The new maps, which aim to flip five Democratic seats to favor Republicans, will go into effect for the 2026 midterms, barring court intervention.

Both legislative chambers adjourned without agreeing on changes to Senate Bill 2, which aimed to create new training and licensing requirements for local officials.

Between cracking down on abortion pills and restricting transgender restroom use, lawmakers also tackled flood safety and the STAAR test. Left untouched: Texas’ hemp industry.

The parents of children who died at Camp Mystic advocated for the new legislation, which now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature.

A bill scrapping the state’s standardized test heads over to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. It would replace STAAR with three shorter tests at the beginning, middle and end of the year.

The law, largely in response to pro-Palestinian protests last year, bans "expressive activity" on campuses from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. The lawsuit says it is overly broad and will affect protected speech.

Legislators couldn’t reach a last-minute deal to tighten regulations on consumable hemp products.

Two California-based companies accuse the state of government overreach for banning the sale of their products for the next two years.

The House refused Senate changes allowing exports to continue while the state studies its underground water supply. Lawmakers left the Capitol without reaching a compromise.

The House refused to back a bill that would apply only to the state’s largest cities.

Suburban officials in the Dallas-Fort Worth region have enacted rules aimed at curtailing a sweeping new state law to allow more apartments.

Allen, known for her focus on public education issues, announced her retirement after 20 years in the House. She endorsed her son, Lawrence Allen Jr., to succeed her.

The bill walks back a measure lawmakers passed earlier this year allowing voters to update their address at the polls and immediately vote in their new precinct and district if their move was within the county.

House members who freeze future legislation by fleeing Texas will face steeper fines, loss of seniority and committee posts, and limits on political fundraising.

The endorsement comes as Texas elected officials push for more Christianity in public life and as Paxton’s office fights a legal challenge to religion in education.

Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, announced her passing Monday, calling her “one of the first and most effective fighters” for the anti-abortion movement.

In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Texas Tribune reporter Kate McGee about her recent investigative reporting in to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and his staff.

Collin, Bastrop and Williamson counties say they’re proactively changing their voting procedures and equipment following a federal attempt to limit barcodes or QR codes on paper ballots.

The one-year experiment in Midland and Ector counties is based on similar efforts in larger cities. A nonprofit backed by oil companies and Midland County are helping pay for it.

Despite explosive growth turning Tarrant into a racially diverse swing county, two new political maps will leave it with whiter, more Republican representation.

The Conroe Republican has authored some of Texas’ major higher education legislation in recent years. U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington was also considered for the job.

High priority bills that propose banning THC have not moved through the Texas House, as the current overtime session could conclude in the coming days.

The governor was expected to sign off on the new district lines, which passed the Legislature last week and aim to flip five Democratic seats in the 2026 midterms.

The suit alleges the new state law unconstitutionally silences the viewpoints of students and teachers. The law’s supporters say DEI programs use public funds to promote political agendas.

After months of controversy, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation must tackle poor sales and legislative scrutiny as it takes over the games on Sept. 1.

More than 75 Texas camps have met dozens of safety standards to become accredited by the American Camp Association, which can be a lengthy and costly process.

Senate Bill 8 restricts bathroom use in government buildings and schools to sex assigned at birth.

Christopher Maynard is slated to be the next leader of the Laredo university. Regents on Thursday also approved construction projects and new limits on faculty senates.

A faction of Hidalgo County Democrats has raised concerns over how the party is spending money and blocking the group from doing business for several months.

Lujan, a Republican, represents a state House district that covers southern and eastern portions of San Antonio, overlapping with the new congressional seat.

New laws range from school vouchers and water infrastructure funding to a ban on city and county-funded abortion travel funds.

Experts in Houston have been studying the idea of building massive tunnels to divert floodwaters. Musk’s company wants a piece of the project.

The numbers may grow as the state collects more data. Some districts adopted the plan not for its religious emphasis but for more funding and to better align with teaching requirements.

