The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
Politically active nonprofits, which are playing an increasingly important role in state elections, would no longer be able to hide the identity of their major donors under a bill making its way through the Texas Legislature. Full Story
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The obscure law that allows Gov. Rick Perry to collect both his pension and salary was the subject of a hearing Monday. A proposed bill would prevent future state officeholders from using the provision. Full Story
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UPDATED: A heavily amended bill to regulate short-term lenders passed the Texas Senate on Monday night, but it faces an uphill battle in the House. Full Story
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All but 10 percent of a nearly $1 billion state fund intended to assist the poor with utility payments would be rebated to electric customers under a measure that preliminarily passed the Texas Senate on Monday. Full Story
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At a House panel hearing Monday, witnesses largely agreed on the causes and magnitude of climate change, and they told legislators to speed up consideration of how to deal with the results of a warming climate. Full Story
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The House on Monday sent five members to negotiate a budget with the Senate, with instructions to avoid anything that looks like it would expand the state's Medicaid program. Full Story
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At Monday's TribLive conversation, Laura Huffman, the Texas state director of The Nature Conservancy, talked about the prospects for meaningful water legislation to emerge from the 83rd session. Full Story
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In this edition of the Newsreel: A Senate committee approves an education bill cutting some current requirements for high school diplomas, the House wants to make texting and driving a crime, and the governor calls for tax cuts. Full Story
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Aaronson tracks the latest on Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on lawmakers’ openness to driving permits for non-citizens, Batheja on surprising support for higher state spending, Root and Galbraith on the state’s search for answers after the West explosion, M. Smith covers the debate over high school standards, Grissom finds a shadow payroll at the Capitol, Hamilton on the man with a plan at UT, Rocha spots a special deal for lawmakers accused of crimes, KUT’s Philpott on obstacles to road funding and Ramshaw on the privileges of legislative membership: The best of our best for the week of April 15-19, 2013. Full Story
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UPDATE: Gov. Rick Perry told House Republicans in a private meeting this week that he could support a budget that breaks the state's constitutional spending cap, according to several attendees. But many are still wary of doing so. Full Story
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Lawmakers started the legislative session talking about changes they would like to make in the state's ethics laws. Now — and it is not the first time — they're sending some of the most delicate items back for more study. Full Story
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UPDATED: Without debate, the Texas Senate approved a bill by Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, to alter Texas' end-of-life laws. Full Story
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The House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved an $874.9 million supplemental budget bill Thursday that includes $500 million more for schools and covers bills for last year's wildfires. Full Story
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While state code allows lawmakers due in court to delay their appearance while the Legislature is in session, most waivers for those charged with crimes result from simple agreements between the defense, prosecutors and judges. Full Story
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Lawmakers spend thousands of dollars from their campaign accounts to supplement the salaries of their staffs. It’s a legal and long-standing practice, but some ethics experts say it presents the potential for conflict. Full Story
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It’s a little funny to talk to people at the Capitol who have been steeled in a culture of political warfare about the outbreak of peace. Many differences remain, but those blood veins that were sticking out on everyone’s foreheads and necks in 2009 and 2011 have smoothed out. For the moment, Texas civics is downright civil. Full Story
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UPDATED: A bill that would make texting while driving a crime passed the House on Wednesday after a lengthy debate. The measure now heads to the Senate. Full Story
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A troubled cancer-fighting charity paid a tobacco lobbyist to represent its interests in the Legislature, even as it was winding down its operations and facing the wrath of lawmakers. Full Story
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Your evening reading: House lawmaker outlines alternative to Medicaid expansion; Cruz introduces his own gun legislation; details of federal immigration bill emerge Full Story
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A new report out Tuesday urges lawmakers to reduce penalties for prostitution and send more defendants to diversion and intervention programs. Advocates argue it will save the state money. Full Story
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