Texas lawmakers start a 30-day special session July 21. They will tackle consumable THC, flood dangers, new congressional districts, abortion pills and other conservative priorities.   Texas lawmakers start a 30-day special session July 21. They will tackle consumable THC, flood dangers, new congressional districts, abortion pills and other conservative priorities. view article

The Senate panel consists of seven Republicans and two Democrats. It first meets in Austin next week, then in Kerrville on July 31.  Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday named the nine state senators who will serve on the joint Disaster Preparedness and Flooding committee in response to the devastating floods that tore through Central Texas over the July Fourth weekend.  The House and Senate joint committee will first meet on July 23 in Austin and then in Kerrville on July 31 to hear from Hill Country residents regarding their flood-related concerns.  “Right now, we must focus on the recovery of those still missing, then rebuilding communities in flooded areas,” Patrick said in a July 10 press release. “In the coming year, and into the next regular legislative session, we will gather all the facts and answer the many questions to which the public demands answers.”  House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, has yet to name the nine representatives that have been selected for its committee. Patrick and Burrows have both stated that their committees will meet jointly to find solutions. view article

The 15th Congressional District is the only Republican-held seat in Texas that Democrats are targeting under the current map. view article

The joint House and Senate committee will first meet in Austin next week, then in Kerrville on July 31 to hear from Hill Country residents about their concerns.  House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows on Tuesday named nine state representatives — six Republicans and three Democrats — who will serve on the joint Disaster Preparedness and Flooding committee, formed in response to the devastating floods that tore through Central Texas over the July Fourth weekend.  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick named the nine state senators to the panel on Monday.  The House and Senate joint committee will first meet on July 23 in Austin and then in Kerrville on July 31 to hear from Hill Country residents regarding their flood-related concerns. Patrick and Burrows have both stated that their committees will meet jointly to find solutions. view article

While Elon Musk took Washington, D.C., by storm, his company representatives and lobbyists were also notching up big political wins in Texas.  While Elon Musk took Washington, D.C., by storm, his company representatives and lobbyists were also notching up big political wins in Texas.  It was April 2013, and Musk stood at a podium in a small committee room in the basement of the Texas Capitol. The Tesla CEO asked the legislators gathered before him to change state law, allowing him to bypass the state’s powerful car dealership lobby and sell his electric vehicles directly to the public.  He painted a bleak picture of what could happen if they didn’t give him his way.  “We would, I’m afraid, we would fail,” Musk told the assembled representatives. “So for us, it’s a matter of life or death.”  Clad in a dark suit instead of his now ubiquitous black T-shirt and baseball hat, the younger Musk was unable to persuade lawmakers in Austin. That year, the bill he wanted to pass died.  More than a decade later, however, Musk’s fortunes inside the Texas Capitol have changed — dramatically. view article

Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994. view article

President Donald Trump said he thinks Republicans could flip a handful of congressional districts in Texas next year through “​​just a very simple redrawing."  Texas Democrats in Congress sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to redraw their state’s political map in the middle of the decade, labeling it a threat to democracy — and warning their GOP counterparts that an aggressive gerrymander could come back to haunt them.  The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature is poised to consider a new set of congressional maps during a special session that kicks off next week. With their party locked out of power in Austin, Democrats from the state’s congressional delegation said they expect the new districts to continue Texas' history of violating the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the votes of racial minorities. view article

It’s a question resurfacing in political circles after Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled an 18-item agenda for the upcoming special session—largely packed with conservative priorities that stalled during the regular legislative session.  But what’s really turning up the temperature is an effort to redraw congressional maps to increase the Republican majority in Congress. President Donald Trump has told members he wants to see five new Republican seats from Texas. view article

The Canutillo Independent School District says it's developing new guidelines around a state law banning cell phones during school hours. In a public statement, the school district says policies will include consequences for students who don't follow the requirements. It also says the law allows exceptions for students with medical and special education accommodations. view article

Corpus Christi Independent School District is preparing to implement new cellphone restrictions for students in compliance with recently passed Texas legislation. Texas House Bill 1481, passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, prohibits student use of cellphones and other personal electronic communication devices during the school day. view article

The passage of House Bill 1481, a new statewide law forbidding students from using personal communication devices during the school day, has local school districts scrambling to address their cell phone policy. Many Texoma school districts have already begun addressing the new law. Burkburnett ISD announced that students must leave electronic devices at home, or powered off and put away if brought on campus, with some exceptions. view article

