All articles tagged with #texas legislature
The Texas Legislature concluded a tense six-and-a-half-week special session with significant GOP wins, including new gerrymandered congressional maps, conservative social policies, and retribution against Democrats, while leaving some issues unresolved like hemp regulation and property tax reform.
The Texas Legislature is experiencing intense political drama as Democrats who fled the state to block a vote have returned, facing strict oversight measures like 'permission slips' to monitor their movements, with one representative resisting and filing a legal challenge, highlighting deep partisan conflicts ahead of the midterm elections.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott plans to call a second special legislative session immediately after the current one ends on Friday, aiming to push a conservative agenda including redistricting and social issues, amid a Democratic quorum break that has halted lawmaking activities.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a special legislative session to focus on redistricting, potentially reshaping congressional maps to favor Republicans ahead of 2026, amid ongoing legal challenges and political tensions over map fairness and representation.
The Texas legislature concluded its session with a $338 billion budget, implementing conservative policies including increased immigration enforcement cooperation, a historic school voucher program, and greater control over public universities, while also addressing infrastructure and property tax issues, though concerns remain about future budget shortfalls.
Texas lawmakers concluded their 2025 session by passing conservative policies including private school vouchers, stricter bail laws, water infrastructure funding, and measures to promote Christianity in schools, while also addressing issues like online gambling and property taxes, with some bills facing legal challenges and opposition.
The Texas Legislature is unlikely to pass significant ethics reform bills this year, with many proposals stalled in committees or reduced in scope, amidst a backdrop of political conflicts, opposition from conservative groups, and a lack of legislative motivation to address longstanding ethics issues.
The Texas Legislature's special session ended without passing a government subsidy program for private school tuition, marking the third time this year that the Texas House has blocked legislation for education savings accounts. Rural Republican House members, along with Democrats, opposed the school choice proposal. The lack of action has intensified internal strife within the state GOP and fueled a feud between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. It remains uncertain whether Gov. Greg Abbott will call for a fifth special session or focus on unseating Republican incumbents who voted against the bill.
The fourth special legislative session in Texas ended without action on key bills, including school vouchers, school safety measures, and changes to election trial timelines. Intra-party fighting and a lack of leadership from House Speaker Dade Phelan contributed to the failure to pass these bills. The session saw some victories for Republicans, including the approval of funding for a border barrier and enhanced immigration efforts. It remains unclear if Governor Greg Abbott will call for a fifth special session.
The Texas House voted against a school voucher program that would have provided taxpayer dollars for private schooling, dealing a blow to Gov. Greg Abbott's top legislative priority. Pro-voucher advocates plan to continue fighting for vouchers in future legislative sessions and during next year's primary elections. The defeat of the voucher program means public schools won't receive additional funds for teacher pay raises and inflation adjustments. Public school advocates are preparing to push for increased school funding in the next legislative session and support pro-public school candidates in the primaries. Voucher advocates argue that education savings accounts would provide access to alternative forms of education and stabilize tuition for private schools.
The Texas Legislature is facing uncertainty regarding the future of school vouchers after the House voted to remove a voucher program from an education bill. Governor Greg Abbott, who has been advocating for school choice, has not indicated whether he wants legislators to continue pursuing vouchers in the current special session or if he will call for another special session. Abbott has promised to advance school choice and has begun focusing on the primary season by endorsing House Republicans who opposed the removal of vouchers. The outcome of the vote has divided lawmakers, with some hoping it marks the end of Abbott's voucher crusade, while others are considering supporting primary challengers to bring about a turnover in the House.
The Texas House of Representatives has failed to take action on a school vouchers bill, all but guaranteeing a fourth special legislative session. Despite Governor Greg Abbott's optimism and claims of an agreement, the House has not considered a voucher bill in committee, citing tight timing before the session ends on Tuesday. Abbott has threatened to support primary challengers to anti-voucher Republican House members if the bill fails, but he has been unable to show any Republicans flipping their stance on vouchers.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announces a potential breakthrough on school vouchers, claiming to have reached an agreement with House leaders, including Speaker Dade Phelan. However, Phelan stops short of confirming the deal, and other lawmakers express skepticism. Abbott's proposal would provide parents with access to around $10,400 per student for private school tuition and other educational expenses, with funding also allocated for public schools and teacher raises. The House has yet to hold a committee hearing on any voucher bill, and the special session must conclude by November 7.
Despite being named a top state priority by Governor Greg Abbott, no major bills addressing the Colony Ridge subdivision have been filed or debated in the Texas Legislature's special session. Local officials refuted claims made by right-wing media and Republican elected officials that the subdivision had become too dangerous for law enforcement and overwhelmed local government resources. The CEO of the housing development testified that Colony Ridge offers affordable housing to residents, including immigrants, who otherwise would not be able to purchase a home. The issue has divided Republicans, with clashes between the establishment and hard-right factions. The governor's stance on Colony Ridge remains unclear.
The special session in Texas to pass school vouchers, Governor Greg Abbott's top priority, began with Republicans in disarray as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan clashed over a demand for Patrick to return $3 million to a PAC associated with white supremacists. Phelan also expressed his desire for any voucher program to be paired with increased public school funding. Meanwhile, Democrats vowed to fight voucher proposals, even if it meant sacrificing teacher pay raises and additional public school funding. The Senate Finance Committee began considering legislation to increase funding for public schools, which is a prerequisite for many lawmakers to support school vouchers.