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Scrap Over ‘Local’ Slate of Bills Brings Texas House to a Screeching Halt
A cold war is becoming hot in the Texas House as yet another Local & Consent (L&C) Calendar of bills went down in a lingering dispute between leadership, conservative Republicans, and Democrats. A week ago, what is customarily a quick and painless process — passing a large amount of local and uncontested legislation on the
Texas Hospitals Spent Over $100 Million Treating Illegal Immigrants in November
Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texas hospitals via executive order to begin collecting and reporting the cost of treating illegal immigrants. Now, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has released its first report, detailing millions of dollars in healthcare costs. According to the report released today, Texas hospitals incurred almost $121.8 million in health
Texas Senate Passes ‘Bathroom Bill,’ Banning Biological Males from Women’s Restrooms, Locker Rooms
Biological males will be banned from using state-funded private spaces designated for biological women under proposed legislation, which passed the Texas Senate this week. The “Texas Women’s Privacy Act,” Senate Bill (SB) 240 by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), passed the Texas Senate along party lines on Wednesday — hearkening back to highly-controversial legislation from 2017,
Texas House Committee Tackles Harris County Toll Road Surplus Funds
The Texas House Transportation Committee took testimony Thursday on the transfer of billions of dollars in surplus revenue from the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) to county coffers over the past few years — without oversight or transparency on how those surplus funds are spent. “This bill would prevent future HCTRA surplus funds from
Year-Round Daylight Saving Time Bill Passes Texas House
A bill by Rep. Will Metcalf (R-Conroe) that would observe Daylight Saving Time (DST) year-round in Texas under federal authorization, ending the biannual clock changes — a move heavily pushed for by President Donald Trump — has passed the Texas House of Representatives. House Bill (HB) 1393 focuses on an issue that’s been broached over
Fort Worth Approves $75,000 to Study Potential High-Speed Rail
Fort Worth approved $75,000 to conduct an economic impact study for a proposed high-speed rail line to extend from Dallas to Fort Worth, with a stop in Arlington. The line would be part of a one-seat ride extending the long-proposed Dallas-to-Houston project into Fort Worth. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you
School Choice Program Heads to Gov. Abbott’s Desk as Texas Senate Concurs with House Version
A bill to create an education savings account (ESA) program in Texas has now passed through both chambers of the Texas Legislature and is on its way to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, as the Senate concurred with the House’s amendments to Senate Bill (SB) 2. ”School choice has come to Texas,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
Texas House Passes Student Cell Phone Ban Bill
A bill to ban Texas students from using personal communication devices on school premises successfully passed the House floor this week, setting the stage for further debate and consideration in the Senate. Rep. Caroline Fairly (R-Amarillo) presented the committee substitute to House Bill (HB) 1481 on the floor, saying it “prohibits smart devices from being
Texas House Bill to Require Voter Approval for Toll Roads Meets Resistance from Anti-Toll Group
A bill that would require voter approval before a toll road can be constructed is meeting resistance from groups that may have been expected to be allies. Rep. Stan Gerdes (R-Bastrop) authored House Bill (HB) 1589 as a measure to give his constituents a voice in the extension of U.S. Hwy 290 for 13 miles
Texas Senate Passes $50,000 Homestead Exemption Increase for Elderly, Disabled Homeowners
Priority legislation that would raise the homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners by $50,000 passed the Texas Senate on Wednesday. With other planned exemption increases, elderly homeowners would receive a total of $200,000 in homestead exemptions. Senate Bill (SB) 23 and Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 85 raise the school tax homestead exemption — a
Bill to Create Texas AI Council, Strengthen Regulations Passes House
The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA) passed this week on the House floor, aimed at setting up a framework to balance artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and industry expansion in the state. “House Bill 149 will create a comprehensive framework around AI that will allow for clear legal pathways and protections for consumers that
‘Solar Geoengineering’ Ban Discussed in Texas House Committee Hearing
Unease over cloud seeding, geoengineering, and weather manipulation was presented before Texas House members in a committee meeting this week, as residents detailed their concerns with the chemicals and substances used in these processes. The committee substitute for House Bill (HB) 1382, authored by Rep. Wes Virdell (R-Brady) with 17 co-authors, would prohibit “solar geoengineering”