A state district court judge in Collin County agreed Friday to seal all records relating to divorce proceedings between Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. Angela Paxton, according to reports by The Dallas Morning News and The New York Times. That will likely keep details of the high-profile divorce from becoming public as Ken Paxton runs to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in next year’s Republican primary. That race is expected to be one of the most-watched 2026 Senate race.  Angela Paxton requested the proceedings be sealed, according to the news outlets. The order to seal this case was not immediately available Saturday. It was granted one day after Angela Paxton filed to divorce her longtime husband. In Texas, divorce cases are generally public record but can be sealed if it includes highly sensitive information.  On social media, Angela Paxton cited “recent discoveries” for the split and said the decision was made on “biblical grounds.” view article

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday unveiled a jam-packed agenda for the upcoming special legislative session, calling on lawmakers to redraw Texas’ congressional maps and address several unfinished conservative priorities from earlier this year.  The governor, who controls the agenda for overtime legislative sessions, also included four items related to the deadly Hill Country floods over the July Fourth weekend, directing legislators to look at flood warning systems, emergency communications, natural disaster preparation and relief funding for impacted areas.  The flooding has killed more than 100 people, with more than 160 still missing in Kerr County alone. view article

With just two weeks remaining until lawmakers return to Austin, Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to announce what issues will be on the agenda for the upcoming special legislative session, leaving legislators and observers in a holding pattern.  What Is a Special Session?  Unlike regular legislative sessions, which occur every two years for up to 140 days, special sessions can be called by the governor at any time and may last no more than 30 days.   Crucially, lawmakers can only take up the issues that the governor places on the call. Until Abbott releases the official agenda, legislators are unable to file bills, even on widely speculated topics. view article

Texas is growing older faster than the rest of the nation. While the number of young people in the U.S. has shrunk, the population of children in Texas has grown.  The population of Texans age 65 and older grew faster than any other age group since the start of the decade, growing by 3.8% from 2023 to 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. They grew faster than working-age adults and children under the age of 18.  Their numbers show that people are living longer than in past generations. And, as they age, they'll increasingly rely on those of working age, a population that isn’t growing as quickly, said Holly Heard, vice president of data and analytics at Texas 2036.  In Texas, which has the highest levels of people without health insurance, elder Texans will likely face more ailments as they age.   view article

This session, lawmakers passed legislation to place checks on Child Protective Services’ powers and strengthen parental rights.  Although the Texas Family Code explicitly ensures that parents have the right to direct the moral and religious upbringing of their children as well as the duty to support their children with medical care, those rights have sometimes been curtailed by state agencies  In a House Human Services Committee hearing, State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R–Spring) reported that one of her constituents had her daughter taken away by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) because her daughter’s injuries had been falsely attributed to physical abuse, rather than her pre-existing medical condition.  view article

This session, lawmakers passed legislation to place checks on Child Protective Services’ powers and strengthen parental rights.  Although the Texas Family Code explicitly ensures that parents have the right to direct the moral and religious upbringing of their children as well as the duty to support their children with medical care, those rights have sometimes been curtailed by state agencies.  view article

Multiple state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to include several conservative priorities that did not receive a vote during the regular session on the agenda of the upcoming special session.  State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston) sent a letter to the governor requesting that specific measures that were not considered by the House during the general session be placed on the upcoming session’s agenda.  “While this session boasts many conservative victories, each of these unfinished items is essential to securing a conservative future for Texas, ” wrote Middleton. “There has never been a more critical time to make these priorities the law of this Great State.” view article

Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that a special session of the Texas Legislature will begin on Monday, July 21, after he signed 1,155 bills and vetoed 26 others from the 89th Regular Legislative Session.  “All seven of Governor Abbott’s emergency priorities were passed and signed into law,” his office noted, including measures on property tax relief, teacher pay raises, school choice, and the creation of the Texas Cyber Command.  “Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, and the Texas House and Senate worked hard to send critical legislation to my desk,” Abbott said. “This session has seen monumental success, but there is more we can do.” view article

Many local school districts expect to collect millions from House Bill 2, an $8.5 billion funding package passed through the Texas Legislature and signed into law by the governor this month.   The bill was the first comprehensive funding package state lawmakers have passed since 2019, though districts have received funding increases in areas such as tutoring, instructional materials and school safety.  For many districts in Central Texas, HB 2 will provide some relief after two years of budget slashing, campus closures and staff layoffs. Despite the infusion of state funding, many local school leaders are still turning their attention to austerity measures next year to reduce lingering budget deficits.  view article

The contest coincides with the state’s November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to decide local offices and ballot measures. view article

