Research shows cellphones interfere with students' ability to focus in class. Texas would join at least nine other states that ban students from using their phones during the school day.

Senate Bill 3, a controversial measure that would ban all THC products in Texas, has officially passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature. The bill is now on Governor Greg Abbott’s desk, where he will make the final decision on whether it becomes law.

House Bill 186, approved by the lower chamber in May, never received a vote in the Senate.

The Texas Senate has passed House Bill 4 with a 23-8 vote, citing Houston ISD's academic improvements under Superintendent Mike Miles as an example of effective accountability.

Many trans Texans have changed the sex listed on their birth certificate, driver’s licenses and other documents. They say their identities will be invalidated under bill headed to governor's desk.

Much of the debate focused on the tense relationship between cities and the Texas Legislature. The bill is head to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

SB 3070, which awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature, would move the lottery game to Texas’ Department of Licensing and Regulation and includes new restrictions on ticket purchases.

Instead of waiting for the state to send them one, parents would be able to print out vaccine exemption forms at home if they want to skip school-required shots. Critics believe the bill would increase infections.

The chambers differ on how much power districts should have to push back in courts over their accountability ratings. They risk keeping STAAR by default if they don’t reach an agreement.

The Texas Senate had previously proposed more severe consequences in the bill.

Providing bigger tax breaks to homeowners is a key component of a deal brokered by Republicans in the Texas Legislature to lower tax bills for Texans.

Senate Bill 3070 would allow the Texas Lottery’s games to continue under a new department, abolish the agency and create restrictions on ticket purchases.

The proposal would heavily invest in teacher pay and special education. It includes a modest $55 increase to schools' base per-student funding, significantly lower than what the House had sought.

The Texas House must approve changes to the proposal that were brokered by party leaders. It’s part of a package of bills to bring down property taxes statewide.

Sen. Brandon Creighton says the bill will prevent disruption. Critics say it walks back conservative lawmakers' previous pledge to protect campus free speech.

Student discipline, uncertified teachers and school bans on DEI and cellphones are some of the topics being debated at the Texas Legislature this session.

A key Senate critic threw a lifeline to the Texas Lottery when he proposed moving its oversight to a new agency instead of eliminating it entirely.

The bill contains many provisions legal experts say are likely unconstitutional, including one that says it can’t be challenged in state court.

Texas lawmakers have unanimously voted to send H.B. 2000 - better known as Audrii’s Law - to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law.

Paul is the first candidate out of the gate to succeed incumbent Mayes Middleton in an open seat running from Galveston to the outskirts of Houston.

The bill would overturn a two-decade-old law allowing some undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition.

Senate bills that reduce the influence of faculties and restrict protests on college campuses were voted out of committee in a last-minute meeting Monday.

State lawmakers in the Texas Senate just gave the latest green light to H.B. 2000 - better known as ‘Audrii’s Law.'

The legislation, which won unanimous approval in both chambers, was written following the state’s historic Panhandle wildfires last year.

A bill, Senate Bill 2722, aims to reform the distribution of toll road revenues in Harris County, potentially providing Houston up to $80 million over five years.

After years of claiming that companies selling lottery tickets online could not be regulated, the Texas Lottery Commission voted to ban the practice.

Voting rights advocates worry that legislation approved by House and Senate committees could make it harder to get more people on the rolls.

The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 2010, authored by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, to prevent local governments from using public funds for universal basic income programs like Harris County's "Uplift Harris."

Senate Bill 1717 would require the name of Gulf of Mexico to be changed in every official reference made by a state agency, resolution, rule or publication.

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 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.

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.

House Bill 6 is a response to reports of more violent classroom disruptions after the pandemic. It lowers the bar for when schools can discipline for the state’s homeless and youngest students.

This new legislation aims to restore property rights by streamlining the eviction process, ensuring that rightful owners can reclaim their properties swiftly and efficiently.

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.

This controversial bill, running alongside House Bill 259, aims to remove these compact weapons from the prohibited list, sparking a heated debate on Second Amendment rights.

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.

If passed, ICE agents can then train deputies and jailers on how to identify and apprehend undocumented immigrants.

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

The Texas Senate has passed a bill that will crack down on organized fuel theft rings across the state.

An advocacy group called Make Texans Healthy Again (MHTA) praised the move by the Texas Senate in a news release as a way to keep people from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other “ultra-processed products with no nutritional value.”

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.

Several bills have been filed in the Texas House and Senate this legislative session aimed at addressing the problem of truancy in Texas.

The Texas senate has passed a bill that would expand death penalty eligibility for individuals convicted of murdering children.

Only Gov. Greg Abbott can call for a special session. But in his role presiding over the Texas Senate, Patrick can block any bill from passing, giving him leverage to compel overtime sessions by killing must-pass legislation.

Next step will be action in the state House, where budget writers have different plans for distributing property tax help.

The new finding is about 20% higher than previous estimates of the known cost of the effort to remove Paxton from office.

Edible Brands, the parent company behind the iconic Edible Arrangements, is introducing a new type of edible and launched its program in Texas.

Lawmakers, who are preempting locals on lot sizes in new subdivisions, have been eyeing ways to allow more homes to be built as the state faces a shortage.

Texas Senate advances THC ban aimed at curbing hemp products, a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Critics warn it could push the market underground.

Patrick says the measure will shut down the dangerous THC products business. The House’s proposal would tighten oversight of the industry without a full ban.

