The latest 84th Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who initially planned to stay away from endorsements in Republican primaries, said Tuesday he is backing state Rep. Bryan Hughes of Mineola in the Republican primary race to replace state Sen. Kevin Eltife of Tyler. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, abandoning a decision to stay out of legislative primaries, endorsed a half-dozen Republican senators for re-election on Friday, saying he changed his mind because he wants his incumbent senators back for another session. Full Story
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Texas has joined about two dozen states in passing a law taking aim at "revenge porn," which refers to sexually explicit images of individuals posted online without their consent. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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A controversial program that forces state agencies to spend millions buying goods and services from companies that hire disabled workers while sidestepping competitive bidding rules is about to undergo some big changes. Full Story
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Under a new state law, law enforcement officials will be able to take children suspected to be sex trafficking victims immediately into protective custody instead of waiting for a court order. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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Texas is streamlining the process by which the disabled and elderly receive annual mail-in ballots. This is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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State Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, announced Monday she will not seek re-election in 2016. Full Story
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Fourteen years after lawmakers first tacked on a $200 annual licensing fee for some occupations, the so-called professionals tax will be repealed Sept. 1. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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In a lengthy legal memo to the state's comptroller, aides to Gov. Greg Abbott defend his budget vetoes and decry a legislative agency's challenge as a threat to constitutional separation of powers. Full Story
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It's diversion season: Top state officials, not surprisingly, would rather talk about red-meat political issues than indictments and legally contested budget vetoes. Full Story
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Uber is adding Austin to a small list of cities in which it will offer more wheelchair-accessible vehicles among its transportation options, the company confirmed Tuesday. Full Story
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Emails released to the Tribune show Dan Patrick's budget guru raised no obvious objections while approving the release of a memo that the lieutenant governor is now railing against. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Thursday reiterated his disagreement with a letter questioning the governor's budget vetoes, saying his office did not initiate a letter from a legislative agency on that subject. Full Story
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The governor and the state's legislative leaders are having what looks like an argument over money, but it's really about who's in charge in state government. Full Story
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Middle ground is arguably the most dangerous turf for a Texas lawmaker to occupy these days, and new research shows that none are doing it. The gap between moderate Republican and Democratic lawmakers is growing. Full Story
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After a Church of Scientology-backed group helped organize a campaign against it, Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed legislation that would have given Texas doctors more power to detain mentally ill and potentially dangerous patients. Full Story
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Over the course of this year's legislative session, House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made their priorities known by what bills got the lowest bill numbers. Take a look at how those proposals fared. Full Story
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After a decade in the Texas House and fresh off his first session as chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, state Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, announced Tuesday that he is not planning to seek re-election. Full Story
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As Texas develops the nation's first state-run bullion depository, supporters predict the state could become a national destination for investors in gold, silver and other precious metals. Full Story
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Full video of my 6/29 conversation about Houston and the 84th legislative session with state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston. Full Story
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