The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
Amid a controversy over travel to fancy resorts and other spending controversies, the head of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Sherry Cook, announced she was stepping down from her job effective May 23. Full Story
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A Texas House committee will take up a bill from state Rep. Ron Simmons this week that would ban cities and school districts from enacting or enforcing local policies that regulate bathroom use. Full Story
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The Texas Legislature's Easter break ends with a sprint. Only six weeks remain between now and the end of this regular legislative session — and most of the 6,000+ bills under consideration are going to die. Full Story
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At this point in the session, there are a lot of bills on the Senate’s “intent calendar.” How can you tell which bills will be considered on a given day? Full Story
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Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire of Houston says a bill that would raise the age of adult criminal responsibility in Texas from 17 to 18 years old fails to address his chief concerns: cost and safety. Full Story
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Houston and Dallas leaders were supposed to each be united on how they wanted state lawmakers to address their respective pension shortfalls before the legislative session even began. (Spoiler alert: They're still not.) Full Story
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Both chambers have passed state budgets that spend around $218 billion but significant differences remain. With just a few weeks to go before the end of the session, here's a look at the key sticking points. Full Story
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A state law that's supposed to keep a leash on school tax increases might be preventing temporary tax breaks in the Texas districts with the highest tax rates. But reversing it could make it easier to raise taxes. Full Story
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With some of his priorities on the chopping block this session, Gov. Greg Abbott may be eyeing his recently expanded veto authority in order to get his way. Full Story
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For more than three hours, top TABC officials were grilled by House members for misusing state resources, taking trips to Hawaii on the taxpayers’ dime, mixing vacation with state duties, misreporting who has been assigned which state-owned vehicles, and cozying up to the very industry they’re supposed to be regulating. Full Story
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The House Select Committee on State and Federal Power and Responsibility considered measures that aim to pull powers from the federal government and hand it to the states. Full Story
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Some sexual assault survivors and advocates are clashing with a Texas senator over the best way to combat sexual assault on college campuses. Full Story
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Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar wants to reshape the state's Rainy Day Fund, aiming to get more bang for those stowed-away bucks. Full Story
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Five transgender Texans explained to The Texas Tribune what goes into making decisions about using public restrooms, including considerations for the comfort of others and reflections on how strangers perceive their gender. Full Story
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Paxton’s answer to that question could shake up budget negotiations in the final weeks of session. Full Story
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What began as a local dispute over the demolition of a 1910 house has escalated into a statewide battle over what makes a building historic — and who gets to decide. Full Story
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The latest version of the Texas Legislature’s bill to outlaw "sanctuary cities" in Texas is a scaled-down version of what the state Senate passed out in February. Full Story
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Easter Seals East Texas officials have put the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on notice they are ending services for 230 children in the Brazos Valley area on Aug. 31. Full Story
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Another federal judge has ruled that Texas legislators intentionally discriminated on the basis of race when changing voting and election laws. But even if the laws change back, the state still got away with it. Full Story
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State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, has missed more than 100 record votes during the current legislative session, the most of the 150 members of the House, according to a Tribune analysis of data from a legislative analytics website. Full Story
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