Many local school districts expect to collect millions from House Bill 2, an $8.5 billion funding package passed through the Texas Legislature and signed into law by the governor this month. The bill was the first comprehensive funding package state lawmakers have passed since 2019, though districts have received funding increases in areas such as tutoring, instructional materials and school safety.  For many districts in Central Texas, HB 2 will provide some relief after two years of budget slashing, campus closures and staff layoffs. Despite the infusion of state funding, many local school leaders are still turning their attention to austerity measures next year to reduce lingering budget deficits.  view article

AUSTIN — In a further reshuffling of Tarrant County’s legislative delegation, state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, announced his plans to retire after 15 years in the Texas Legislature’s upper chamber while Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, unveiled his candidacy for Birdwell’s seat.  Birdwell’s planned departure deals a second blow to Tarrant County’s seniority in the Republican-led Senate, coming just over a week after former Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, resigned from his North Texas Senate seat to become head of the Texas comptroller’s office. view article

Texas’ medical marijuana dispensaries entered into this year’s legislative session with a two-prong strategy to expand: to loosen the state's rules on their industry that has made the program largely inaccessible to those who need it and to eliminate the competition, consumable hemp, which has been allowed to proliferate unregulated, cannibalizing users and profits.  The medical marijuana industry, also known as the Compassionate Use Program, notched victories on both fronts with state lawmakers, but, on the latter, failed to win over the man who has the ultimate say — Gov. Greg Abbott.  Now that the governor has vetoed a bill that would have criminalized the sale and possession of hemp-derived THC, medical marijuana dispensaries fear they can’t continue to operate if Texas doesn’t agree to heavily regulate the hemp industry or at least, give the medical program the same freedom.  “I was surprised, just extremely surprised and borderline in disbelief when I heard about the veto,” said Nico Richardson, CEO of Texas Original, a Central Texas medical marijuana company. "The expansion [to the medical marijuana program] was meant to include the hemp restrictions." view article

The contest coincides with the state’s November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to decide local offices and ballot measures.  The contest coincides with the state’s November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to decide local offices and ballot measures. view article

The newly annexed 250-mile stretch at the border spans two counties and runs alongside cities including Brownsville and McAllen. view article

The lawsuit contests a state law that requires the biblical directives be displayed in classrooms, saying it violates First Amendment and parental rights. view article

Proposals in the federal budget bill would cut the maximum Pell Grant award amount by $1,500 and take away eligibility for students enrolled less than half-time.  Nearly half a million Texas students stand to get less help paying for college because of aggressive cuts federal lawmakers are considering to a critical financial aid program.  The country’s lowest-income students depend on the Pell Grant to get through college. It is the largest source of grant aid in Texas.  But a U.S. House proposal in the massive budget package President Donald Trump is dubbing the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would take significant chunks out of Pell. The Senate is facing pressure from the White House to vote on the bill this weekend. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed more than two dozen bills this week, ranging from a teacher retention advisory committee to a slew of criminal justice-related changes. He sent state lawmakers back to the drawing board on six of the rejected proposals and completely scrapped the rest.  Most of the vetoed bills were bipartisan and the authors’ party affiliations were almost evenly split, though slightly more were authored by Republicans.  Abbott is calling state lawmakers back to Austin on July 21 for a special session to take up several of the vetoed measures. The big priority will be creating regulations for hemp products to replace the all-out ban that Abbott vetoed earlier this week. view article

Although Patrick and hemp industry leaders have quarreled over the risks and benefits of THC, cannabis researchers say it can be addictive but doesn’t usually cause widespread psychosis or brain damage.  Over the last six months, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has built his case against THC products, claiming in press conferences, podcast episodes and social media posts, that the drug is proliferating without safeguards, driving young people to suicide, creating lifelong addicts, and altering users’ brains completely. view article

STATEWIDE — Texas is growing older faster than the rest of the nation. While the number of young people in the U.S. has shrunk, the population of children in Texas has grown.  The population of Texans age 65 and older grew faster than any other age group since the start of the decade, growing by 3.8% from 2023 to 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. They grew faster than working-age adults and children under the age of 18.  Their numbers show that people are living longer than in past generations. And, as they age, they'll increasingly rely on those of working age, a population that isn’t growing as quickly, said Holly Heard, vice president of data and analytics at Texas 2036.  In Texas, which has the highest levels of people without health insurance, elder Texans will likely face more ailments as they age.   view article

Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday signed Senate Bill 3070, which will also criminalize the online sale of lottery tickets through couriers. view article

Here’s a look at House members, ranked from most conservative to most liberal, based on votes cast during the 2025 regular session. view article

To comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order, the commissioners voted to use ballot-on-demand printers for this year’s general election. view article

A federal court has vacated an injunction against Arkansas’ statewide ban on THC. It is significant because Gov. Greg Abbott had cited that situation as a reason for vetoing a proposed ban in Texas.  view article