The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
The coming weeks will reveal whether the ongoing hostility between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus has paralyzed state policymakers as they take up the 20 items on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda. Full Story
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Democrats in the Texas Legislature outlined their priorities for the upcoming special legislative session on Monday, focusing on several issues that did not appear on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda for the session. Full Story
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The Texas Legislature is returning to Austin, but the leaders of the Senate and the House appear to be starting the new session on the same sour notes with which they ended the regular session seven weeks ago. Full Story
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As state lawmakers and city officials gear up to battle over land-use legislation, a liberal watchdog group says $34 million in campaign donations from real estate and construction industries "paved the way" for this month's special session agenda. Full Story
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Democrats have some chances to pick up seats in the Texas House next year, with a dozen Republicans defending seats in politically wobbly districts. But watch those redistricting judges in San Antonio before you make any bets. Full Story
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Mandy Mann thought she had paid her dues for a 2009 traffic stop. But six years later, the Waco mom was stopped and arrested — for failing to comply with the state's troubled Driver Responsibility Program. Full Story
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Efforts to strip undocumented students in Texas of their in-state college tuition benefit failed to pass during the latest legislative session. Full Story
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Noemi Pina is among hundreds of West Dallas residents who have been ensnared in a battle between their landlord and Dallas City Hall. Full Story
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Emmanuel Garza moved from Texas to Colorado so his baby daughter could get the medical marijuana treatment she needed. Legislation to legalize the same treatment in Texas failed to pass during the regular legislative session. Full Story
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A 22-year-old Austin native on vacation with friends on the Greek island of Zakynthos was killed Friday in a bar fight; seven Serbians and a Greek have been arrested. Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Justice argued in a legal filing Thursday that courts should drop any further action over the old version of Texas’ voter ID law. That story tops the Texas Political Roundup. Full Story
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Under state law, lottery revenue — including ticket sales and money from unclaimed prizes — must contribute to Texas causes and programs. However, only 27 percent of that money goes toward Texas education. Full Story
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The Texas Tribune wants to learn more about how the “bathroom bill” debate is affecting people across Texas. Full Story
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During an interview on KUT's Texas Standard, Lawrence Wright talked about his latest piece in The New Yorker, including strong words from House Speaker Joe Straus on the "bathroom bill." Full Story
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Texas lawmakers will be back in Austin for a special session in just two weeks. They'd rather be elsewhere, on vacation or — in some cases — for much more tactical reasons. Full Story
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Allowing all mail-in votes for elections is legal in 22 states, but not in Texas, where only certain voters can mail in their ballots. The Legislature's special session will address mail-in ballot fraud but won't expand mail-in voting. Full Story
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The emails reveal how the governor's vetoes caught some state lawmakers by surprise, while his staff has let evangelical Christian leaders know about vetoes of bills they opposed. Full Story
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For the second time this week, the Texas attorney general's office sparred in federal court with opponents of the state's new immigration-enforcement law, Senate Bill 4. Both sides got an earful from federal Judge Sam Sparks. Full Story
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The regular legislative session belonged to legislative leaders — primarily Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who aggressively set an agenda for the Senate. Now, with a special session looming, Gov. Greg Abbott is asserting himself. Full Story
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The border city of El Paso on Tuesday voted to add its name to the list of local governments that have joined a lawsuit to stop Texas' immigration bill, Senate Bill 4, from going into effect. Full Story
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