Texas Senate passes bill to give more teachers access to guns in classrooms
The bill needs a final stamp of approval from the Senate before it can head to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for his signature. Full Story
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![On The Mark Enhanced Tactical Training CEO Ray Dunn inside the Harrold ISD K-12 school where he teaches a gun training class for educators. The North Texas ISD was the first in the nation to arm teachers in 2007.]()
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Texas school safety measures expanded with House amendments to sweeping legislation
Tentative approval of the bill comes days after the one-year anniversary of a shooting at Santa Fe High School that left 10 dead and another 13 wounded. Full Story
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![Mock weapons used to train educators in Harrold, Texas. The North Texas school district was the first to allow educators to carry guns on school grounds in 2007.]()
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Did the Texas Legislature accidentally imperil billions of dollars in business taxes?
In their effort to make a future state income tax all but impossible, Texas lawmakers used terminology that experts believe could inadvertently gut the state’s franchise tax. Full Story
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![State Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper, on the Senate floor on April 9, 2019.]()
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Texas House passes bill allowing handgun owners to carry weapons in church
Consideration of the bill comes more than a year after a gunman killed 26 in a Sutherland Springs church. Full Story
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![The interior of St. Mary Cathedral in downtown Austin on Jan. 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Critics say bill moving through Texas Legislature designed to aid GOP reelection bids
Supporters of the bill say it would expand ballot access. But some critics argue that the real goal is to make it tougher for Libertarians to get on the ballot and easier for Green Party candidates to do so. Full Story
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![Early voting at the Acres Home Multiservice Center in Houston on Oct. 26, 2014.]()
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Texas House passes religious liberty bill amid LGBTQ Caucus' objections
What started as a sweeping religious refusals bill has been significantly watered down as it moves through the Texas Legislature. But LGBTQ advocates still fiercely oppose it, saying it perpetuates hateful rhetoric. Full Story
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![State Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Carrollton, speaks against Senate Bill 1978 on the House floor on May 20, 2019. Behind her, left to right: state Reps. Jessica González, D-Dallas, Mary González, D-Clint, Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, and former Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas House advances bill banning cities from partnering with Planned Parenthood on any services
Senate Bill 22 bars Texas governments from contracting with abortion providers or their affiliates — even for services like sexual health education and pregnancy prevention initiatives. Full Story
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![A bipartisan group of state legislators, medical professionals and abortion advocates gathered at the Capitol in opposition to SB22. The group claims the bill would reduce funding for abortion providers. May 17, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate votes to allow people to carry guns without a license during disaster evacuations
After final Senate approval, the bill will head back to the House, where members will decide whether to accept the changes made in the Senate. Full Story
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Texas medical marijuana expansion gains steam in Senate, even after previous stonewalling
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has expressed wariness to expanding the Compassionate Use Program, but the bill's Senate sponsor said Patrick helped craft the version that cleared a key hurdle Friday. Full Story
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![State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braufels, speaks with State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, shortly after he received the gavel as Senate President Pro Tempore on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
How Santa Fe rebuilt itself in the year after a school shooting
As lawmakers in Austin work to pass a sweeping school safety bill, many Santa Fe survivors and their loved ones say they’re focused less on what’s happening at the Capitol and more on what can be done to rebuild and uplift their community. Full Story
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![Crosses bearing the name of of the victims killed in a shooting at Santa Fe High School are seen in Santa Fe, Texas, U.S., May 21, 2018.]()
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Texas demographer: Census citizenship question isn't necessary
Responsible for providing population projections for the state, Lloyd Potter said citizenship information is not needed “for the purposes of the census." Full Story
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Credit: Emily Albracht for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes religious liberty bill that LGBTQ advocates fear licenses discrimination
The measure moved quickly through the Senate after the LGBTQ Caucus killed a near-identical proposal on a procedural motion last week in the Texas House. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, on the Senate floor on May 15, 2019.]()
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This Texas bill that opponents say could lead to voter suppression has lost a key bipartisan provision
The controversial and wide-ranging Senate Bill 9 has been pitched as an election security measure, but critics have raised concerns about the effects it could have on marginalized voters. Full Story
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![House Elections Committee hearing on SB9 at the Capitol on May 15, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes bill to kill program that critics say can trap poor people in a cycle of debt
The bill to end the unpopular program, which adds annual surcharges on top of traffic fines — and prompts the suspension of millions of driver's licenses — is headed for Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. If he signs it, pending surcharges will be dropped. Full Story
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![A Dallas police car on patrol.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
Texas farmers could begin growing hemp under legislation gaining steam in both chambers
House Bill 1325 would legalize hemp and hemp-derived extracts like CBD oil as long as they contain no more than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive element in marijuana known as THC. Full Story
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![State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, on the Senate floor on May 15, 2019.]()
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Tribcast: A snoozer Texas legislative session and blowing up the kumbaya
In this edition of the TribCast, Alexa talks to Ross, Matthew and Patrick about a legislative session that’s putting some folks to sleep, lawmakers’ report card for Gov. Greg Abbott and what could blow up the kumbaya session in its final days. Full Story
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![State Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, smiles at a colleague as her baby plays on the Texas House floor on April 17, 2019.]()
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Watch Senate Bill 9 hearing on voting rights and access in Texas House committee
The House Elections Committee on Wednesday night resumed its discussions on a controversial bill pitched as an election security measure but that critics say is a pathway to state-sanctioned voter suppression. Full Story
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![A voter walks into the Howson Branch Library in Austin on the last day of early voting in Travis County.]()
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"People were giving us lip service": Texas cities' legislative efforts have struggled this year
When weighing in on issues like property taxes, the main interest group representing cities has encountered skepticism. Full Story
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![The Houston skyline on Dec. 17, 2018.]()
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"I'm honestly still stunned that I work here": Meet the folks who keep the Capitol running
Behind the 181 members of the Texas Legislature, thousands of people work to keep the Capitol humming during legislative sessions. The work isn't always glamorous, but many view their small roles in helping state government function as an honor. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers see a more engaged Gov. Greg Abbott. Will it pay off?
Once knocked as detached, the governor has become more involved in a legislative session hinging on two big-ticket items he's prioritized: school finance and property tax reform. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott chats with state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, on the House Floor on April 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune
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