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Texas Senate Passes ‘Uvalde Strong Act,’ Establishing Uniform On-Site Chain of Command for Active Shooter Response
The “Uvalde Strong Act” cleared the second of three hurdles toward becoming law on Monday when the Texas Senate passed it unanimously. House Bill (HB) 33, authored by state Rep. Don McLaughlin (R-Uvalde) and sponsored by state Sen. Pete Flores (R-Pleasanton), requires the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) to establish a uniform chain of
Landowners Praise Bill Requiring Transparency of High-Speed Rail Project
Landowners are praising a bill that would require more transparency from high-speed rail projects in Texas, including the proposed project between Dallas and Houston. That legislation has passed both houses of the Texas Legislature. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in
Texas Lawmakers Approve Historic Bail Reform Constitutional Amendment
The Texas House voted overwhelmingly to approve a proposed state constitutional amendment that will allow denial of bail to certain violent suspects, capping off a reform effort that has been years in the making. In a Monday bipartisan vote of 133 to 8, House members approved Sen. Joan Huffman’s (R-Houston) Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 5
Texas Launches Investigation Into U.S. Masters Swimming for Allegedly Allowing Biological Male in Women’s Race
Texas has launched an investigation into the U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) after it allegedly allowed a biological male to compete in women’s events during its 2025 Spring Nationals swim meet hosted in San Antonio. “The policy of US Masters Swimming, which allows men to compete in women’s events, is reprehensible and could violate Texas’s consumer
Attorney General Paxton Closes Superior HealthPlan Investigation, Finds No Illegal Conduct
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton closed his investigation into Superior HealthPlan Insurance on Monday after finding it did not violate Texas law in its use of private investigators (PI) to collect data on lawmakers, journalists, and private citizens. Paxton first launched the investigation in late March, shortly after a fiery hearing in the House Committee
First Texas House Deadline Hits as House Bills Not Passed by Midnight Expire
The clock struck midnight in the Texas House on state Rep. Terry Wilson’s (R-Marble Falls) proposal to close a loophole that allows candidates to file for both a primary ballot slot and a third party convention nomination. That bill was less important thematically than what came next: state Rep. Brent Money’s (R-Greenville) House Bill 5561
Senate Passes Bill to Abolish Texas Lottery Commission, Transfer Operations to Licensing Department
The Texas Senate passed a recently introduced piece of legislation that would abolish the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC), moving its operation to another agency, and place a number of safeguards in place for retailers and players. Senate Bill (SB) 3070, authored by Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), is the latest effort to quell some of the
Texas Senate Committee Passes New Version of Public School Funding, Teacher Pay Raise Bill
The Texas Senate K-16 Education Committee took up a public school finance bill that seeks to inject more than $8 billion in new funding into Texas schools. The Senate committee substitute includes several modifications to House Bill (HB) 2, which is one half of the “Texas Two Step” education package from the lower chamber. The
Texas House Approves Enhanced ‘Junk Science Writ’ Following Roberson Controversy
The Texas House passed a bill this week aiming to improve access to relief for individuals whose convictions or sentences may have been undermined by evolving scientific understanding. House Bill (HB) 115 was presented to the lower chamber on Wednesday by bill author Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield). He explained that the Legislature had previously passed
Bill Decriminalizing Homosexual Conduct Passes Texas House
Legislation seeking to decriminalize homeosexual conduct in state code passed an initial vote in the Texas House on Thursday night with a degree of bipartisan support. Rep. Venton Jones (D-Dallas), a self-identified gay man, carried House Bill (HB) 1738 successfully through the lower chamber with bipartisan joint author support from Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) and
At a Premium: Texas Legislature Mulls Reforms to Cumbersome Insurance Industry
Among the weediest issues the Texas Legislature is attacking this session is insurance, an industry with ballooning premiums caused by general uncertainty on one end and certainty of payout on the other. “Insurance is the practice of assigning a dollar amount to risk,” state Rep. Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) told the House Insurance Committee in March.
Texas Senator Files Bill to Abolish Texas Lottery Commission, Transfer Operations
With less than 30 days left in the 89th Legislative Session, a Texas senator has introduced a new bill to address growing concerns regarding the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) by abolishing the agency and moving its operations to another department. Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) late Monday afternoon filed Senate Bill (SB) 3017, which would abolish
