WEATHER ALERT
Texas lawmakers question agency's ability to oversee $5 billion energy loan program after initial glitch
Read full article: Texas lawmakers question agency's ability to oversee $5 billion energy loan program after initial glitchLawmakers tasked the Public Utility Commission with overseeing the Texas Energy Fund, though the agency has no experience running a loan program.
After whistle hastens Samford's exit from March Madness, the referee could be next
Read full article: After whistle hastens Samford's exit from March Madness, the referee could be nextThe referee who blew the whistle that worked against Samford at the end of its loss to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament might be following the Bulldogs straight out of town.
Jayhawks get friendly late whistle to advance in March Madness with 93-89 victory over Samford
Read full article: Jayhawks get friendly late whistle to advance in March Madness with 93-89 victory over SamfordKansas got a kind whistle at the end and Nicolas Timberlake made both his free throws to help the Jayhawks hold off Samford for a 93-89 victory in the NCAA Tournament.
State Sen. Nathan Johnson victorious after surprise challenge from Rep. Victoria Neave Criado
Read full article: State Sen. Nathan Johnson victorious after surprise challenge from Rep. Victoria Neave CriadoJohnson is virtually assured to have won the seat, because there is no Republican challenger in November.
Rep. Victoria Neave Criado launched a surprise bid against fellow Democrat Sen. Nathan Johnson. Here’s why she did it.
Read full article: Rep. Victoria Neave Criado launched a surprise bid against fellow Democrat Sen. Nathan Johnson. Here’s why she did it.In a district composed mostly of communities of color, Neave Criado hopes to topple Johnson with her stances on immigration, domestic violence and women’s issues.
State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado challenges fellow Dallas Democrat Sen. Nathan Johnson
Read full article: State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado challenges fellow Dallas Democrat Sen. Nathan JohnsonNeave Craido revealed her decision to the Dallas Morning News in an interview published Monday, saying Johnson has not fought hard enough to push back against the Republican agenda.
GOP senators, open to Paxton conviction, flipped when they realized they were still short the votes
Read full article: GOP senators, open to Paxton conviction, flipped when they realized they were still short the votes“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.”
Senate Republicans say House managers failed to meet high burden of proof
Read full article: Senate Republicans say House managers failed to meet high burden of proofDemocrats, however, said their GOP colleagues “caved” to outside pressure in voting to acquit and return Ken Paxton to his job as attorney general.
Paxton lawyers seek to disqualify 3 Democratic senators as impeachment jurors
Read full article: Paxton lawyers seek to disqualify 3 Democratic senators as impeachment jurorsThe motion asks Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to block the senators from voting on articles of impeachment, arguing that past statements critical of the attorney general show unacceptable bias.
Cars registered in Texas after 2025 will no longer need to pass a safety inspection, but owners will still pay the fee
Read full article: Cars registered in Texas after 2025 will no longer need to pass a safety inspection, but owners will still pay the feeCars in some of Texas’ larger counties will still be required to have their emission output checked.
Texas Legislature passes bill to offer new moms a year of Medicaid coverage
Read full article: Texas Legislature passes bill to offer new moms a year of Medicaid coverageThe Texas House and Senate voted for the proposal, capping a yearslong effort to extend coverage for low-income moms. Medicaid covers half of all births in Texas, and coverage currently expires after two months.
Texas Senate passes new economic incentive program to lure businesses to the state
Read full article: Texas Senate passes new economic incentive program to lure businesses to the stateLawmakers hope to hammer out a program to replace the embattled Chapter 313 program before the legislative session ends Monday.
Texas bill to eliminate vehicle safety inspections headed to Gov. Abbott’s desk: What this could mean for drivers
Read full article: Texas bill to eliminate vehicle safety inspections headed to Gov. Abbott’s desk: What this could mean for driversThe Texas Senate has voted 20-11 to advance a bill that would kill vehicle safety inspections but an amendment would push back the end of inspections by two years, a report said.
Texas Senate OKs extending postpartum Medicaid — with an anti-abortion amendment
Read full article: Texas Senate OKs extending postpartum Medicaid — with an anti-abortion amendmentNew moms will be able to keep their health insurance for a full year under a proposal the Senate passed Sunday. A last-minute anti-abortion amendment means the bill will go back to the House.
Transgender Texans of all ages could lose access to transition-related care under Senate bill
Read full article: Transgender Texans of all ages could lose access to transition-related care under Senate billThe Senate advanced a bill that could create such high financial risks for doctors and health insurers that they’d stop providing or covering gender-affirming care — even for adults.
Texas lawmakers want to end state holiday commemorating Confederate veterans
Read full article: Texas lawmakers want to end state holiday commemorating Confederate veteransFor the third straight legislative session, state Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, has filed a bill to end Confederate Heroes Day as a state holiday.
Texas’ environmental regulators need to get tougher on polluters, group of lawmakers says
Read full article: Texas’ environmental regulators need to get tougher on polluters, group of lawmakers saysThe group that reviews the effectiveness of state agencies recommended several changes to how the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality operates.
Texas sheriff under investigation for routinely seizing cash from undocumented immigrants
Read full article: Texas sheriff under investigation for routinely seizing cash from undocumented immigrantsSearch warrants show that Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson is under scrutiny by state investigators, accused of illegally confiscating cash and a pickup truck from immigrants stopped by his deputies.
Medicaid expansion for uninsured Texans had bipartisan support, but lawmakers won’t pass it this session
Read full article: Medicaid expansion for uninsured Texans had bipartisan support, but lawmakers won’t pass it this sessionSonia Wood, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, treats a patient at Carousel Pediatrics in Austin. Three million children are currently on Medicaid, but most of their parents do not qualify. Credit: Spencer Selvidge for the Texas Tribune