The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
The Texas House gave tentative and unanimous approval Thursday to a measure that would partially reverse a controversial cut to disabled children’s therapy services that was ordered by the 2015 Legislature. Full Story
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After a proposal to give a property tax exemption to Purple Heart recipients hit a snag on the House floor Monday, a committee considered a more radical idea: eliminating school district property taxes altogether. Full Story
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A bipartisan group of lawmakers called on Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday to add ethics reform to the agenda of the special session. The governor’s office, in a rare rapid response, quickly attacked the effort as “showboating.” Full Story
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Texas legislators would love to lower your property taxes, but none of the proposals they're considering in the special session would do that. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick marked the halfway point of the special session Tuesday by calling for "better communications" with the House, which has moved much slower on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda than Patrick's Senate has. Full Story
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The Travis County District Attorney's office on Tuesday said its offer to drop all corruption charges against state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, in exchange for her agreeing to resign immediately had expired. Full Story
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Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price talked about their Tuesday meeting with Gov. Greg Abbott about several local control issues he put on the agenda for the special legislative session. Full Story
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The Texas Tribune wants to know more about how rising property tax rates are affecting people across Texas — and who should have the final say. Full Story
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Starting Tuesday, community colleges across the state will permit licensed gun owners to carry concealed firearms in certain campus buildings. They've had a year to learn from the example of four-year schools — but they still face challenges all their own. Full Story
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At the likely halfway point of a 30-day special session, the Texas House and Senate are taking very different approaches to the governor's sprawling agenda, and they could be headed for another standoff on a so-called "bathroom bill." Full Story
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The Travis County District Attorney's office has told state Rep. Dawnna Dukes it would drop corruption charges against her if she agrees to resign from office and agree to a drug and alcohol assessment by the end of business Tuesday. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott asked the Texas Department of Public Safety Friday to retract its plans to begin charging local agencies for forensic testing. Full Story
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When it comes to this summer's "bathroom bill," Texans with disabilities say they — like many transgender men and women — believe the Legislature is further complicating something that’s already difficult to navigate. Full Story
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The Texas Senate is just about done passing bills on Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session agenda, including the controversial "bathroom bill." Full Story
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State Rep. Sarah Davis will ask Gov. Greg Abbott to put ethics reform on the agenda of the ongoing special session and said focusing on ethics would restore trust in the Legislature at time when it's diminishing. Full Story
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The Texas House has given early approval to a bill that would allow property owners to plant new trees to offset municipal fees for tree removal on their land. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott has given the Texas Legislature 20 issues to tackle over a 30-day session, everything from bathroom regulations to local tree ordinances. We're tracking how lawmakers are progressing on each of those issues. Full Story
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The governor held the first of three scheduled meetings with Texas mayors on Wednesday — but there's no word yet on whether he'll meet with mayors from the state's five largest cities. Full Story
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A tweet by President Donald Trump asserting that transgender people would no longer be able to serve in the U.S. military garnered the support of at least one Texas official: Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Full Story
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The measure would allow citizens targeted by annexation to vote on city proposals. A similar bill died in the final moments of regular session debate. Full Story
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