The first bill to reach Abbott’s desk this session creates a regulation-cutting state agency under the purview of the governor. It was passed with bipartisan supermajorities.

School leaders have privately criticized a bill that would make it harder to contest their performance ratings in court. But they did not testify against it to avoid lawmakers’ ire.

Moises Mendoza was convicted of murder in 2005 for killing a Farmersville woman and later burning her body.

Residents in Trinity County will now have to travel 30 miles to access the closest hospital.

The only time the state conducted such an assessment two decades ago, it found that undocumented Texans contributed more to the state’s economy than they cost the state.

The revised bill, which seeks to clarify when a doctor can perform medically necessary abortions, aims to address concerns from abortion advocates and conservative groups.

The gang welcomes back an old friend, Patrick Svitek, to preview Texas’ biggest political throwdown in years.

Texas is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in 30 years. The virus has infected more than 600 people and killed two school-aged children.

There’s political urgency for Republicans to deal with housing affordability, especially as surveys find most Texans say housing costs are a top concern.

A state employee testified Monday that tens of thousands of people in the U.S. unlawfully were treated, but it was unclear how long the data had been collected.

Some churchgoers in the Rio Grande Valley remembered the leader of the Catholic Church as a forward-thinking figure who cared for everyone.

The Texas Lottery Commission did not immediately clarify why Ryan Mindell chose to resign, as lawmakers have discussed abolishing the lottery outright.

Some are questioning whether lawmakers should commit billions more to border security with illegal crossings dwindling and a Trump immigration crackdown.

Texas Republican lawmakers in regions known for support of public schools defended voting for vouchers, saying they gained leverage to seek concessions.

The three former students went to UT-Arlington and UT-Dallas. While they have prevailed in court so far, many other international students’ education futures remain uncertain.

The lieutenant governor proposes that the Texas Senate adopt the House bill, which would eliminate a negotiation over the two versions and cement the victory for supporters.

As lawmakers work to close loopholes that allow minors access to cannabis consumables, hemp farmers warn a total THC ban would strangle a once-hailed crop.

Anti-voucher Republicans said they voted for the bill so they could fight to improve it, and also to fend off political retribution.

House Bill 4572 would introduce new requirements for pits where drillers bury oil and gas waste.

Normally, memorial resolutions to honor Texans who have died are passed without controversy. But the resolution for Richards, a former president of Planned Parenthood who died this year, sparked a cascade of outrage from conservatives.

After a deal to pipe water from Lake O’ the Pines to North Texas came to light, residents voiced opposition everywhere they could to block it.

The House approved historic legislation that would implement school vouchers in Texas. Here’s how each representative voted.

The bill would let families use taxpayer dollars for their children’s private schooling. Lawmakers also signed off on a sweeping $7.7 billion package to boost public school funding.

The four students were involved in minor criminal cases that have been resolved, which they argue shouldn’t be used to justify ending their higher ed goals in Texas.

The lower chamber overwhelmingly voted in favor of House Bill 2, a sweeping $8 billion piece of legislation that would also limit schools’ reliance on teachers without formal classroom training.

The bill would require universities to report any visa-holding students who support terrorism, but its vague language could be dangerous, civil rights groups say.

A last-minute amendment would require students to go to alternative education settings if they attack a teacher or make terroristic threats.

Hours after the shooting, officials said the suspect had evaded security protocols at Wilmer-Hutchins High School.

The Texas House also approved more money for schools in a bipartisan vote.

In this week’s episode of the TribCast, Matthew and Eleanor ask the question: Are Texas teachers OK?

Middleton is the second Republican to join what is expected to be a growing field of candidates angling to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton as the state’s top legal official.

The vote instructs lawmakers who are negotiating a budget with the Senate to advocate for awarding Paxton the salary he missed while impeached over corruption allegations.

Hours after the announcement, the Flores team said that the new candidate had been hospitalized and is now recovering. There were no details about her condition.

From The Blast: More than 50 House Democrats have signed on to a plan to spike all constitutional amendments unless the House allows voters to decide whether school vouchers will be legalized.

In 2024, President Donald Trump won all four counties in the Rio Grande Valley, once considered a reliable Democratic stronghold.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said if the private sector wants the rail line, it should cover planning costs.

House Bill 259, introduced by State Rep. Richard Hayes, proposes removing short-barrel firearms from the prohibited weapons list.

The Senate voted Wednesday to give initial approval to a bill that would require buildings, including public schools and universities, among others to segregate private facilities, like bathrooms, by sex.

Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas was able to close the Jim Hogg County facility because of Trump’s immigration policies. Records reveal that the reality is more nuanced.

Four people tied to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office committed suicide recently, calling attention to ongoing mental health struggles among law enforcement.

President Donald Trump offered an endorsement of Patrick on Truth Social.

Since 2023, we have worked diligently to reach new audiences in Texas, increase trust in our work and expand into local news. At the end of this year, with a strong leadership team in place, I will be transitioning.

Deployed Resources, a privately held tent company, is set to operate a new ICE tent camp to hold people awaiting deportation in El Paso, Texas.

El Paso Matters, Fort Worth Report, Houston Chronicle, The Texas Newsroom and WFAA will join us to support accountability journalism in Texas.

For the first time since Texas outlawed nearly all abortions, lawmakers are clarifying the “life of mother” exception. But they don’t plan to address cases where the fetus won’t survive.

Desalination can create millions of gallons of fresh water a day. But it is expensive and there are many environmental concerns.

The lower chamber’s plan largely aligns with the Senate’s proposal and puts billions toward teacher pay, border security and property tax cuts.

State budget watchers — and some Republicans — worry Texas is spending too much on property tax cuts.

