The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
We livestreamed our conversation on school finance reform with state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, state Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, Todd Williams, and Nicole Conley Johnson. Read the recap or watch some clips. Full Story
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There’s no state or federal law requiring employers to give their workers paid sick leave. But under the mandate recently passed by the Austin City Council, many private employers in the state's capital city will be required to allow their workers to accrue up to 64 hours of paid sick leave per year. Full Story
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Smith, executive commissioner for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, will step down at the end of May after weeks of intense scrutiny over how the commission handles contracts. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott's decision in 2015 to ask the Texas State Guard to monitor a federal military exercise prompted significant criticism. A former CIA director said Wednesday that the move emboldened Russians to next target elections. Full Story
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Our Facebook community, This Is Your Texas, spent the month of April discussing Texas education policy. With the state education agency expected to announce a plan to overhaul special education programs in public schools, we asked members of our community what questions they have about such services — and turned to a disability rights advocate for help answering them. Full Story
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The owners of The Salt Lick have big plans for their land, from a winery to an events center. But they're stymied by Prohibition-era alcohol laws aimed at keeping producers, distributors and retailers financially separate. Will lawmakers step in with a fix? Full Story
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Farenthold resigned in April, months after it came to light that he settled a sexual harassment claim from a former staff member with $84,000 in taxpayer money. Full Story
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State Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, filed Wednesday for speaker of the Texas House, making him the first Democrat to enter the race to succeed retiring House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. Full Story
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The growth in spending is happening even at colleges whose sports programs can't sustain themselves financially. Full Story
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Two electric scooter operators — Bird Rides and LimeBike — launched in Austin before the city could roll out a permitting process. The scooters vanished from city streets after the city council cracked down on the companies. Full Story
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The state's highest civil court said uninsured patients suing hospitals can access records detailing how much insurance companies paid for similar procedures. Full Story
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A special election doesn't play out like normal elections. For starters, there are no primaries. Every candidate who files for the seat – regardless of party affiliation – will appear on one ballot. Full Story
If history is any guide, candidates that earned first place in their primary race are likely to win their runoff — especially if they finished with a lead of more than 10 percentage points. But there are instances when second-place primary finishers come out on top. Full Story
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Despite rising numbers, it's still not known whether the number of women accessing such services has returned to the levels that preceded massive budget cuts during the 2011 legislative session. Full Story
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Andrew Oldham, a nominee for an influential federal appeals court, asserted during a U.S. Senate committee hearing Wednesday that the positions he took on behalf of Texas would not influence his work as a judge. Full Story
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The Texas Health and Human Services Commission's Office of the Inspector General is investigating how a former agency employee was mailed a box full of private client information. Full Story
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As the U.S. Supreme Court took up Texas' redistricting case, several justices questioned whether they even had the authority to pick up where a lower court left off. Full Story
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Under pressure to keep up with rising expenses, colleges in Texas and across the country have turned to outside groups to underwrite certain initiatives. But bringing in outside funders can lead to questions about whether their donations come with strings attached. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a Texas redistricting case that has flagged two congressional districts and nine Texas House districts. Here's a closer look at one of the districts in question: U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett's curiously shaped 35th Congressional District. Full Story
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A nonbinding opinion issued Monday by Attorney General Ken Paxton continues a battle between lawmakers, restaurants and the Texas Department of Agriculture over the regulation of scales used to measure food. Full Story
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