Successful measures include a new early-voting schedule, revised mail-voting procedures and limits on curbside voting. view article

This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletters here.  After considering a number of bills that would significantly reshape election administration and voting access in the state, Texas lawmakers ultimately approved only a few, including legislation that would alter the schedule of the 12-day early-voting period to increase access.  They also passed measures aimed at reducing rejections of mail-voting applications and ballots, and added new restrictions on curbside voting, but held off on some more controversial proposals.  Among the bills that didn’t advance were Senate Bill 16, one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority bills, which would have imposed a strict requirement for voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship, and a measure that would have given state Attorney General Ken Paxton more authority to prosecute election crimes. Bills that would have permitted online voter registration, audits of hand-count results, and guns in polling sites also stalled. view article

With border crossings at record lows, state authorities are being sent to arrest people accused of committing crimes in Texas after entering the country illegally.For four years, Texas’ Republican leaders argued President Joe Biden's immigration policies were so lax that they had no choice but to spend an unprecedented $11 billion in state money to secure the border.  Now with President Donald Trump in office, illegal border crossings have sunk to historic lows — and the state is continuing to spend another $3.4 billion on border security over the next two years, more than four times what lawmakers ever budgeted before the Biden-era buildup. view article

While some legislation to better secure Texas elections passed, activists were disappointed to see several key bills fail. view article

The Texas Railroad Commission voted Tuesday to immediately suspend a permit that allowed a defiant Houston operator to inject oil field wastewater deep underground in an area of West Texas plagued by earthquakes.  The vote is the latest milestone in a yearlong legal battle over whether Blackbuck Resources could be causing a string of earthquakes, including one of record strength last month that triggered the commission to issue an emergency order.  The earlier order compelled Blackbuck to stop operating for at least 15 days. Blackbuck has not resumed operations, the commission said in a statement.  view article

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

Gov. Greg Abbott is leaving the door open for a special session of the Texas Legislature, signaling that unfinished Republican priorities—particularly a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying—could soon bring lawmakers back to Austin. view article

DENTON, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott signed a package of bills Monday that aims to slash property taxes for Texas homeowners.  Surrounded by state legislators, local officials and residents of Robson Ranch, a luxury senior community in Denton County, Abbott called the Texas property tax cuts unprecedented in the U.S.  “No state in the history of America has devoted such a large percentage of its budget to tax relief,” Abbott said to cheers. “And as far as I’m concerned, we’re not done yet.”  The bills approve two constitutional amendments, which voters must still approve in November. One would raise the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000; the other would raise the exemption to $200,000 for state residents with disabilities or those who are 65 and older. view article

Reps. Veronica Escobar and Joaquin Castro were among the 45 elected officials placed on a hit list by a man accused of killing a former Minnesota House speaker and her husband. view article

Texas officials suggested the federal government could pick up construction. However, during President Trump’s first term, his administration built about one-third of what the state was able to put up in the same amount of time. view article

During a state legislative session where education issues took center stage and Gov. Greg Abbott promised to fund public schools, one San Antonio area school district could potentially lose money under the new bill. view article

Eight Tribune photographers in eight Texas cities covered Saturday’s “No Kings” protests. Here is some of their work.  Houston City Hall and protesters are reflected in Cristina Medina’s glasses during the "No Kings" demonstration on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Credit: Antranik Tavitian for The Texas Tribune view article

Texas will no longer allow students living in the state who are undocumented to pay in-state tuition following demands from the Trump administration to end the policy.  Soon after the federal government sued Texas last week over a state law allowing the practice, Texas quickly asked the court to side with the feds and deem the law unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor’s ruling did just that and immediately blocked the law.  This is what is known so far about the ruling and its implications. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. view article

Some implications of the ruling ordering the policy’s end are still unknown. College access experts urged affected students not to withdraw from school while they assess their options.  Texas will no longer allow students living in the state who are undocumented to pay in-state tuition following demands from the Trump administration to end the policy. Soon after the federal government sued Texas last week over a state law allowing the practice, Texas quickly asked the court to side with the feds and deem the law unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor’s ruling did just that and immediately blocked the law.  This is what is known so far about the ruling and its implications. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. view article

