Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday signed legislation authorizing a private school voucher program into law, marking the grand finale of an oftentimes ugly conflict that has largely defined Texas politics this decade.Senate Bill 2 will allow families to use public taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s education at an accredited private school or to pay for a wide range of school-related expenses, like textbooks, transportation or therapy. The program will be one of the largest school voucher initiatives in the nation.  “When I ran for reelection in 2022, I promised school choice for the families of Texas. Today, we deliver on that promise,” said Abbott during the bill's signing before hundreds of applauding supporters gathered outside the Governor's Mansion.  view article

Abbott tapped into a powerful national conservative movement and his own campaign war chest to turn turned legislative races into multimillion-dollar affairs.   view article

Texas’ governor joins other Republican governors making similar requests to ban purchases of candy and soda through the SNAP program.  Gov. Greg Abbott is requesting a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prohibit the use of SNAP benefits to purchase unhealthy and highly processed foods in Texas. In a Wednesday letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Abbott asked for the waiver — which would give the state the ability to restrict these food purchases — to ensure taxpayer funds are used for only “healthy, nutritious food.”  “I look forward to the opportunities this approach will bring to improve the health and quality of life for low-income Texans,” Abbott wrote. view article

Juvenile detention, imported shrimp, forever chemicals among hundreds of bills cut off by House deadline view article

The proposal would heavily invest in teacher pay and special education. It includes a modest $55 increase to schools' base per-student funding, significantly lower than what the House had sought.   view article

The bill would cap out-of-state political donations to a candidate or lawmaker to $5,000 for a statewide election, $2,500 for a district office and $1,000 for a county office. view article

The Texas Lottery Commission has referred a high-profile investigation into alleged fraud and criminal activity surrounding the state lottery to the Federal Bureau of Investigation following a detailed complaint and mounting public scrutiny.  The referral, included in a previously undisclosed investigative report, is the latest escalation in a scandal that has rocked the Texas Lottery, implicating former executives and ticket reseller companies and raising questions about the integrity of multi-million dollar jackpots.  In a letter dated February 26, 2025, then-Executive Director Ryan Mindell informed state lawmakers that the agency had completed an initial review of allegations raised in a letter sent to the agency in January.  John Brier submitted a 20-page letter and 32 supporting exhibits detailing years of alleged criminal conduct by principals of Lottery.com—a so-called lottery courier company—and former Lottery Commission Executive Director Gary Grief. view article

The bill would bar those under 18 from checking out books with sexually explicit material without parental permission. view article

The agency did not offer details about the types of crimes or immigration violations the majority of the people were accused of.  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday said it has deported more than 500 people and arrested more than 400 suspected undocumented immigrants as part of a weeklong operation in the Houston area. “This initiative will save taxpayers millions of dollars each year by significantly reducing the time that aliens who have exhausted due process and been ordered removed from the U.S. need to be in ICE custody,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. view article

A raft of social conservative priorities backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick hang in the balance, including efforts to infuse more religion into public schools  A raft of social conservative priorities backed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick hang in the balance, including efforts to infuse more religion into public schools.. Making their way through the legislative gauntlet — and soon facing end-of-session deadlines — are measures to lower property taxes, tighten the state’s bail laws, dedicate money for water projects and clarify when doctors can perform life-saving abortions. Also unresolved is the final makeup of the state’s more than $330 billion two-year budget, along with a nearly $8 billion package to boost public school funding. view article

Texas legislators slipped millions for child ID kits into a 1,000-page budget proposal. The move comes two years after they quietly cut funding for such kits following a ProPublica and Texas Tribune report that showed there’s no evidence they work. view article

Lawmakers debating a bill that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in Texas public schools briefly sparred over a question that has been answered by years of research but is often overlooked in political discussions: Should the state help staff classrooms with teachers who look like their students? view article

Texas lawmakers are seeking to support kindergarten readiness and bolster literacy and numeracy skills with legislation aimed at improving students’ reading and math knowledge in earlier grade levels.  House Bill 123, which the lower chamber passed Wednesday with overwhelming bipartisan support, builds on previous legislation aimed at increasing teacher training and providing supports for students.  The $315 million proposal would revise requirements for teachers to attend and complete literacy and numeracy academies and require skills assessments for students in Kindergarten through third grade. The bill would also mandate tutoring interventions for certain students, based on their performance on the assessments. view article

