The House Select Committee on Community Safety is scheduled to hear testimony on bills that would change how people buy firearms and how authorities report those purchases. One of these bills would raise the minimum age to 21 years old to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles.

Bills that would give relative caregivers more money have missed key deadlines to make it in front of the full House.

Republican officials in Texas say law enforcement is now helping in the effort to compel absent Democrats to return to the state Capitol.

Texas Republicans have again authorized using law enforcement to find Democrats who are still refusing to come back to the state Capitol in a bid to stop new voting restrictions.

State Rep. Joe Moody, a Democrat from El Paso, said a special legislative session already planned for later this year should also address gun violence.

Eager valley residents look amongst the rows of cars lined up at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show Grounds in Mercedes. Area residents lined up overnight to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas TribuneNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? A group of 38 Texas House Democrats is criticizing Gov. A state panel has set those eligibility guidelines based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. “The vaccines cannot be rolled out quickly and effectively unless Texans have confidence in the information they receive from DSHS, the governor, and their representatives,” Goodwin wrote.

In Texas, Monday is the last day for counties to receive overseas and military mail-in ballots. Valenzuela and Van Duyne were competing to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell, in what national Democrats saw as one of their best pickup opportunities in Texas. 1 finisher, Van Duyne, has called on the current runner-up to accept defeat. Neither Decision Desk HQ, which is powering The Texas Tribune's results, nor the Associated Press have called the race for Van Duyne. “Once again, I will repeat, Beth Van Duyne will be the Congresswoman for Texas’ 24th District,” Van Duyne’s campaign manager, Donald Rickard, said in a statement Thursday.