The assignment is called The Genderbread Person, which features a drawing of what appears to be a gingerbread man, but those raising concerns say there is nothing “cookie-cutter” about it.

Decision polarizes parents

Katy Independent School District’s Board of Trustees held a work-study meeting Monday night to discuss several topics, including whether to hire chaplains.

Violations could bring a $50,000 fine under an amendment adopted Wednesday. The bill’s sponsor said the ban would be the strongest in the nation.

The bill offers no exceptions for doctors’ offices, clinics or other health facilities. Senators agreed to let those entities require unvaccinated employees to wear personal protective gear or take other “reasonable” measures to manage the spread.

A Senate panel on Tuesday advanced such a measure. The debate centered largely around the safety of the vaccine and whether doctors’ offices and health care facilities should be exempt.

“I feel there were six senators who were ready to be the 21st vote,” said Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas. “But they didn’t want to be the 20th vote.”

The law takes effect September 1st. School boards will have to vote on whether to accept Chaplains.

Senate Bill 763, authored by Galveston area State Senator Mayes Middleton, would allow school districts to hire or accept chaplain volunteers to “provide support, services, and programs for students as assigned by the board of trustees of the district.”

One week before the fifth anniversary of the Santa Fe High School mass shooting, relatives of those killed and wounded are celebrating a hard fought victory at the state capitol. A bill that will allow family members of crime victims to see certain pieces of evidence prior to trial is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for his signature.

After last-minute changes, a proposed law impacting the families of those killed during the Santa Fe High School mass shooting is moving forward.

Family members of murder victims testified Tuesday before a Texas House committee on a bill that would allow them to view certain pieces of evidence prior to trial.

A Galveston area state senator is working to pass a law that would allow crime victims and immediate family members to view the evidence in certain criminal cases that have not yet gone to trial.

Texas is the latest state to pitch a version of the program, which lets parents who opt out of their local school districts use tax dollars to pay for private schooling.

For the first time, Abbott makes it clear which policy he supports. Bills that would allow parents to get state money to send their kids to schools outside of the state’s public education system have been floated previously, but top lawmakers believe the policies will pass this session.

Rural school leaders in Texas have been able to stave off the legislative priority of some of the state’s most prominent Republicans. But private school officials hope this year will be different.

Advocates say discontent with public schools’ pandemic rules and teachings on race and gender identity have helped raise support for school choice to an all-time high.

For Mallory Olson, a seemingly normal night of sleep was disrupted by a knock on her front door.

The pricey fights illustrate how much of the action in Texas politics has shifted back to the primary after redistricting dramatically reduced the number of competitive seats.

As the caucus’ third session gets underway, Scahefer added, “I think that our relationships with our colleagues in the House are as good as they’ve ever been. "The Texas House is stronger when everyone has a seat at the table, and I am making it a priority to ensure every representative can represent their district and principles faithfully,” Phelan said in a statement for this story. AdThe caucus formed in the opening weeks of the 2017 session, promising to serve as the conduit between activists and Austin. Caucus members said they were fighting back against “petty personal politics” when they took advantage of a key midnight deadline to kill the more than 100 bills. To the surprise of some, it was a Freedom Caucus member — Cain — who stepped forward to speak out against the idea.

Dan Patrick has suggested there could be an announcement about pandemic protocols next week, and Gov. “I think voters sent a clear message of who they want in charge and the kinds of priorities they want. At the Capitol, state leaders have been in talks for months over what protocols should be in place throughout the session, though no formal guidance has been announced yet. “I’m frustrated that we don’t have a clear picture, but I’m not surprised,” said state Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood. “We as the Texas House can’t vote on new rules until we are in session, [so] we are a little bit stuck.