Private school vouchers, public school finance and teacher pay have been the focus of heated debates during this year’s legislative session over how to direct taxpayer dollars to support Texas children’s education. But those haven’t been the only education-related issues up for discussion.  Many other bills aim to reshape public education in Texas. Some offer additional resources, while others introduce new restrictions. Proposed legislation would boost funding for campus safety, support students who are falling behind in math and reading, and prohibit the use of cellphones during school hours. view article

Texas House votes to strictly define man and woman, excluding trans people from state records view article

House Bill 4 would make the test shorter and base scores on how students’ performance compares to national averages. view article

While Texas is already a castle doctrine state, individuals whom a grand jury declines to prosecute may still face civil action after exercising self-defense. view article

Student discipline, uncertified teachers and school bans on DEI and cellphones are some of the topics being debated at the Texas Legislature this session.  Private school vouchers, public school finance and teacher pay have been the focus of heated debates during this year’s legislative session over how to direct taxpayer dollars to support Texas children’s education. But those haven’t been the only education-related issues up for discussion.  Many other bills aim to reshape public education in Texas. Some offer additional resources, while others introduce new restrictions. Proposed legislation would boost funding for campus safety, support students who are falling behind in math and reading, and prohibit the use of cellphones during school hours. view article

A key Senate critic threw a lifeline to the Texas Lottery when he proposed moving its oversight to a new agency instead of eliminating it entirely.  A bill that would keep the Texas Lottery alive and enact sweeping changes by placing it under a new agency was heard in a Senate committee on Monday, a last-minute lifeline for the increasingly scrutinized department and its games.  Senate Bill 3070, filed by Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, would abolish the Texas Lottery Commission and move supervision of the state-sponsored game under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.  view article

Texas’ newest Republican megadonor Alex Fairly got a look under the hood of Texas’ far-right political machine, and didn’t like what he saw. Here are six takeaways from his exclusive interview with The Texas Tribune. view article

LUFKIN — Child marriages in Texas could end this year, as state lawmakers debate a proposal that would close a loophole from a 2017 law that allows certain 16- and 17-year-olds to wed.  House Bill 168 by state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, a Houston Democrat, would also nullify all existing marriage licenses involving minors, including those who move into the state after being married elsewhere.  The Texas House could vote on the matter as early as Saturday. For it to become law, the legislation would also need approval from the Senate. view article

If it becomes law, the bill would define sex based on reproductive organs and require state documents and policies to comply with that framework. view article

Texas’ newest Republican megadonor Alex Fairly got a look under the hood of Texas’ far-right political machine, and didn’t like what he saw. Here are six takeaways from his exclusive interview with The Texas Tribune. view article

Legislation that would overhaul how Texas public schools interact with parents is in danger of dying in the House, even after clearing the Senate nearly two months ago and earning the public backing of Gov. Greg Abbott.  Senate Bill 12, dubbed the “Parental Bill of Rights,” passed the Senate on March 19. But House Speaker Dustin Burrows waited more than a month to refer the legislation to the Public Education Committee, doing so only on April 22.   Since then, the committee has not scheduled it for a hearing. Less than four weeks remain in the legislative session. view article

A bill that would make college less affordable for undocumented students, including those who have called the state their home for most of their lives, is advancing in the Texas Senate.  The Senate’s K-16 committee voted 9-2 on Tuesday to bring Senate Bill 1798 to the chamber’s floor for a full vote. It would eliminate undocumented students’ eligibility for in-state tuition and require those previously deemed eligible to pay the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition. view article

 Paxton issued formal warnings to Chinese companies he said are violating Texas’ privacy laws.  Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued formal warnings to several major Chinese-owned companies—including TP-Link, Alibaba, and CapCut—accusing them of violating the privacy rights of Texas residents. The companies, identified as being aligned with the Chinese Communist Party, have been given thirty days to comply with the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act view article

Dallas Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde told a theater full of educators on Tuesday that Texas could be “standing on the precipice” of eliminating the STAAR test. During her annual State of the District address, Elizalde lauded a legislative proposal to scrap the state’s much-derided standardized test and replace it with a series of shorter exams that would be given to students throughout the year. view article

