. Full Story
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![Supporters of the bathroom bill join pastors at a rally at the state Capitol on August 3, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Showdown shaping up in special session
Lawmakers have yet to send Gov. Greg Abbott a single bill to sign from the special session, and with less than two weeks left, it’s highly unlikely Abbott will get his entire 20-item agenda through the process. Full Story
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Analysis: Texas House committee tries shock therapy on school finance
An eye-opening proposal to kill the local school property tax in order to force Texas lawmakers to build a new school finance system won unanimous approval Thursday from the House's tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Full Story
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![State Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo speaking about the special session with colleagues Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston and Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, during a Texas Tribune preview of the special session on July 19, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Special session update, Rick Perry and Dawnna Dukes (podcast)
On this week's TribCast, Aman talks to Evan, Ross and Patrick about how the special session might end now that we're at the halfway point and reports that Rick Perry might be Trump's next head of Homeland Security. Plus, an update on Dawnna Dukes' corruption case. Full Story
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Credit: Emily Albracht / Todd Wiseman -
Analysis: No, the Texas Legislature isn’t lowering your property taxes
Texas legislators would love to lower your property taxes, but none of the proposals they're considering in the special session would do that. Full Story
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![Construction in downtown Austin on June 20, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price / The Texas Tribune -
Halfway through special session, Patrick wants "better communications" with House
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick marked the halfway point of the special session Tuesday by calling for "better communications" with the House, which has moved much slower on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda than Patrick's Senate has. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus meet at the short Cash Management Committee meeting on July 18, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Dallas, Fort Worth mayors discuss meeting with Abbott (video)
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price talked about their Tuesday meeting with Gov. Greg Abbott about several local control issues he put on the agenda for the special legislative session. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: For three Texas leaders, even some losses could be victories
Measuring the progress of legislation is easy: This one passed, that one didn't. Political success in a legislative session is different: A mediocre legislative record can be a victory for all sides. Full Story
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![The three leaders of Texas appear jovial at a short meeting of the Cash Management Committee on July 18, 2017, as they face a potentially contentious 30-day special session of the 85th Legislature.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune -
Senate speeds through the special session
The Texas Senate is just about done passing bills on Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session agenda, including the controversial "bathroom bill." Full Story
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Analysis: For lawmakers, like kids, education can be very difficult
The governor put a number of public education proposals on the Legislature's plate for the current special session. Getting more than one or two into law would defy the odds. Full Story
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![A group of educators from Gordon, Texas applaud a speaker at the Texans for Public Education rally on the Capitol steps on Monday, July 17, 2017.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
House approves tree removal bill, breaking from Abbott and Senate
The Texas House has given early approval to a bill that would allow property owners to plant new trees to offset municipal fees for tree removal on their land. Full Story
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![Trees lining Westlake Drive in Austin.]()
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Senate backs bill to roll back cellphone safety laws in many Texas cities
The Senate on Wednesday gave initial approval to legislation that would roll back local mobile phone ordinances that go beyond the recent statewide ban on texting while driving. Full Story
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![A statewide ban on texting while driving goes into effect Sept. 1, 2017.]()
Credit: Tim Park for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas Republicans deciding where to go on bathrooms
The rift over the bathroom bill in the Texas Legislature won't end with the special session; it's a prelude to the March 2018 primary elections. Full Story
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![Victoria Hendrix of Austin is one of two people outside the Senate chamber on July 25, 2017, in support of Senate Bill 3, the "bathroom bill," up for debate during the special legislative session.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for the Texas Tribune