State 977
Ban on ‘Traveling’ Housing Finance Corporations, Which Awarded 100 Percent Tax Exemptions, Passes Texas House
The Texas House overwhelmingly passed a limited reform bill that prohibits Housing Finance Corporations (HFC) from awarding 100 percent tax exemptions to properties outside of their jurisdictions, but a bill carrying additional reforms remains pending in the House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs. Under the Texas Local Government Code, HFCs may grant apartment owners and developers […]
Texas House Committee Considers Expanding Requirements for Non-Citizens Seeking In-State Tuition
The Texas House Committee on Higher Education considered a bill this week to tighten requirements and expand liabilities for students who are “not a citizen or permanent resident” in the U.S. and are seeking in-state tuition at a Texas university. House Bill (HB) 232, authored by Rep. Cody Vasut (R-Angleton), narrows the eligibility for resident […]
Texas Lottery Commission Bans Online Ticket Sales Through Courier Service
The Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) has unanimously voted to ban lottery couriers in the state from selling tickets online amid growing criticism of the commission itself. “The Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) decision to approve a ban on lottery couriers is the most recent in a series of actions that have undermined the accountability and credibility […]
‘Life of the Mother Act’ Clarifying Texas Abortion Law Passes Senate Unanimously
The Life of the Mother Act, clarifying the state’s abortion laws, has passed the Texas Senate with alterations that rallied more unity behind the bill after a committee hearing revealed tense disagreements within both the pro-life and pro-choice camps surrounding the legislation. Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) carried Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s legislative priority as Senate […]
Texas House Gives Unanimous Approval to ‘Uvalde Strong Act’
The Texas House passed legislation regarding the emergency response failures that led to 19 schoolchildren and two teachers being murdered in Uvalde elementary school shooting in May 2022. Named the “Uvalde Strong Act,” House Bill (HB) 33 by state Rep. Don McLaughlin (R-Uvalde) tasks the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) with designing a uniform […]
12 of 100 ‘Worst of the Worst’ Criminal Illegal Aliens Arrested by Texas ICE
A dozen of the White House’s (WH) newly-published list of 100 of “the worst of the worst criminal illegal immigrants” arrested since President Donald Trump took office in January were apprehended by Texas branches of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a news release titled “In the First 100 Days, the Trump Administration Has […]
Texas Lottery Commission Faces New Lawsuit Amid State Scrutiny
The ongoing Texas Lottery saga involving retailers, couriers, and winners continues to generate debate, media coverage, and political backlash in the state. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been at the forefront of the issue, doing on-the-ground deep dives into different lottery courier services and the alleged issues surrounding them. Most recently, he posted a video […]
House Bill Would Fine Museums Up to $500,000 a Day for Displaying ‘Obscene Material’
House Bill 3958, filed by Rep. David Lowe (R-North Richland Hills), proposes to amend Chapter 402 of Texas Government Code to fine museums that display material in violation of certain sections of Texas Penal Code up to $500,000 per item per day the material is displayed after being found in violation. Under the bill, the […]
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 […]
