State 977
‘Water Pirates’: Texas House Committee Grills Investor Over Exploratory Applications for Groundwater Extraction
Water law for the average person in Texas is, to borrow a quote from legendary British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. It’s layered, archaic, and confusing. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in […]
‘Water Pirates’: Texas House Committee Grills Billionaire Over Applications for Groundwater Extraction
Water law for the average person in Texas is, to borrow a quote from legendary British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. It’s layered, archaic, and confusing. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in […]
Texas Legislature Given Second Chance to Eliminate STAAR Test During 2025 Special Session
Lawmakers were unable to get a bill eliminating the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) across the finish line during the regular session that ended in June, but they will get another chance with Gov. Greg Abbott placing the issue on the special session agenda. Abbott is asking the members to “eliminate the […]
Affirmative Defense for Human Trafficking Victims on Special Texas Legislative Session Agenda
Legislation establishing legal protections for human trafficking victims who were coerced into crimes during their captivity was vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott last month, but is set to be taken up again during the 89th Legislature’s first special session. Senate Bill (SB) 1278, authored by Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), sought to create an affirmative […]
Texas Lawmakers Take Up Renewed Push to Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
In response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s special legislative session call, Texas lawmakers will once again attempt to tackle the thorny issue of taxpayer-funded lobbying in hopes of curtailing the practice. “Right now, political subdivisions of state are spending about $100 million per biennium on taxpayer money to hire registered lobbyists, and they’re using those public […]
Texas Senate Committee Unanimously Approves New THC Regulation Bill
The Senate State Affairs Committee on Tuesday took up Senate Bill (SB) 5, the latest edition of the upper chamber’s attempt to address hemp-derived THC products in Texas, this time for the special session. Authored by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who also wrote the THC ban legislation during the regular session, began the hearing by […]
Prominent Texas School Districts Opt Out of Homeschool Participation in UIL Athletic, Academic Events
The University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body for athletic, academic, and fine arts competition in Texas public schools, will now be required to allow homeschool students to participate in events by default. Under the former law, districts had to opt in to allow homeschool families to participate in UIL programs, but Senate Bill 401 […]
Texas Bill Cracking Down on Chemical Abortion Pills Expected During Special Session
Legislation increasing penalties in Texas for the manufacture and distribution of chemical abortion pills is expected to be taken up during the special legislative session, following national attention surrounding a similar — although ultimately unsuccessful — bill during the regular session. During the regular 89th Legislative Session, which concluded on June 2, Senate Bill (SB) […]
Interview: Abbott Discusses Special Session, THC Regulation, Congressional Redistricting
Gov. Greg Abbott has tasked the Texas Legislature with taking up 18 issues during the special session that began on July 21, including regulating hemp-derived THC products, congressional redistricting, and flood response measures. Abbott joined The Texan to talk about the issues that state lawmakers will take up during the 30-day sprint. × This page […]
Texas Lawmakers Called to Regulate Hemp-Derived THC During Special Session
The Texas Legislature has been tasked with regulating the manufacture and sale of THC in Texas during this year’s first special session, an issue that created a political firestorm both inside and outside the Capitol. Senate Bill (SB) 3, commonly referred to as “Banning THC in Texas,” flowered into one of the most attention-grabbing debates […]
Flooding, THC, Redistricting: Here’s What’s on the Texas Legislature’s Special Session Agenda
The 89th Texas Legislature will convene today to begin its first special session of 2025. Gov. Greg Abbott placed 18 items on the call for members to address, among them hot-button issues such as addressing flood disaster response, hemp-derived THC products, and congressional redistricting. Flooding Response × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for […]
Texas’ First Special Session of 2025 Kicks Off Today
The 89th Texas Legislature will gavel in to begin the first special session of 2025 at noon on Monday, having been tasked with addressing 18 different issues by Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott first indicated that a special session would be on the horizon just 30 minutes before midnight during the June 22 midnight veto deadline. […]