Priority legislation that has already passed the Senate is up against the clock in the House.  While laying out a utility-related bill on the House floor, State Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian) faced pointed criticism from one of his colleagues over the fate of stalled Republican priorities.  During discussion of House Bill 4668, which allows the Public Utility Commission to retain outside experts to support utility rate cases, State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R–Arlington) took the opportunity to confront King, who chairs the powerful State Affairs Committee, for holding up several key conservative proposals.  “Chairman King, does this bill have anything to do with women’s privacy?” Tinderholt asked, to which King answered, “No.”  “It doesn’t have anything to do with taxpayer-funded lobbying?” Tinderholt asked.  “No,” responded King.  “Does it have anything to do with E-Verify?” King once again said it did not.   “Those three bills are being locked up in your committee, and people want to see them on the floor,” said Tinderholt.  view article

The bill would overturn a two-decade-old law allowing some undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition.  A bill that would make college less affordable for undocumented students, including those who have called the state their home for most of their lives, is advancing in the Texas Senate.  The Senate’s K-16 committee voted 9-2 on Tuesday to bring Senate Bill 1798 to the chamber’s floor for a full vote. It would eliminate undocumented students’ eligibility for in-state tuition and require those previously deemed eligible to pay the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition.  State Sen. Mayes Middleton, who authored the bill, said taxpayers are subsidizing higher education for people in the country illegally, which he estimated cost $150 million in the 2024-2025 academic year. view article

The compromise includes $3 billion in required compression, $3 billion for a homestead exemption increase, and approximately $250 million for business property tax relief.  The compromise includes $3 billion in required compression, $3 billion for a homestead exemption increase, and approximately $250 million for business property tax relief. view article

The compromise includes $3 billion in required compression, $3 billion for a homestead exemption increase, and approximately $250 million for business property tax relief.  It appears Texas lawmakers have struck a deal on property tax relief—though critics say it doesn’t go far enough to return the state’s surplus to taxpayers.  During a meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee, Chairman Morgan Meyer (R–Dallas) announced that a compromise had been reached between the House and Senate, ending weeks of negotiations over competing tax cut proposals.  “We have reached an agreement with the Senate as it relates to tax relief,” Meyer told committee members. “I just wanted to thank the lieutenant governor, Chairman Bettencourt, the speaker, obviously the governor as well, for all of us working together to provide meaningful property tax relief. I’m glad we got this job done.  State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston) simultaneously announced the deal during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Local Government.  The House’s original proposal included $3 billion in required tax rate “compression” under existing law, an additional $3 billion in new compression, and $500 million to raise the exemption for business personal property. The Senate, meanwhile, focused on using its additional $3 billion toward boosting the homestead exemption for homeowners. view article

Advocates are focused on stronger laws to address the “epidemic” of physical and sexual abuse in schools.  While school choice captured much of the attention during the first half of the legislative session, a parent-driven advocacy group has been laser-focused on reforming the existing government education system, which will continue to receive the vast majority of Texas’ 5.5 million students and the largest share of the state’s budget.  With the session drawing to a close, time is now running short.  Texas Education 911, an independent group of parent advocates, first began promoting policy solutions to parent-identified problems within the public school system ahead of the 2023 legislative session. view article

State Rep. Brent Money says State Affairs Committee Chair Ken King won’t give the legislation a hearing. view article

With just over a month remaining in the 2025 legislative session, a group of conservative Texas House members gathered for a press conference to issue a stark warning to their leadership: time is almost up to deliver on Republican priorities.“Today is day 107 of our 140-day legislative session,” said State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R–Arlington). “In 12 days, every House bill that is going to pass must be reported by its committee. The clock is ticking, and our Republican voters are looking for the Republican majority they elected to the Texas House to deliver.” -  view article

Lawmakers discussed a bill Tuesday that would create new rules for school districts that want to split into smaller entities, months after a controversial, now-abandoned plan to break up Keller ISD raised questions about whether the district could do so without voters’ input. House Bill 5089, authored by Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, would set rules for how a school district could split off from an existing one. Under the bill, 20% of registered voters in each of the proposed new districts would have to sign a petition. If that threshold is met, an election would be held, and voters would decide whether to approve the split. The State Board of Education would oversee the election. view article