State 977
Dan Patrick’s Dementia Research Institute Priority Filed in Texas Senate
One of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top legislative priorities, the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), has been filed in the Texas Senate. Patrick first proposed DPRIT in November 2024 to draw “leading Dementia researchers and companies” to the state, and it has now been filed by Senate Committee on Finance Chair Joan Huffman […]
Texas House Unveils Education Package, Setting Table for Policy Fights
Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) has said he expects this session to be, more than anything else, an education session, and this week the Texas House dropped a payload of bills to that effect. The two-pronged centerpiece of that package from Chairman Brad Buckley (R-Salado) is House Bills (HB) 2 and 3 — the chamber’s blueprints […]
‘Make Texas Healthy Again’ Bill Requires Warning Labels for ‘Banned Chemicals’
On the heels of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being confirmed as the new U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Texas has followed the “Make America Healthy Again” path with its own legislation to address health and wellness. Senate Bill (SB) 25, dubbed the “Making Texas Healthy Again” bill on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s […]
Texas Senators Approve Constitutional Amendment to Deny Bail for Violent Offenders
In a bipartisan vote, Texas senators have overwhelmingly approved placing an amendment to the state constitution on the ballot in hopes that despite previous failures, this year’s House members will finish the job. Sen. Joan Huffman’s (R-Houston) Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 5, would give judges and magistrates the discretion to deny bail to defendants charged […]
Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Ban Priority Bill Filed in Texas Senate
The Texas Senate’s priority taxpayer-funded lobbying ban was filed on Thursday, starting the clock on the latest attempt by some Republicans to establish such a prohibition. State Sen. Mayes Middleton’s (R-Galveston) Senate Bill (SB) 19 is described as “relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds for lobbying and certain other activities.” […]
Family Violence Offenders Registry Proposed in New Texas House Bill
A bill filed in the Texas House would create the Family Violence Registration Program, which would establish a system to track family violence offenders who have been convicted or granted deferred adjudication community supervision, forcing offenders to register annually at minimum. “If you lay your hand on an innocent man, woman, or child, you […]
Texas Lottery Commission, Couriers Come Under Increasing Scrutiny
The Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, prompting one of the state’s highest elected officials to take to the streets and inquire about the issue. Texas voters approved the creation of a state lottery in 1991, and the Legislature established the TLC in 1993. Since 1997, the commission has […]
Texas Lottery Commission, Ticket Couriers Under Scrutiny from Lawmakers
The Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, prompting one of the state’s highest elected officials to take to the streets and inquire about the issue. Texas voters approved the creation of a state lottery in 1991, and the Legislature established the TLC in 1993. Since 1997, the commission has […]
‘Texas Two Step’: House School Choice, Public Education Funding Bills Filed
The Texas House has filed its pair of education bills, one for public school funding and the other to create a school choice program, characterized by House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) as the “defining issue of this session.” Dubbed the “Texas Two Step,” Burrows described the pair of education bills as “historic” and said that […]
Texas Senate Approves ‘Jocelyn’s Law’ Denying Bail to Illegal Aliens Facing Felony Charges
Three bail reform measures filed by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) and prioritized by both Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sailed through the Texas Senate with bipartisan support Wednesday, including a proposal that would require judges to hold illegal immigrants charged with felony crimes without bail. “Across Texas, and specifically in Harris County, […]
Texas Senate Weighs Creating of Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) is keen on establishing a first-of-its-kind financial reserve for the State of Texas focused on Bitcoin. Senate Bill (SB) 21, one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s legislative priorities, would create a fund outside the state treasury and run by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts that “serves the public purpose of […]
Texas Senate Weighs Creating Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) is keen on establishing a first-of-its-kind financial reserve for the State of Texas focused on Bitcoin. Senate Bill (SB) 21, one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s legislative priorities, would create a fund outside the state treasury and run by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts that “serves the public purpose of […]
