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Texas Democrats Respond to Friday Sine Die Threat, Say ‘What Happens Next’ is Up to Abbott
Texas House Democrats stated they will “never make quorum again” during the current special session, which state leaders plan to end on Friday, and said they will “issue” their “demands” for the second called session come Friday. “What happens next is entirely up to Greg Abbott,” the Texas House Democratic Caucus (HDC) Chairman Gene Wu […]
Texas Schools Prepare for New Cell Phone Ban, Navigating Enforcement and Pushback
All Texas school districts will begin enforcing the cell phone ban passed under House Bill (HB) 1481 starting on September 1. The law requires that all public and charter schools must “adopt, implement, and ensure the district or school complies with a written policy prohibiting a student from using a personal communication device while on school property […]
Texas Senate Passes Trio of Flood Disaster Response Bills
The Texas Senate charged ahead on Tuesday, passing their package of bills addressing disaster relief in response to the Independence Day floods in Central Texas. A trio of bills were taken up by the upper chamber on Monday, each addressing different concerns that were voiced during the multiple committee committee hearings that followed the devastating […]
Texas Senate Approves Bill Restricting Disclosure of Police Personnel Records
The Texas Senate has approved a bill that would exclude some portions of police personnel records, including unsubstantiated complaints, from disclosure in response to public information requests from media or the public. Filed by state Sen. Phil King (R-Weatherford), Senate Bill (SB) 14 seeks to implement a “model policy” developed by the Texas Commission on […]
Chemical Abortion Drug Ban Passes Texas Senate as House Remains Without Quorum
Legislation restricting the production and distribution of chemical abortion pills in Texas through civil liability, additional powers granted to the state attorney general, and wrongful death claims passed the Texas Senate, where it will die unless a quorum is met in the House on Friday. Senate Bill (SB) 6, also known as the Woman and […]
Local Leaders Urge Congress Not to Withhold Funding from Texas High-Speed Rail Projects
Local government leaders in North Texas agreed to send a letter supporting the high-speed rail plans from Fort Worth to Dallas to Houston. The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) approved a letter to be sent to the North Texas congressional delegation opposing language in a proposed appropriations […]
Texas Legislature to Sine Die Friday Without Quorum, Abbott to Immediately Call Second Special Session
The Texas Legislature is barrelling toward an immediate second special session if no quorum is reached Friday, the state’s top Republican officials confirmed on Tuesday. The House gaveled in on Tuesday, only reaching 95 votes during the roll call, lacking a quorum for the fourth time since Monday last week; the de facto quorum count […]
Texas Supreme Court Sets ‘Expedited Briefing Schedule’ in Abbott-Wu House Seat Vacancy Case
The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) has responded to Gov. Greg Abbott’s writ of quo warranto petition against state Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) to have his House seat declared vacant, setting upcoming dates for briefs to be filed for either side in the case. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar suit against 13 Democratic […]
Texas House Lawmaker Files Special Session Bill to Reform Harris County Flood Control District
State Rep. Dennis Paul (R-Houston) is again calling on fellow state lawmakers to reform and expand the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) to loosen the county’s control over flood planning and expand the district to adopt a regional approach incorporating the San Jacinto River Basin. “What’s prompting this renewed push is the citizens of […]
“Dead Zone” Smaller Than Normal
NOAA-supported scientists announced this year’s Gulf of America “dead zone” — an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and marine life — is approximately 4,402 square miles, 21% smaller than estimates from early June and the 15th smallest measurement on record. This equates to roughly 2.8 million acres of habitat potentially […]
Texas Man Killed by Cape Buffalo
Asher Watkins, 52, a Texas ranch broker and prominent big-game hunter, was fatally gored by a Cape buffalo during a guided safari in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. The fatal incident occurred on August 3 while Watkins was tracking the animal alongside a professional hunter and a local tracker, as part of a luxury hunt organized […]
TFFC Closed to the Public Until Further Notice
The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) has temporarily closed to visitors while Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) completes emergency repairs to a steel column that structurally supports the main visitor center building. Unrelated to the recent renovation of exhibits, displays, and aquaria in the main visitor center, routine maintenance and repairs continue to be implemented at […]
