State 977
Patrick Adds ‘Life of the Mother’ Act, Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Travel Ban to Senate Priorities
Among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top 40 priorities during Texas’ 89th Legislative Session are two abortion-related bills: the “Life of the Mother” Act clarifying the state’s current abortion laws and interpretation of its exceptions, and “Stopping Taxpayer-Funded Abortion Travel.” Patrick released the last 15 of his priorities of his agenda that includes a plethora of […]
Senate Priority Bill Would Create ‘Homeland Security Division’ Within Texas Department of Public Safety
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released the second half of his priority bills for the upper chamber on Thursday, and included on the list is a piece of legislation to enhance coordination and operations related to homeland security, border security, and critical infrastructure protection. Senate Bill (SB) 36, authored by Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), proposes […]
Texas House Mulls Wildfire Response Package After 2024 Panhandle Disaster
The Smokehouse Creek wildfire torched more than one million acres of Panhandle land one year ago, and now legislators have a package of reforms that hope to prevent that runaway blaze from happening again. In February 2024, warm temperatures, a dry spell, and high wind conditions combined to make much of the Panhandle a tinderbox. […]
Texas Bill Would Keep State National Guard From Active Combat Duty Without Congressional Authorization
Several state governments across the country have introduced legislation to prevent the deployment of National Guard troops in overseas conflicts, and now a Texas bill has been filed to do the same. House Bill 930, introduced by Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park), seeks to impose stricter requirements on the activation of the Texas National Guard […]
From Zero to 60: Texas Legislature Bill Filing Deadline Arrives
Texas’ 89th regular legislative session has seen 60 days pass since its start in January — swinging open the door for increased speed and ensuing chaos, as the window for bill filing closes and floor debates over legislation commence. The Texas Constitution, which entirely dictates the procedures of the legislative session and its calendar, permits […]
Texas House DOGE Committee Grills TASB on Profitable Purchasing Cooperative
Representatives from the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) purchasing cooperative grappled with answering questions during a Texas House committee hearing Wednesday, with some lawmakers lambasting the taxpayer-supported nonprofit over the group’s profits and lobbying efforts. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable […]
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Releases Second List of Texas Senate Priorities
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has released the second round of priority bills for the Texas Senate, featuring measures on issues such as banning lottery couriers, the Life of the Mother Act, and preventing squatting, among others. The list of bills includes: × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to […]
Border Security, Police Recruitment, Illegal Entry Penalties Discussed in Texas House Committee Hearing
Law enforcement, border security, and federal agency cooperation were all topics of discussion in the Texas House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing this week as lawmakers and witnesses discussed various bill proposals. Col. Ron VanderRoest of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department appeared before the committee to discuss the “two phases” […]
Texas Legislature Weighs Options to Cope With Influx of Data Centers, Other Large Loads
The Texas power grid isn’t as big of an issue as it was the last two sessions, but the Texas Senate still has something up its sleeve in dealing with the influx of large loads like data centers and cryptocurrency miners. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) estimates its electricity load will grow to […]
Senate Bill Would Grant Texans ‘Exclusive Property Right’ to DNA
Texas has a law on the books that regulates how “direct-to-consumer” genetic testing companies can collect, use, and share genetic data while affirming an individual’s property rights over their DNA. Now, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) has introduced legislation explicitly stating that a person has an “exclusive property right” over their DNA and sets criminal and […]
Texas Lawmakers Aim to Supplant Delaware as Corporate HQ Hub With New Pro-Business Bill
In the wake of a Delaware judge’s controversial ruling that blocked Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion shareholder-approved pay package, Texas lawmakers are moving to unseat Delaware as the premier corporate headquarters destination in the U.S. by crafting a more enticing legal climate — hoping to lure companies that might follow Musk’s lead to rehome […]
FCC Chief Investigating Allegations Google Discriminated Against Texas Faith-Based Media Company
New Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr announced he will be investigating allegations that Google’s YouTube TV is discriminating against conservative and faith-based content after receiving a complaint from the chairman of a Texas-based media outlet. “These concerning allegations come at a time when American public discourse has experienced an unprecedented – and unacceptable – surge […]