Texans for Lawsuit Reform is threatening to primary House members who helped kill their major legislative priorities.  Leaders for Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the biggest donor in Texas politics, say they have a simple strategy when trying to persuade state lawmakers: “We never make enemies,” President Lee Parsley said in late April. “We only make friends.”  But now that the Texas legislative session has concluded without lawmakers passing any of the group’s three high priority bills, TLR is taking a decidedly different tact. In a blistering letter to members, Parsley called out by name the lawmakers he said stifled TLR’s agenda and all but promised to take them on in primary campaigns next March. He laid much of the blame on House Speaker Dustin Burrows’ shoulders.  Leaders for Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the biggest donor in Texas politics, say they have a simple strategy when trying to persuade state lawmakers: “We never make enemies,” President Lee Parsley said in late April. “We only make friends.”  But now that the Texas legislative session has concluded without lawmakers passing any of the group’s three high priority bills, TLR is taking a decidedly different tact.  In a blistering letter to members, Parsley called out by name the lawmakers he said stifled TLR’s agenda and all but promised to take them on in primary campaigns next March. He laid much of the blame on House Speaker Dustin Burrows’ shoulders. view article

Texans for Lawsuit Reform is threatening to primary House members who helped kill their major legislative priorities.  Leaders for Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the biggest donor in Texas politics, say they have a simple strategy when trying to persuade state lawmakers: “We never make enemies,” President Lee Parsley said in late April. “We only make friends.”  But now that the Texas legislative session has concluded without lawmakers passing any of the group’s three high priority bills, TLR is taking a decidedly different tact. In a blistering letter to members, Parsley called out by name the lawmakers he said stifled TLR’s agenda and all but promised to take them on in primary campaigns next March. He laid much of the blame on House Speaker Dustin Burrows’ shoulders.  Leaders for Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the biggest donor in Texas politics, say they have a simple strategy when trying to persuade state lawmakers: “We never make enemies,” President Lee Parsley said in late April. “We only make friends.”  But now that the Texas legislative session has concluded without lawmakers passing any of the group’s three high priority bills, TLR is taking a decidedly different tact.  In a blistering letter to members, Parsley called out by name the lawmakers he said stifled TLR’s agenda and all but promised to take them on in primary campaigns next March. He laid much of the blame on House Speaker Dustin Burrows’ shoulders. view article

Education policy experts say the results align with Texas’ workforce goals but note that students still need help. view article

During our TribCast Live event at 7 p.m. tonight, we’ll explain what happened, look ahead toward the impact on Texas schools, and hear from experts about what comes next view article

It was in a San Antonio courtroom in 2015 that Leo Tyler felt he became who he was always meant to be. The 17-year-old had long known he was trans, but it didn’t feel real until a judge agreed to change the name and gender on his government documents. “It was euphoric,” Tyler, now 27, recalls. “Walking out of that courtroom, I felt so seen.”  Tyler was the youngest in a group of people changing their gender markers that day. On the steps of the courthouse, they all embraced him, crying tears of joy over the idea that he’d get to live his whole adult life on his own terms. view article

Advocates say the bills will give parents more power over their children’s schools. Critics say they don’t give parents anything they didn’t already have and will only strain their relationship with teachers. view article

During our TribCast Live event at 7 p.m. tonight, we’ll explain what happened, look ahead toward the impact on Texas schools, and hear from experts about what comes next view article

Of the more than 100 bills aimed at LGBTQ+ people in the state, less than 10 were approved by lawmakers this session.  While largely avoiding the same level of heated pushback of years’ past, Texas lawmakers passed several bills that give LGBTQ+ people in Texas, specifically transgender residents, less opportunity to receive care and maintain their identities in state records.  Texas legislators filed over 100 anti-trans bills through the session, some containing provisions that have been shot down in years’ prior while others proposed new restrictions. Less than 10 were ultimately approved by lawmakers.  The new bills that are likely to be signed by Gov. Greg Abbott represent a yearslong movement from state conservatives to find new ways to restrict the presence of trans and LGBTQ+ Texans, advocates say. The bills that failed may also be resurrected by lawmakers in future sessions. Here’s what to know. view article

