The Austin school district will have to create a $4 million fund and set up a summer program for students who were denied timely special education evaluations and other services, as part of a settlement agreement with Disability Rights Texas, a nonprofit that sued the district in 2021 over the overdue evaluations.  The school district will also have to clear its backlog of overdue special education evaluations by the end of 2024, grant some students out-of-district evaluations without objection and pay Disability Rights Texas $75,000 in legal fees, according to documents released by the U.S. Western District Court of Texas this week.  The settlement wraps up a case filed at the height of the district’s challenges with a chronic pile of past due requests to evaluate students for special education services as well as complaints about the delivery of those services. The Austin district is under a state-appointed monitor to oversee the district's efforts to eliminate the yearslong backlog and improve the delivery of special education services, as part of a September 2023 agreement with the Texas Education Agency. view article

Former Gov. Rick Perry joins House Speaker Dade Phelan’s team as senior adviser  Former Gov. Rick Perry is back in Texas government as a senior adviser to House Speaker Dade Phelan.  Phelan made the announcement Thursday morning in a news release touting Perry's previous posts as a state representative, agriculture commissioner, lieutenant governor and governor. Perry, a staunch Republican who was the longest-serving governor in state history before running for president and serving as U.S. Secretary of Energy under President Donald Trump, will be a senior adviser in a volunteer capacity. He joined Phelan's team on Thursday and will serve until the start of the next legislative session in January. view article

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Since the 2020 election, Texas Republicans have dramatically rewritten the state’s voting laws, which have made some long-standing practices illegal.  

Billy Leo, who died in 2018, was at one point mayor of La Joya, a Rio Grande Valley city of about 4,600 people, and Hidalgo County clerk — among several other public roles he held in South Texas.

As a politician and civic leader, he also was influential in popularizing the focus on absentee voter turnout in local races here.

To help increase voter turnout starting in the mid-1980s, he hired campaign workers to engage elderly residents and help them vote by mail. Such campaign workers came to be known locally as “politiqueras,” though Leo moved away from the term when it became associated with unscrupulous strategies such as paying for votes, his wife said.

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The lawmaker said he confirmed the existence of the classes, such as “Black Feminist Thought,” after contacting Texas A&M. view article

Parents of two children in Dallas Independent School District are suing the district after they claim their children were targeted by the former superintendent’s unlawful mask mandate.  view article

U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden demanded answers in a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai about the Kamala Harris campaign’s use of Google search ads to manipulate news headlines. According to Gooden (TX-5), Google is allowing the Kamala Harris campaign to buy ads that “mislead readers by linking to news stories with altered headlines that appear favorable to the vice president.” Without consent from the companies involved, this “strategy” creates the impression that particular media outlets endorse Harris. Calling Google’s actions “yet another disturbing example of election interference by the world’s largest search engine,” Gooden sees the manipulation of news headlines as “a deliberate attempt to mislead voters by falsely suggesting endorsements from major news publications.” view article

With the start of the new school year, I want to wish our students continued success as they embark on another year of learning, opportunity and lifelong memories. As students pour into the hallways and classrooms of schools across the state, I also want to acknowledge and sincerely thank the teachers, faculty and administrators who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the new school year. These men and women play such a critical role in shaping our children’s future, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their dedicated service. With that, we’ll dive back into our examination of House interim charges. view article

AUSTIN, Texas — "It's unsafe for my children," said Laney Hawes, a mother to four public school children in Texas.  Hawes has been closely monitoring the new curriculum proposed by the Texas Education Agency, which would merge new elementary reading lessons with Bible teachings.  "It is not in the best interest academically," said Hawes.  On Monday, the House Public Education Committee discussed the new curriculum.  TEA Commissioner, Mike Morath, testified saying the new teaching materials are based on research, to help improve student test scores, "The purpose is to build vocabulary and not background knowledge."

Texas lawmakers on Monday sparred during a hearing over two topics expected to consume much of the public education debate during the 2025 legislative session: religion in schools and education savings accounts. view article

To summarize, Abbott predicts the GOP will pick up House Districts 34 (Abel Herrero-Corpus Christi), 70 (Mihaela Plesa-Plano), and 80 (Tracy King-Uvalde). A closer examination suggests some of Abbott’s predictions are more likely than others. view article

More than a dozen state lawmakers demanded more transparency and accountability from Houston ISD Tuesday. The lawmakers held an Ad Hoc House Committee Hearing on the state’s takeover of HISD at the Hilton University of Houston. view article