House Bill 26 advanced out of the Texas Legislature on Wednesday evening, two days after being added to the second special session’s agenda.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. complimented Texas as Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a prohibition on using state tax dollars on specific products with additives, among other measures.

Herrera, a gun rights activist with millions of online followers, said he was “disgusted” to be mentioned by the shooter. Herrera is challenging U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary.

Flores, who was going to challenge Rep. Henry Cuellar, is returning to her old district after a newly passed map improves Republicans’ chances of ousting Gonzalez.

A two-year delay on new mercury rules benefits coal-fired power plants, while chemical plants got an exemption from stricter air pollution standards.

Democrats say recent changes to the bill give too much power to the TEA and fall short of meaningfully easing the pressures of standardized testing.

In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor talk to Texas Tribune climate reporter Emily Foxhall about the emotional pleas Camp Mystic parents made to state lawmakers and analyze the proposed new laws in response to the Kerrville floods.

The measure comes four years after the state’s highest criminal court ruled the agency could not bring election cases without an invitation from local prosecutors.

Experts say the Texas Energy Fund is facing an energy market that makes new power plants more expensive and less profitable.

Emails show how overwhelmed West Texas officials were as they asked CDC for guidance on how to respond to the explosive outbreak.

An enrollment drop could cost the Texas economy hundreds of millions of dollars, the reports say.

Legislation pushed by Gov. Greg Abbott would bar voters at the polls from immediately casting a ballot based on a last-minute update to their address.

A group of 13 Texas voters is suing the state over newly proposed congressional maps, claiming the redrawn districts unlawfully dilute the political power of Black and Latino voters and violate both the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act.

A Dallas businessman has proposed studying the aquifer to see if he can pump millions of gallons out of East Texas, a plan that residents distrust.

Texas cities and counties have already had their budgets compressed by a variety of factors, including the state’s current property tax limits.

Aaron Reitz and Chip Roy, positioning themselves as Paxton’s ideological heirs, have served as top aides for both the attorney general and Cruz.

Student fellows support vital initiatives like the Texas Tribune Festival and provide in-depth coverage of key issues.

Democrats said the walkout inspired a national protest against GOP redistricting. But it also greased the path for other bills they oppose and unified Texas Republicans.

Starting Sept. 1, cultured meat sales will be banned for the next two years even though the product isn’t ready to be sold at a large scale.

Todd Smith was Miller’s longtime political consultant when he admitted to soliciting bribes for licenses the agency typically issues for $100. Miller then put him on the payroll at $218,000 per year.

One lawsuit, filed by LULAC on behalf of 13 Texas residents, states that the redrawn districts in the new map are racially discriminatory and violate voter protection laws.

Senate Bill 8, which now heads to the House floor, would restrict which bathrooms in government buildings transgender people would be allowed to use.

Dallas businessman Kyle Bass has proposed exporting millions of gallons of water from East Texas to other parts of the state.

Republican lawmakers pushed the map through over fierce Democratic opposition, positioning the GOP to net up to five additional seats in Texas.

Texas is taking a stand against the cruel practice of selling animals on the side of the road.

Here’s where the proposed laws to address camp safety, flood warnings and emergency response stand in the Legislature.

Casar moved quickly to coalesce Austin Democrats, launching his campaign for the 37th Congressional District Monday with endorsements from 42 current and former Texas elected officials.

The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has a four-pronged recovery plan: rebuilding homes, supporting mental health, economic recovery, and reviving the area’s quality of life.

As speaker, Phelan oversaw passage of numerous conservative priorities, but he gave up the gavel under pressure from the far right over the House’s impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The Aransas County courthouse was supposed to open in 2023. But officials have faced voter backlash and a constant stream of design and construction problems that have delayed the opening.

The Houston-area district, currently occupied by Democratic Rep. Al Green, is being redrawn by GOP lawmakers to favor Republicans and cover almost entirely new territory.

The changes are in response to new state laws seeking to limit faculty’s influence and put guardrails on campus demonstrations.

Lambert overcame a brutal primary last year after drawing the wrath of two of the state’s most powerful GOP leaders.