It’s an unusual situation for the lieutenant governor, long viewed by GOP activists as a stalwart conservative responsible for driving the Legislature rightward. view article

State lawmakers failed to pass legislation banning the practice.  Just two days after the Texas Legislature adjourned without passing legislation to end in-state tuition for illegal aliens, the Trump administration’s Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Texas.  The state has settled, ending the discounted tuition for illegals for now.  Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the lawsuit challenges longstanding provisions of the Texas Education Code that allow certain illegal aliens to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities—rates that are significantly lower than those charged to U.S. citizens from other states. view article

Past efforts like Battleground Texas—formed over a decade ago with similar ambitions—have largely failed.  A Democrat-aligned political group backed by billionaire George Soros is once again setting its sights on Texas, aiming to flip the reliably red state with a new multimillion-dollar campaign.  According to a Wall Street Journal report, Texas Majority PAC—bankrolled heavily by Soros—has launched a new initiative dubbed “Blue Texas,” partnering with the Texas Democratic Party and several county parties to organize volunteers, recruit candidates, and boost voter turnout ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.  Campaign finance records show Soros gave $2.1 million to Texas Majority PAC in 2024 and another $1 million in April. view article

Texas lawmakers once again failed to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, despite state taxpayers footing a $94.5 million bill for 2025. view article

Texas lawmakers gaveled out of their 140-day legislative session on Monday after passing a raft of conservative policies, from private school vouchers to tighter bail laws, that furthered the state’s march to the right. The Legislature wrapped up without the same drama that defined the end of the last two sessions, when Democratic walkouts, a last-minute impeachment and unfinished priorities prompted overtime rounds of lawmaking. view article

Texas lawmakers gaveled out of their 140-day regular legislative session on June 2. Legislators in the 31-member Senate and 150-member House filed nearly 9,000 bills and sent about 1,200 of them to the governor, according to data from Texas Legislature Online.   All seven of Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priorities passed, and he said in a June 3 statement that those bills would “make Texas stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever.” view article

Experts say Wednesday’s action to eliminate the long-standing policy could be a “collusive lawsuit,” where the state and feds worked the courts to get a desired outcome.  On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas over its long-standing state law allowing undocumented students to get in-state tuition. The lawsuit was barely on the books before Texas surrendered without a fight, asking a judge to strike down the law — which he did. view article

The legislature has finally passed a $338 billion biennial budget. 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

Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller are back on the lesson plan after a vote by the Texas State Board of Education. The committee voted 12-2, with one abstention, on Tuesday to continue teaching students about Clinton in high school history classes, according to State Board of Education Director Debbie Ratcliffe. The board also voted to keep Keller on the curriculum. The vote reverses a September preliminary decision to cut the women, along with 1964 Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater and several other historical figures, from the required curriculum. The board said then that the change was intended to streamline the curriculum for its 5.4 million students at the recommendation of volunteer work groups. view article

School finance was the big-ticket item this legislative session, said Emett Alvarez, Victoria Democrats Club president. "Education should be important to everyone," Alvarez said. "We are all taxpayers and are affected by it one way or the other." The Victoria County Democratic Party will host its club meeting Tuesday at VeraCruz Restaurant, 3110 N. Navarro St. Guest speakers will be Dwight Harris, former president of the Victoria chapter of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, and Ray Thomas, who is running for chief justice of the 13th Court of Appeals. view article

Will there ever come a day when our state leaders and lawmakers want to make Texas as good a place for children as it is for business? The 85th legislative session didn't seem often inclined in that direction, particularly in matters related to educating the state's schoolchildren. A massive funding failure for prekindergarten students. The state Senate's defeatist response to a solid House attempt at school finance reform. Out-of-proportion talk about vouchers for those attending private schools. But let's not overlook a couple of bright spots. Thanks to skillful work by three North Texas lawmakers, the state's youngest learners should eventually get the gift of better-prepared teachers. view article