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Sen. Cruz Letter to Speaker Burrows ‘Encourages’ Passing School Choice This Session
Pressure to pass school choice during the 89th Legislative Session has begun to mount from all levels of government as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has now published a letter to “encourage” support for education savings accounts (ESA). Cruz penned the letter this week to Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) to make clear that
Texas Senate Priority Bill Would Increase Parental Involvement in Children’s School Library Materials
The Texas Senate has filed a number of priority bills since the start of the 89th Legislative Session, the latest being one that aims to increase parental involvement in what books appear in public school libraries. Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) has filed Senate Bill (SB) 13 to change how school district library collections and catalogs
Texas Senate Promises ‘Hardball’ With House Over Bail Reform Package
Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick put the Texas House on notice during a press conference Wednesday that a failure to enact proposed bail reforms could result in special sessions. “As far as I’m concerned, if these bills do not pass the House, I see no reason for us not to go
Abbott Urges DEI ‘Purge’ of Schools in 2025 State of the State Address
Gov. Greg Abbott laid out a number of emergency items during the 2025 State of the State address, including property tax relief, infrastructure, and school choice. He also made the announcement that he will seek to “purge” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) “from every corner” of Texas schools. “Last session we banned DEI in universities,”
Texas Senate Committee Advances Priority Property Tax Bill, $40,000 Homestead Exemption Increase
A tidal wave of numbers and Donald Trump impressions flooded the Local Government Committee on Tuesday as the body considered the Texas Senate’s priority property tax relief bill. Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) laid out Senate Bill (SB) 4 that’d increase the standard homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 as it pertains to school district tax
Lawmakers Announce New Texas Legislature UK Caucus
The Texas economy continues to grow amid the state’s pro-business environment, and some lawmakers in Legislature want to expand its economic footprint with overseas partners. The announcement of the Texas Legislature UK Caucus, headed up by Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) and Rep. Claudia Ordaz (D-El Paso), is an opportunity, they say, to promote economic
21 Massage Parlors Closed in Texas Since Passage of Anti-Human Trafficking Law
Legislation passed during the 88th Legislative Session has led to nearly two-dozen busts uncovering illicit activity in massage parlors across the state. Nineteen six-month emergency closure orders have been issued to massage establishments across the state due to suspected human trafficking, thanks to state Rep. Ben Bumgarner’s (R-Flower Mound) House Bill (HB) 3579, which
40 Massage Parlors Closed in Texas Since Passage of Anti-Human Trafficking Law
Legislation passed during the 88th Legislative Session has led to 40 busts uncovering illicit activity in massage parlors across the state. Nineteen six-month emergency closure orders have been issued to massage establishments across the state due to suspected human trafficking, thanks to state Rep. Ben Bumgarner’s (R-Flower Mound) House Bill (HB) 3579, which gave
Federal Judge Blocks Portions of Texas SCOPE Act
Texas’ Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act has again been partially blocked after a Texas judge preliminarily enjoined it due to a lawsuit challenging the law. Austin District Court Judge Robert Pitman has granted a motion for a preliminary injunction against provisions in the SCOPE Act, writing that “even accepting that Texas has
Gov. Abbott Lists ‘Texas Cyber Command’ as Emergency Item for State Legislature
Gov. Greg Abbott delivered his State of the State address several days ago, outlining his priorities for the 89th Legislative Session and listing his emergency items, which included an unexpected addition — the creation of a Texas Cyber Command. “We must deploy cutting edge capabilities to better secure our State,” Abbott declared. × This page
Emergency Products, School Choice, Parliamentary Inquiries: This Week in the Texas Legislature
The first week of February is when things in the Texas Legislature, starting off with the initial pleasantries and, in this case, a speaker’s competition, usually start to happen. That’s specifically true this week in two of the three connected channels. × This section requires Browser. For you to be able to read subscription information,
Attorney General Paxton Issues Legal Opinion on Student Athletes Going through a” Gender Transition”
At the demand of Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath, the attorney general of Texas has requested an opinion regarding individuals who have undergone “gender change” and their participation in public school activities. The University Interscholastic League’s ( UIL ) legal obligations under the Texas Education Code regarding “illegal steroid use” are detailed in the
