The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
On top of redistricting, Abbott wants lawmakers to take up bills on restrictions for transgender student athletes and the allocation of billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds. Full Story
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As Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to punish any school district that defied Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, Republican legislators were largely indifferent on the matter. Full Story
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Garland provided no details of how federal officials may challenge one of the nation’s strictest bans on abortion. His statement came days after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the law, at least for now. Full Story
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Lawmakers will return to Austin at least one more time this year to redraw the state's political maps. Only Gov. Greg Abbott knows when that will be and if there will be additional special sessions beyond that. Full Story
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Caseloads have left districts scrambling when many have said they have fewer tools at their disposal to combat the spread of the virus. Full Story
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Texas’ new near-total abortion ban, one of the most restrictive in the nation, punctuated a week that brought into stunning relief just how far the state’s political pendulum has swung to the right since the 2020 election. Full Story
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Months after the deadly gas killed at least 17 Texans during a massive winter storm, lawmakers have failed to take significant action to protect most of the state’s residents. Full Story
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The Texas Medical Association called two anti-abortion bills unconstitutional and criticized the U.S. Supreme Court for not blocking the broader law from going into effect. Full Story
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Senate Bill 8, which allows anyone to sue anyone who performs or aids in an abortion, marks an unprecedented change to who has standing to bring a lawsuit. The tactic is also an emerging trend in Republican-dominated states that may compromise constitutional rights, some legal experts said. Full Story
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The numbers have stayed within a few hundred of a grim milestone as the state battles the pandemic’s latest surge. Full Story
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The Legislature is expected to return soon for another special session focused on redrawing the state's political maps. Full Story
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The country just noticed what Texas was doing, and although Texans have been watching the debate over this anti-abortion law all year, even some of them were surprised at how quickly the legally protected right to abortion disappeared. Full Story
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The law requires social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram to produce regular reports of removed content and disclose their content regulations procedures. Full Story
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After two months, the donations had petered out around $1 million. But the effort saw a major boost in August. Full Story
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There’s $1 billion in rental assistance available to struggling Texas tenants. But for many renters, getting the help they need depends on where they live. Full Story
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From abortion restrictions to guns, the Texas Legislature's regular session Republican victories were just the beginning. Full Story
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The legislation will need another stamp of approval in the House before it heads to the Senate, which has not yet debated its version of the proposal on the floor. Full Story
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West had insisted his wife had not been drinking the night she was arrested, calling the arrest “insidious.” Dallas police said they stand by the officer’s decision to arrest Graham-West based on the information available at the time. Full Story
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The election is to replace former state Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, who was elevated to Congress last month. Full Story
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Proponents of House Bill 9 denounced the Biden administration’s approach to border security, saying the state had no choice but to step in to ramp up enforcement. Full Story
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