State 977
Huffines, Craddick Pave Lanes in Texas Comptroller Race With Endorsements
The nascent race for Texas’ most numbers-heavy elected office is already chock-full of thematics and theatrics, and one sticks out above the rest: activists and politicians versus big-money donors. Right after jumping in the race following Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s naming as the next Texas A&M University System chancellor, former state Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas) rolled […]
Senate Bill Banning Biological Men from Women’s State-Funded ‘Private Spaces’ Heard in Committee
A Texas Senate bill banning biological males from using state-owned bathrooms designated for biological females was heard in committee — eight years after a nearly identical bill stole the spotlight in its eventually unsuccessful route through the 85th Texas Legislature. State Sen. Mayes Middleton filed Senate Bill (SB) 240, or the Texas Women’s Privacy […]
Coppell ISD Sued by Texas Attorney General Over Alleged CRT in Teaching
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Coppell Independent School District (ISD) officials, alleging that critical race theory (CRT) is being taught illegally in the district’s schools. The lawsuit stems from a video uploaded by Accuracy in Media, a conservative non-profit watchdog group, that shows Coppell ISD Director of Curriculum and Instruction Evan […]
House Public Education Committee Approves School Choice, Funding Bills
The House Public Education Committee held their rescheduled meeting on Thursday, where two big issues — public school funding and school choice — endured heated debates between members. Immediately, there were objections from members of the committee to there being no official state livestream of the hearing, with Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) objecting to how […]
Texas House Bill Requiring Insurance Cover Detransitioning Services Heard in Committee
A bill requiring insurance companies to cover reversal services for child gender modification was heard in a Texas House committee, drawing in a plethora of testimonies from self-identified “detransitioners” and members of the LGBT community — broaching yet again a highly-contested issue from the 88th Legislative Session. State Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano) laid out his […]
Texas House Committee Hears Testimony on Hostile Foreign Land Ownership Bill
Real estate and land ownership by foreign entities is a major political issue in Texas, especially given the recent revelations regarding “EPIC City,” and now the Texas House has taken up the issue with a bill that will create a criminal offense for such actions. House Bill (HB) 17, authored by Rep. Cole Hefner (R-Mt. […]
Texas House Approves Business Tax Exemption Increase Ahead of Budget Night
The lower chamber gave initial approval to its priority property tax plan on Wednesday, which would increase an exemption for businesses from $2,500 to $250,000. Business personal property is any inventory or other property that isn’t the land on or the building in which a business sits, and House Joint Resolution (HJR) 1 and House […]
Over 100 Texas Lawmakers Back Affordable Housing Reform Bill, Competing Legislation Moves Forward
State lawmakers are scrutinizing a program that offers full property tax exemptions in exchange for designating some units for low- or moderate-income residents, with more than 100 Texas House members now backing a reform bill that has stalled in committee. Rep. Gary Gates (R-Richmond) has proposed reforms to Housing Finance Corporations (HFC) that include more […]
School Choice, Education Funding Bills Hearing Rescheduled in Texas House Committee
The highly anticipated Texas House Public Education Committee hearing, originally scheduled to address school choice bills on Tuesday morning, has been postponed, and committee substitutes will now wait a few more days before testimony can be heard. Public Education Committee Chairman Brad Buckley (R-Salado) made the announcement the committee hearing to take up House Bill […]
Texas Bill Mandating Safety Cameras on School Buses Draws Controversy in Committee
A proposal to allow Texas schools to install cameras on school buses to target drivers who illegally pass stopped buses is drawing comparisons to red light cameras and concerns over a private vendor marketing the technology. House Committee on Transportation Chair Tom Craddick’s (R-Midland) House Bill (HB) 3034 authorizes school districts and charter schools to […]
Texas Bill Permitting Safety Cameras on School Buses Draws Controversy in Committee
A proposal to allow Texas schools to install cameras on school buses to target drivers who illegally pass stopped buses is drawing comparisons to red light cameras and concerns over a private vendor marketing the technology. House Committee on Transportation Chair Tom Craddick’s (R-Midland) House Bill (HB) 3034 authorizes school districts and charter schools to […]
Vape Regulation Bills Spark Debate in Senate Committee Hearing
The sale, distribution, and consumption of e-cigarette products have sparked a growing conversation about how these products are being marketed and sold. The Texas Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday took up the issue, with lawmakers debating the danger of these items. Senate Bill (SB) 1698, authored by Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), seeks to […]