"People trusted Jim because they liked him and saw in him a person of character, integrity, and goodness," Straus wrote on social media. "He was strong but never mean. Jim brought real joy to public service and to the lives of all who came in contact with him, and we will always remember him as a source of light in the Legislature and in our lives."  U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, a Republican whose congressional district includes Ellis County, also praised Pitts. view article

WASHINGTON — Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat who was one of the longest serving members of Texas’ congressional delegation and a longtime advocate for progressive causes, died on Friday amid her battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 74. Jackson Lee began her congressional career as an underdog, defeating four-term U.S. Rep. Craig Washington in the 1994 Democratic primary, before establishing herself as a fixture in Congress and Houston with ties to the highest reaches of the Democratic Party. “No matter the issue – from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people – she was unrelenting in her leadership,” President Joe Biden said in a statement released Saturday. “Always fearless, she spoke truth to power and represented the power of the people of her district in Houston with dignity andWASHINGTON — Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat who was one of the longest serving members of Texas’ congressional delegation and a longtime advocate for progressive causes, died on Friday amid her battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 74. Jackson Lee began her congressional career as an underdog, defeating four-term U.S. Rep. Craig Washington in the 1994 Democratic primary, before establishing herself as a fixture in Congress and Houston with ties to the highest reaches of the Democratic Party. “No matter the issue – from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people – she was unrelenting in her leadership,” President Joe Biden said in a statement released Saturday. “Always fearless, she spoke truth to power and represented the power of the people of her district in Houston with dignity and view article

Two state representatives are calling on the Texas House’s Democrat Criminal Jurisprudence Chair to hold interim hearings on urgent matters that they believe are putting Texas in imminent danger.  State Reps. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) and Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth) wrote a formal letter urging Criminal Jurisprudence Chair Joe Moody (D-El Paso) to hold hearings on border security, potential child abuse and fraud at Texas Children’s Hospital, and President Joe Biden’s lawfare against whistleblowers.   But despite calls from a growing group of Republican lawmakers over the past several weeks to add an investigation of the allegations to the House’s interim committee charges, Phelan has thus far ignored them. During Tuesday’s meeting, both Harrison and Schatzline—who serve on the committee—asked Moody if there was any possibility of discussing future legislation regarding the heinous crimes that have taken place. However, Moody explained he would have to review the committee rules to determine if the requested charges could be added.  view article

Lorena ISD parents are meeting with lawmakers to try and change laws when it comes to school administrators being immune from lawsuits in child abuse cases. 25 News spoke with one parent who told me he’s meeting with Senator Birdwell’s office soon. view article

The chairman of the Texas Democrat Party, Gilberto Hinojosa, says election fraud is taking place in South Texas. This claim is based on a lawsuit filed in Hidalgo County contesting the election for Justice of the Peace Precinct 3, Place 1. The certified vote showed Sonia Trevino winning the Democrat primary runoff last month with 4,233 votes, while Ramon Segovia finished second with 4,202 votes. Segovia is currently challenging the election results, with Hinojosa representing him as his lawyer. The lawsuit makes numerous allegations of voter fraud, including: – Numerous votes were allegedly cast illegally by individuals registered at an address that was not their residence or was not a residence at all. – Many voters who cast ballots during early voting and on election day were allegedly assisted in reading or completing the ballot, despite not being eligible for such assistance under the Texas Elections Code. view article

The May 28 primary runoff elections in Houston were especially competitive this cycle, with Democrats vying for open seats in the Texas House and Senate. Elsewhere, Republican primaries in the region and across Texas were also up for grabs. Gov. Greg Abbott was looking to oust the GOP lawmakers who oppose school vouchers, and House Speaker Dade Phelan faced a spirited challenge from Republican David Covey, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. Below, keep track of vote tallies as they come in with our live results tracker. view article

House Speaker Dade Phelan survived an unusually tough and bitter GOP primary challenge Tuesday, positioning himself for a sixth term in the Legislature’s lower chamber and besting far-right activists who led a multimillion-dollar effort to oust him. Phelan narrowly beat right-wing challenger David Covey, an oil and gas consultant, with about 51% of the vote in the Beaumont-area district Tuesday night, according to unofficial returns. Covey had 49%. The difference was fewer than 400 votes. view article

