The latest state government news from The Texas Tribune.
Following an emotional floor debate, the Senate passed a resolution Wednesday reaffirming the state's opposition to same-sex marriage, an action taken as it became clear a bill to prevent such marriages in Texas was dead. Full Story
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At the end of the legislative session, votes still count and majorities are important. But the rules come into play as well, and so do the political minorities. Full Story
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After a night of dramatic maneuvers in the Texas House, lawmakers were back at it on Wednesday morning, with a handful of irked conservatives using parliamentary tactics to kill previously uncontested Senate bills. Full Story
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A measure to ban the trade of shark fins in Texas is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk after clearing the Texas Senate on Wednesday. The fins are collected by a brutal fishing process: cutting off a live shark's fin and leaving the shark to die. Full Story
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With the death of all legislation specifically aiming to re-regulate tuition costs at Texas' public universities, proponents of the idea see few avenues for implementing the idea this year. Full Story
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Just five months into his first term, Gov. Greg Abbott is tackling the kind of crisis his predecessor likes to say there is no manual for. Full Story
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A daylong parliamentary battle ensued Tuesday as the Texas House faced a crucial deadline to pass many major bills before they died. Democrats succeeded in killing an abortion bill, while Republicans managed to pass ethics reform legislation and a version of campus carry. Full Story
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House Bill 1514, which would add a special label to the health insurance cards of people purchasing health plans on the exchange created by the Affordable Care Act, passed the Texas Senate late Tuesday evening. Full Story
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House Democrats narrowly avoided a Republican-led effort on Tuesday to rearrange the chamber's calendar to make sure controversial measures got a vote before a midnight deadline. Full Story
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Texas housing advocates are sounding the alarm about disaster recovery legislation they say would be critical for those affected by the kinds of storms that devastated some parts of the state this week. Full Story
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It's not the end of the session, but Tuesday marks the end of the line for a lot of legislation. And the fates of the items at the bottom of the House's list could be determined by long debates on ethics, guns, abortion and state spending limits. Full Story
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After four hours of debate and more than a dozen failed amendments by Democrats, the Senate on Monday gave preliminary approval to far-reaching restrictions on minors seeking abortions in Texas without parental consent. Full Story
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Statewide elected officials would no longer be required to live in Austin under a constitutional amendment that could be headed to voters on a general election ballot. The House tentatively backed the measure on Monday. Full Story
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With one week left in this legislative session, hundreds of bills are still pending. But if legislative action ended right now, there would be little reason for Gov. Greg Abbott to call lawmakers back for overtime. Full Story
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The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, the often-tapped insurer of last resort for Gulf Coast property owners, looks poised to get a major overhaul. Full Story
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After months of debate over how to rein in the growing costs associated with the Hazlewood Act – the state’s tuition benefits program for veterans and their dependents – it appears as though it will largely stay the same. Full Story
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In a dramatic turn of events, the House Calendars Committee reversed course and sent a controversial bill prohibiting health insurance plans sold on the Affordable Care Act's marketplace from covering abortions to the full chamber. Full Story
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In a 136-1 vote, the House favored Senate Bill 1, which would raise the homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000 if voters approve an amendment to the state Constitution in November. Full Story
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The sponsor of a bill meant to impose additional restrictions on minors seeking abortions without parental consent will not pursue a controversial provision that would have required women to show a form of identification. Full Story
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At the last minute, the House voted to scrap changes to the Hazlewood program that would have made many children of veterans ineligible for free tuition. The bill will still need to be reconciled with the Senate's more restrictive version. Full Story
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