From urban cores to rural regions, Texans' needs differ. Experts worry new districts encompassing geographically distant communities will dilute their voices.

Health insurers are hiking policy premiums in response to proposed federal cuts and rising costs in various parts of the health care sector.

The governor announced he was expanding his special session agenda shortly after the Texas House passed a congressional map that Democrats had delayed by leaving the state.

A new petition claims Anderson County judges acted unconstitutionally multiple times in both Roberson’s case and in recognizing custody of his daughter.

Senate Bill 1, which would require more oversight of emergency plans and evacuation procedures at summer camps, was advanced after the emotional hearing Wednesday.

The order bars Paxton from prosecuting O’Rourke’s nonprofit or otherwise bringing legal action aimed at revoking Powered by People’s charter.

“Our children’s lives were cut short because the safeguards in place were not enough,” a spokesperson for the Campaign for Camp Safety said in a news release. “We are asking lawmakers to make sure no other family ever has to endure the pain we have lived with every day since July 4th.”

More than 20 bills that would restrict restroom use for transgender people have been proposed since 2015, but their language — and reception — have shifted.

The GOP push to redraw the state’s congressional maps isn’t just a partisan move but one that deeply affects how Texans are represented in Congress.

Republican lawmakers are pursuing the unusual mid-decade redistricting plan amid pressure from President Donald Trump to protect the GOP’s slim majority in the U.S. House.

Bobby Lumpkin, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s COO, will take over the the top role on Sept. 1, following Bryan Collier’s retirement.

The gang looks at what’s next in the extra-special session, as Republicans prepare to finally pass a new congressional map.

The victims sued the employer of the alleged shooter, the former warden of a migrant detention center. Three different prosecutors have so far opted not to file criminal charges.

The state isn’t providing schools with guidance and advocates say students who still qualify for lower rates are being asked to pay thousands more.

Senators moved fast on Gov. Greg Abbott’s agenda for the second special session. With House Democrats back in Texas, bills can now move through that chamber.

Texas Democrats return to Austin after a two week fight over GOP-drawn congressional maps

In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the school’s prohibition on drag performances, finding students are likely to prove it violates the First Amendment.

The San Antonio Democrat was first elected to the Legislature in 2019.

Texas lawmakers redrew congressional districts in a partisan bid to give Republicans five additional U.S. House seats. The move set off a bipartisan war across the U.S.

Now that the Texas House has a quorum following Democrats’ two-week absence, lawmakers are back to debate a wide range of issues, including redrawing congressional maps to benefit Republicans.

With no new cases reported in 42 days, the nation’s largest measles outbreak in 30 years, is declared over.

While some districts are preparing to comply, others await guidance amidst ongoing legal battles challenging the law's constitutionality.

After two weeks out of state, Democratic lawmakers returned to Austin, paving the way for Republicans to pass their proposed congressional map.

Federal funding cuts to immunization efforts and a new law that allows exemption forms to be downloaded, instead of mailed, could drive up exemptions in the future.

A second special session that has made approving the map a priority started Friday, shortly after the first one ended.

Test scores rose slightly after math scores previously fell last year.

The state can take control of a school district if at least one of its campuses receives a failing grade five years in a row.

More than 500 schools are using four-day school weeks, a dramatic increase from two years ago driven by fierce competition for educators amid a statewide teacher shortage.

In the 2024-25 school year, 14% of Texas school districts got an A, 71% got a B or a C, and 15% got a D or an F, new state data shows.

Mounted patrol officers, known as tick riders, who typically patrol the southern border to protect cattle from fever tick, will also now serve as the first line of defense against screwworm.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for another Texas Legislature’s special session after the first session was adjourned Friday morning after failing to make a quorum.

The second session is set to consider the same agenda that stalled in the first, with redistricting and disaster response at the top of the governor’s priorities.

The Amarillo businessman said he would tap into the $20 million political action committee he launched last year to preserve ballot access for censured Republicans.

The third-term governor appears determined to win any battle — even if it means scorched-earth primary crusades or trying to boot duly elected legislators from office.