The proposed law is called “Jocelyn’s Law” in memory of slain 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.  Following the brutal murder of a 12-year-old girl in Houston, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick promises action—stating that he will ensure the Texas Senate passes new bail reform legislation.  “I just left the funeral of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. Her alleged killers, both here illegally, with one actually wearing an ankle monitor given to him by the federal government, are charged with brutally murdering her last week,” Patrick posted on X. “Jocelyn’s family was shocked any bail was given in this case.”  Patrick stated he’ll address this in the next session. The proposed law he’s put forward has been named “Jocelyn’s Law” in memory of Jocelyn Nungaray—who was allegedly murdered by two illegal aliens from Venezuela. Following the brutal murder of a 12-year-old girl in Houston, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick promises action—stating that he will ensure the Texas Senate passes new bail reform legislation.  “I just left the funeral of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. Her alleged killers, both here illegally, with one actually wearing an ankle monitor given to him by the federal government, are charged with brutally murdering her last week,” Patrick posted on X. “Jocelyn’s family was shocked any bail was given in this case.”  Patrick stated he’ll address this in the next session. The proposed law he’s put forward has been named “Jocelyn’s Law” in memory of Jocelyn Nungaray—who was allegedly murdered by two illegal aliens from Venezuela.   If passed, “Jocelyn’s Law” would empower Texans to amend the constitution to automatically deny bail for those facing capital murder charges. This would apply even if subjects are not eligible for the death penalty. Patrick has also said that the Senate will revamp “Lauren’s Law,” which would make murderers of any child under 15 eligible for the death penalty. As of now, only killers of children aged under 10 years old can be eligible for execution.   If passed, “Jocelyn’s Law” would empower Texans to amend the constitution to automatically deny bail for those facing capital murder charges. This would apply even if subjects are not eligible for the death penalty. Patrick has also said that the Senate will revamp “Lauren’s Law,” which would make murderers of any child under 15 eligible for the death penalty. As of now, only killers of children aged under 10 years old can be eligible for execution.  view article

The letter requests the creation of an independent state-level authority to prosecute election crimes and a thorough examination of the voter rolls to verify U.S. citizenship before November’s presidential election. view article

In the latest move exposing tension between leadership in the House and the Senate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has publicly condemned Speaker Dade Phelan for effectively killing legislation aimed at mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.  The measure passed the Texas Senate but was stalled in the House last year, sparking outrage among its proponents. Now Louisiana has beaten Texas by becoming the first state to pass the measure into law.“Texas WOULD HAVE been and SHOULD HAVE been the first state in the nation to put the Ten Commandments back in our schools,” Patrick declared in a social media post.  The proposed measure was authored by State Sen. Phil King and passed by the Senate. However, when the legislation reached the House, Phelan allowed it to languish in committee, ensuring it never reached a floor vote by placing it on the calendar far too late. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott succeeded in his campaign against Republicans who defied him on school vouchers. Now he may finally get the votes he needs to pass a bill.  As proponents of private school vouchers racked up win after win across the country in recent years, the largest Republican-led state in the nation remained stubbornly outside their grasp — until now. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott succeeded in persuading primary voters to remove from office members of his party who had defied him by voting against legislation that would allow the use of state money to pay for private school tuition.  Abbott’s success campaigning against fellow Republicans during the primary election sent a clear message that disloyalty would not be tolerated even for those who supported other priorities he outlined. If the pro-voucher candidates who Abbott supported in their primaries win in the November general election, as many are expected to, the governor argues he has the votes to finally pass legislation.                                    view article

A group of House Republicans are attempting to steer the conversation away from ending Democrat chairmanships by instead signing onto a series of priorities that conspicuously omits a ban on the practice. This comes after 46 current and incoming members recently signed a pledge to only vote for a Speaker of the House that does not put Democrats in leadership positions. 21 of those members, thus far, have also signed onto the “Contract With Texas”, a series of 12 proposed House reforms to end powersharing with Democrats and emphasize Republican legislative priorities. view article

The resolution asserts that enforcing a new border security law would strain police resources and negatively impact relationships with the community.  Dallas City Council members have approved a resolution condemning Texas’ landmark border security law, with only three council members voting against the measure. The resolution is in response to Senate Bill 4, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in December of last year and simultaneously criminalizes illegal entry into the state of Texas and empowers law enforcement to arrest illegal aliens.  The legislation has been caught up in a lawsuit by the Biden administration, which asserts that the law is “clearly unconstitutional.” view article

When Texans vote, they expect transparent elections will not extend to violating the secrecy of their ballots. However, recent developments have brought this into question. During a Texas House Elections Committee hearing this week, lawmakers probed the Secretary of State’s office following reports suggesting that ballot secrecy might be compromised. Christina Adkins, Elections Director at the Secretary of State’s office, explained that some individuals claim to unmask votes using an undisclosed algorithm. But it’s unclear if an algorithm is to blame for ballots being linked to voters or just a complex process of elimination. The “algorithm” has not been reviewed by the Secretary of State or Attorney General’s office, but it was a focal point of this week’s hearing. During the hearing, State Reps. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) and Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake) expressed strong concerns and a desire to address this issue urgently. view article