A possible reassignment of the charitable games comes as 15 bills in the Legislature seek to either alter or abolish the troubled agency.

A Senate bill filed Friday does not expand abortion access, but aims to give doctors clarity while operating under laws that come with up to life in prison.

Senate Bill 16 in Texas proposes requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, affecting new voters and those currently registered.

The bill would have set deadlines for the oil and gas industry to plug inactive wells, which can pose a danger to the environment.

All 20 GOP senators signed on to Senate Bill 16, which would apply to currently registered voters, and restrict some to only congressional elections.

The prominent right-wing pastor told state lawmakers that an anti-communist curriculum is crucial to reaffirming that America is a “Christian country.”

Farmers and elected officials told a Senate committee Monday that the lack of water is becoming dire, with little relief in sight.

A new bill and joint resolution introduced in the Texas Senate by a Houston-area senator would give Texans the opportunity to vote on whether the state continues to observe Daylight Saving Time or Standard Time.

The legislation would require voters to approve the $3 billion start-up cost, and then the fund would be maintained at no more than $300 million annually.

Senate Bill 13 would create school library advisory councils largely made up of parents. It would give school boards, rather than librarians, the final say over new books.

There is little doubt that a ban will sail through the Senate. But its prospects are far less certain in the House.

The vote comes amid a broader push by conservative Christians to infuse more religion into public schools and life.

The goal of the new legislation is to help drive down the cost of housing so that more Texans can afford homes.

A new bill making its way through the Texas Senate could ban all forms of THC in consumable hemp products—including delta-8, which has become a popular alternative to marijuana.

Unanimous passage in the Senate comes after top Texas officials say the third-party services undermine trust in the lottery.

The policy shift was announced before state senators, skeptical of the move, grilled officials with the department and courier services in a hearing on SB 28.

A recent budget analysis noted the Texas Senate’s voucher bill could affect the fund if it leads students and teachers to leave public schools.

The package was fast-tracked after Gov. Greg Abbott declared “bail reform” an emergency item. The bills now head to the House for consideration.

Teachers with three and five years of experience would qualify for raises under Senate Bill 26. Instructors in smaller school districts would get bigger pay bumps.

The package of bills would tighten the state's bail laws to keep more people in jail — including undocumented immigrants — while their criminal cases are pending.

Past efforts to allow more religion in public schools have been hamstrung by legal challenges. But those on the religious right feel empowered by recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

The marquee proposal would increase the amount of a home’s value exemption from school taxes to $140,000 from $100,000. The legislation must win approval from the House next.

From teacher pay and preparation to special education and DEI, here are issues Texas lawmakers are prioritizing this legislative session.

The Texas Senate has passed Senate Bill 2, a bill that will allow school choice and vouchers in the state.

Senate Bill 2 now heads to the House, where top officials say they have the support to create education savings accounts.

Restrict THC, help with deportations, infuse religion in schools and provide property tax relief – these are among the Patrick priorities.

The Senate could vote on the proposal as soon as next week. Democrats on Tuesday criticized the bill saying it fails to prioritize the state’s neediest children.

Senate Bill 2 starts a new debate on a school voucher program in Texas. A funding proposal would allow up to 100,000 K-12 students who want to enroll to a private school to participate.

Patrick on Sunday said the Legislature should amend the language of the state’s near-total abortion ban to address confusion over when doctors may terminate pregnancies.

From debating school vouchers and improving the state’s water supply to reining in property taxes, the GOP-led body will look to pass its conservative priorities amid fighting within the party.

Here’s a rundown of how legislation moves through the Capitol, the ways lawmakers operate and who the power players are.

Senator Ted Cruz is advocating for the House to pass the "Take It Down Act," a bill aimed at tackling revenge porn and AI-generated explicit material, following its unanimous approval in the Senate.

Patrick contends retailers have exploited a law passed in 2019 to sell unregulated and potentially harmful consumable tetrahydrocannabinol products.

Modeled after the state’s $6 billion cancer research fund, the dementia fund — a legislative priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — could pump hundreds of millions of dollars into Texas researchers.

School voucher supporters say they have the votes to get a bill across both the Texas Senate, led by Patrick, and the House, which has repeatedly blocked such proposals.

Hinojosa won the only competitive seat in the Texas Senate this cycle, besting Sen. Morgan LaMantia two years after she narrowly defeated him.

Texas might not be a swing state, but many of its races will have major consequences to the national political landscape and on the lives of everyday Texans.

Texans voted in several races, including for the President, a U.S. Senator, U.S. House members and more.

Texas’ junk science statute has remained hamstrung for the last decade. So too have other criminal justice reforms, despite efforts from the Texas House.

State Sen. Morgan LaMantia, D-Palm Valley, faces off against Republican Adam Hinojosa in the only competitive race for the Texas Senate.

Gov. Greg Abbott gave an inflated number of noncitizens removed from the state’s voter rolls, officials acknowledged, confirming findings by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, and Votebeat.

Here’s what you need to know after a ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and Votebeat investigation found that Gov. Greg Abbott likely inflated the number of noncitizens on voter rolls.

Directors, producers and actors say better incentives in other states pull projects away from Texas, which is losing out on millions of dollars.

About 25% of Texas’ correctional officer positions are unfilled. Inmates say the shortages make it harder for them to get respite during hot summer months.

The new list includes many right-wing priorities, and would escalate Republicans’ wars against diversity, equity and inclusion programs and review laws to keep noncitizens off voter rolls.

It’s estimated that approximately 170,000 Texans are currently on service lists