The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
Pro-business forces, which had for months warned that a "bathroom bill" could be disastrous for the state's bottom line, held their fire during Sunday's debate over a bill amendment dealing with the controversial issue. Full Story
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A lawsuit in federal court charges that Senate Bill 4, if enacted, would violate several provisions of the U.S. Constitution. Full Story
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Texas senators voted unanimously on Monday to increase money given to kinship care families. Full Story
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After threatening to force a special session of the Legislature unless lawmakers approve a "bathroom bill" and property tax legislation, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick on Monday appeared to be unconvinced by the House's actions on the two issues. Full Story
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The Texas House on Monday passed a bill extending a program that lets students who fail a couple of required exams take an alternative route to graduation. Full Story
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The Texas Senate has approved its version of House Bill 3016, which would make it easier for people to apply for jobs if they have low-level offenses on their records. Such applicants would not be required to disclose their offenses. Full Story
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The Texas Senate voted to approve a bill that would simplify funding formulas for public schools and let parents use state money to send their kids with disabilities to private schools or pay for homeschooling. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has put the clock to his advantage. With a week to go in the regular legislative session, his threat of pushing lawmakers into overtime if he doesn’t get his way on pet issues is paying off. Full Story
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Madison Mau is valedictorian of her tiny high school's senior class, but the University of Texas denied her anyway. Unwilling to accept that result, she lobbied the school to change its admissions policy. Full Story
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A flurry of legislative activity Sunday night gave life to efforts to overhaul the Texas’ voter identification law, a change that's crucial to the state’s arguments over whether lawmakers disenfranchised minority voters. Full Story
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Texas state senators voted to allow child welfare providers to be protected from legal retaliation if they assert their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” Full Story
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The Texas House voted to require schools to provide single-stall restrooms, locker rooms and changing facilities to students who don't want to use facilities designated by “biological sex.” Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott says he's optimistic that lawmakers can avoid a special session. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants the "bathroom bill" passed or he'll keep pushing for one. Full Story
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Lawmakers, scrounging for cash in a tight-fisted legislative session, agreed to dip into the state’s savings account and to make use of an accounting trick using funds set aside last session for highway projects. Full Story
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Republicans fear a failure to overhaul strict Texas voter ID rules could torpedo the state's position in litigation over whether lawmakers discriminated against minority voters. Full Story
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After moving at a glacial pace several times this Legislative session, the Texas House on Saturday kicked into high gear and passed measures that could help them avoid a special session. Full Story
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The lower chamber responded to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's threats of a special session by moving key legislation — but omitting provisions that he wanted included. Full Story
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After being denied by the House Freedom Caucus multiple times, a measure to let schools give meals to students without money in their accounts was revived as an amendment to another bill. Full Story
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The Texas House on Friday approved two measures aimed at combating sexual assault on college campuses across the state. Full Story
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The bill would mandate that county jails divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues toward treatment, make it easier for defendants with a mental illness or intellectual disability to receive a personal bond and require that independent law enforcement agencies investigate jail deaths. Full Story
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