Texas leaders in the state House and Senate have each proposed budgets that spend $119.7 billion in general revenue for the next two fiscal years, signifying notable agreement on the top lines as lawmakers try to draft a state spending plan while they confront the coronavirus pandemic. The proposals from the two chambers, issued first […]Read More
One of the largest tasks Texas lawmakers will tackle during the 2021 legislative session that begins in January is writing the state budget, which outlines state spending for the next two years. While the tome-like General Appropriations Act can seem overwhelming and often abstract, the spending and cuts detailed within it can have immediate and […]Read More
With less than three weeks until the Texas Legislature meets, uncertainty is lingering as state leaders have yet to flesh out their agendas and lawmakers scramble to figure out how to safely convene during the coronavirus pandemic. It has been anything but the typical pre-session run-up, and members are heading into the Christmas holiday faced […]Read More
The Texas Legislature’s 86th regular session was marked by school finance reforms and easing the pressure of some of the nation’s highest local property taxes. The state’s top three leaders — Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced that “meat and potatoes” work at the beginning of the session in January, and marked their […]Read More
The Texas Legislature’s once-every-decade* quest for new political maps will get a twist in 2021: The Texas House will have either a speaker whose trustworthiness is suspect or a brand-new speaker who’ll be riding in the wake of a scandal. What’s at stake, for lawmakers, is whether they’ll have a chance at staying in office […]Read More
Democrats in the Texas House are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to convene a special legislative session to address gun violence — a move designed to place even more pressure on the state’s top GOP official to act in the wake of two deadly mass shootings just weeks apart. A letter to Abbott was delivered Wednesday morning, […]Read More
Early next month, the Texas Tribune will be hosting a recap discussion on El Paso and the 86th legislative session. The Texas Tribune, along with local lawmakers, are touring the state with a series of post-session events recapping the major policy debates of the 86th Texas Legislature and what they mean for Texas’ largest cities […]Read More
After weeks of tough negotiations, lawmakers have come up with a final deal on how to increase public education funding and cut school district taxes — and it includes a compromise on raises for full-time teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians. House Bill 3, a copy of which was obtained by The Texas Tribune after it […]Read More
The Texas House expanded a sweeping school safety bill that now calls for students to learn about domestic violence prevention, requires certain training for school resource officers and would provide an undetermined amount of state money for campus security measures and mental health initiatives. Some of the lower chamber’s additions to Senate Bill 11 on Tuesday revived […]Read More
Here at the beginning of a week in which most bills in the Texas Legislature will die, the big priorities set out at the beginning, in January, are still alive: school finance, property tax reform, school safety and responses to Hurricane Harvey. Lots of other proposals are fading fast. As of Friday, just over 5% of the […]Read More
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