Senate Bill 36, a priority bill for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would create an office within the Department of Public Safety focused on immigration enforcement, organized crime and threats to state infrastructure.

El Paso’s dry climate — it rains just 9 inches annually — is one of the reasons the city has taken water management so seriously.

Among the hundreds of amendments were ones that focused on school vouchers, the attorney general’s office and the Texas Lottery.

As the Texas House prepares to vote on the budget, officials and other experts monitor national policy and state tax revenue.

An overhauled version of Senate Bill 37 would also allow anyone to file complaints that could lead schools to lose funds.

The people affected include a University of Houston professor from Korea who was teaching upper level math under a type of student visa that allows graduates to work in their field of study.

State and local health agencies are having to cut programs and staff to make up the loss and more cuts could be coming.

State health officials added four more counties to what they consider “outbreak areas” and advise those visiting or living in those counties to consult measles vaccination guidance for those areas.

The proposal would require counties who opt for hand counts to use ballots that can be scanned and tabulated by a voting machine.

Gov. Greg Abbott will have the opportunity to appoint Boyd’s replacement, furthering his influence on the high court.

Much of the outbreak is concentrated in the districts of Texas House leaders, including Speaker Dustin Burrows. The crisis appears to have done little to change support for “vaccine choice.”

Supply chain disruptions and policy decisions can significantly change these costs for oil companies — and consumers.

The attorney general positions himself as a disruptor against the Republican establishment embodied in the longtime Senate fixture.

The Trump administration has said it has revoked the visas of more than 300 international students across the country in the last three weeks.

TribCast digs into clarifying bills, crackdowns on pills, lawsuits, arrests and everything else abortion-related.

The legislation would put new requirements on wind and solar companies that oil and gas companies in Texas do not face.

Dozens of federal offices were expected to close in Texas, but the reality continues to shift.

The battlefield for both parties is again converging on South Texas, where De La Cruz scored one of the GOP’s high-profile wins last year when she secured a second term.

While Democrats and abortion access advocates pushed to ensure pregnant women aren’t criminalized, some conservatives questioned whether this bill is needed.

The decision to wait until November means a narrowly divided Congress will be down a Democratic representative for most of 2025.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and National Guard presence has largely disappeared from Shelby Park, which sits next to the Rio Grande.

In a state with a checkered history with federal special education law, advocates say Texas students will see an erosion of their disability rights protections.

The Texas Legislature is considering bills that transit officials warn could hamper public transportation in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth regions.

The Tamaulipan thornforest once covered 1 million acres on both sides of the border with Mexico. Restoring even a fraction of it could help the region cope with the ravages of a warming world.

About 500 Texans, mostly young unvaccinated children, have contracted the disease. The U.S. health secretary was in West Texas to visit the family.

Paxton vowed to appeal the “bogus ruling” that found he improperly fired the four plaintiffs after they reported him to the FBI on allegations of corruption.

Attorney General Ken Paxton previously sued the City of Austin for helping residents travel out-of-state for abortions.

Weeks after a federal judge declared hot conditions in Texas prisons unconstitutional, a bill requiring air conditioning in those facilities by 2032 has gained traction in the House.

Respondents to a Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas survey expressed concern about a reduction in consumer demand and a potential recession.

The federal criminal investigation into corruption allegations was the most serious inquiry Paxton faced. Its end nearly clears his slate of numerous legal battles.

The lawmakers behind the bill promised there would not be an increase in the number of days the beach is closed.

Lawmakers are pursuing legislative changes that would keep more people locked up in overcrowded county jails while awaiting resolution to their cases.

Abbott’s closed-door address to the Federalist Society at UT Law Thursday drew peaceful protests.

Katherine Wells was celebrated early during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then public health became a political litmus test.

In an interview, the lieutenant governor talks about his recent pop-up investigations and how he uses storytelling to make a political point.

One Senate Democrat joined Republicans, providing the margin needed to approve Justin Berry to the state law-enforcement board.

Senate Bill 7, which won unanimous approval, is among legislation that seeks to avert a looming water crisis as the state’s population booms.

Authorities did not say how the individuals arrested in Hays County may be tied to the Venezuelan gang. It was also unclear what criminal charges people may face, though drugs were seized.

Lottery couriers have gained newfound scrutiny in Texas after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick raised questions about the use of a courier to sell an $83.5 million jackpot ticket.

Senate Bill 16 would create new barriers for voters and new burdens for election officials.

The legislation was written after the state’s largest wildfire scorched more than 1 million acres in the Panhandle last year.

Will the House agree to ban consumable hemp products? If not, Lt. Gov. Patrick says he’ll THC us in a special session.

The senator’s embrace of the state party chair could neutralize a potential threat as Cornyn faces a challenging primary terrain.

On May 3, many Texans will vote on local leaders and initiatives. Here's how to check for elections in your area and register by April 3.

The House Public Education Committee voted to advance a pair of priority bills to create education savings accounts and to raise how much state money public school districts receive.

Animal health care experts raised concern that telehealth would lead to misdiagnosis and erode what little care already exists in rural Texas.

Paxton’s office launched an investigation into the district’s policy after an administrator was caught on tape discussing a possible loophole in the state’s ban.

State lawmakers are poised to devote billions to save the state’s water supply. These are some of the ways the state could spend the money.

Fast-growing Georgetown plans to pump 89 million gallons a day from the Carrizo Wilcox Aquifer but the project is being fought by Bryan, College Station and Texas A&M University, which depend on the same water.

Scudder takes over after a difficult 2024 election for the party.

The State Democratic Executive Committee will meet on Saturday to elect the successor to party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa.

A Tribune analysis also found the state’s share of the funds that schools receive per student significantly decreased in the last decade until recently.