Rep. Jared Patterson of Frisco wants to designate the watered-down “Commitment” as the GOP caucus’ 2025 priorities.  Numerous sources in the Texas House GOP caucus report that a move is underway to cast aside the legislative priorities adopted by delegates to the Republican Party’s biennial convention last month in favor of a watered-down version that ignores several key reforms. Leading that charge is Frisco Republican Jared Patterson, who chairs the GOP caucus’ policy committee.  These sources say, Patterson—a key ally of embattled Speaker Dade Phelan—is trying to convene a meeting of the caucus policy committee as soon as Tuesday. The only item on the proposed agenda would be naming the “Texas Conservative Commitment” as the official statement of 2025 priorities for the House GOP caucus instead of the priorities established by the Republican Party. view article

The “Texas Conservative Commitment” is being derided as an attempt to cover for members who want Democrats in leadership positions. A group of House Republicans are attempting to steer the conversation away from ending Democrat chairmanships by instead signing onto a series of priorities that conspicuously omits a ban on the practice. This comes after 46 current and incoming members recently signed a pledge to only vote for a Speaker of the House that does not put Democrats in leadership positions. 21 of those members, thus far, have also signed onto the “Contract With Texas”, a series of 12 proposed House reforms to end powersharing with Democrats and emphasize Republican legislative priorities. view article

A majority of Texas House Republicans say they do not want Democrats placed in leadership positions next session, a strong rebuke of a policy that has been embraced by current House Speaker Dade Phelan. The letter, signed by 46 current and incoming Republican members, states: In a collective effort to respond to Republican voters and reform the Texas House, we will only vote for a candidate for speaker pursuant to the Platform and the Caucus By-Laws who will only appoint Republicans as committee chairs. Phelan, meanwhile, has repeatedly defended the practice of placing Democrats as chairs of committees, despite the fact that ending the practice has been a priority of the Republican Party of Texas. In a recent interview, he said he would “not waver” from placing Democrats in charge, despite the Republican majority in the chamber. view article

The censured members said they had been punished for campaigning against “liberal incumbents” alongside statewide elected officials like Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. view article

Texas Democrats are zeroing in on education issues in their bid to flip several state House districts this fall, as they look to blame GOP lawmakers for teacher shortages and school closures and mobilize their base around defeating Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature school voucher policy.  That approach came into focus last week at the Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso, where party leaders and House candidates repeatedly bashed Abbott’s push to provide taxpayer funds for private school tuition. They also acknowledged the governor’s recent success ousting members of his own party who oppose school vouchers, invoking it as a reason to focus on battleground House races this fall. view article

AUSTIN, Texas – June 11, 2024 – The Texas Education Agency (TEA) today announced over $290 million in Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) funds has been awarded for nearly 25,000 designated Texas teachers during the 2023-24 school year. These educators make up some of Texas’ best, and they work to improve student growth and success in their classrooms.    view article

Houston ISD officials have submitted a request for federal aid relief funding to support recovery efforts from the deadly derecho storm in May. According to an email sent to Chron, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles emailed state lawmakers on Monday to confirm he submitted an official request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). view article

The state House Public Education Committee on Tuesday considered more than 30 bills aimed at making Texas public schools safer, including measures that would put more armed personnel on campuses and give districts money for sweeping security changes. The Legislature has made improving school safety a priority this session after 10 people, mostly students, were shot and killed at Santa Fe High School 10 months ago. The shooting spurred roundtable discussions and studies among policymakers, lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott in the immediate aftermath. “Out of that loss, we have an opportunity to devote ourselves and commit ourselves to seeing that their loss was not in vain and that future students, future teachers, future families in this state will, if at all possible, not have to experience what these individuals experienced,” said Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, during Tuesday’s hearing. view article

Property tax reform has been a top priority for Texas lawmakers from the start of the 86th legislative session. The early filing of identical, wide-reaching bills in the House and Senate in January—Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2—sparked debate on the topic and earned pushback from many local entities that could be affected by the proposals. The twin bills propose to lower the cap for local entities’ annual tax revenue growth from 8 percent to 2.5 percent and to improve efficiency and transparency in the tax system. The proposals were fast-tracked for debate in both chambers after Gov. Greg Abbott declared property tax an emergency item in February, and dozens of related bills have been filed in their wake. view article