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03

Eviction bill now focuses on squatters in Texas House rewrite

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The chamber jettisoned a provision tenants’ advocates warned would make it easier for Texas landlords to evict renters.

02

Food aid cuts and other changes: What the U.S. House spending bill could mean for Texans

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Many low-income families would see cuts in health care and food benefits. The state hopes for a big reimbursement for border security spending.

01

"See how we do things": Austin cannabis shop invites Texas lawmakers wanting to ban THC

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A bill that would make it illegal to sell THC products could soon head over to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. For a cannabis store employee, lawmakers don't know enough about the industry they're trying to shut down.

Friday, May 23

20

Bill to stop flow of abortion pills into Texas clears House panel

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The bill also contains a controversial provision that says it cannot be challenged in state court before it is enforced. It goes now to the House for a full vote.

19

Houston megadonor Dick Weekley and his group Texans for Lawsuit Reform are losing in the Legislature after 30 years of wins

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Decades after making it harder for people to successfully sue doctors and corporations, the influential group Texans for Lawsuit Reform is facing more resistance than ever in its latest push to further restrict legal liability for business.

17

Meet the Tribune’s 2025 summer fellows

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Fellows learn from experienced Tribune professionals, while bringing fresh perspectives, enthusiasm and valuable skills.

13

Texas lawmakers push to regulate AI in government and the tech industry

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As the state seeks to put guardrails around the fast-growing technology, some critics say the bill doesn’t go far enough to protect citizens while industry worries about stifling innovation.

Texas is about to ban THC products. Here’s what to know.

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The ban aims to remove products — made legal through a 2019 loophole — that provide a similar high to marijuana and are easily accessible to the general public.

11

Senate panel begins negotiations with the House over how to scrap the STAAR test

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The Senate’s rewrite of House Bill 4 reflects a gap in what the chambers want to see out of the new state assessment and the performance ratings that largely hinge on its results.

07

$8.5 billion school funding package passes Texas Senate

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The legislation includes new pots of money for teacher raises and other school costs like insurance and transportation. It now heads to the House, where leaders say it will pass.

05

Senators soften student discipline bill, giving Texas schools more flexibility

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The Texas Senate had previously proposed more severe consequences in the bill.

03

Texas may require medical records list patients’ sex assigned at birth

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The bill, which is poised to become law, creates up to a $250,000 fine for medical professionals who change a patients’ listed sex outside of certain exemptions.

Retailers say Texas’ “devastating” THC ban will force them to close shop

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Some hemp retailers are looking at other states, while others say they are ready to take Texas to court over a THC ban.

01

It’s “Texas Time”: Legislature OKs permanent daylight saving time, but Congress must also act

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Federal action would be needed to make the change legal. Lawmakers at both the state and federal levels have debated the question for decades.

Thursday, May 22

22

Prayer period in schools backed by Texas Legislature

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A House vote showed broad support for the measure that would let districts set aside time for prayer or religious study.

20

Nearly flown to El Salvador, Venezuelans await an uncertain fate in Texas

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Detainees say they’re being held in solitary confinement after family members helped them post about their situation on social media.

13

More Texas children are getting vaccinated early against measles

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Fear of babies contracting the contagious and potentially deadly virus has spurred the surge in vaccinations amid Texas’ historic measles outbreak.

Classroom violence went up in Texas after the pandemic. Is more discipline the answer?

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Texas lawmakers are poised to make it easier to suspend disruptive students. But some teachers and school psychologists say discipline alone won’t meet the mental health needs at the root of their behavior.

As measles outbreak continues, new parents in Lubbock face unexpected fears

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Many of the patients are being treated in Lubbock, a medical hub for the South Plains where the outbreak originated.

05

Texas Legislature on verge of completely banning THC products after key House vote

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The House approved the ban after previously considering proposals to preserve the industry by tightening regulations.

Bill to teach Texas kids the dangers of communism — but not fascism — clears the Legislature

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The bill won bipartisan support despite efforts from multiple Democrats that would have also required students to learn about fascism and Nazism.

$12 billion added to congressional spending bill to reimburse states like Texas for border spending

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The U.S. House approved the budget reconciliation bill, which also includes preservation of 2017 tax cuts and changes to Medicaid and SNAP.

02

Water bills face deadline threat as Texas lawmakers negotiate spending priorities

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Gov. Greg Abbott and other leaders have called for a major investment to save the state’s water supply. How to spend the money has caused friction at the Capitol.

Wednesday, May 21

23

Texas House, Senate lawmakers reach $8.5 billion school funding deal

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The deal appears to strike a face-saving compromise for both chambers over how to increase funds for the state’s public schools, with money earmarked for teacher pay and overhead costs.

22

Texas braces for an imminent screwworm infestation, a threat to the state’s cattle industry

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U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz hope to fund an operation to kill the parasitic fly before too much damage is done.

13

Federal trial opens to determine whether Texas discriminated in redrawn redistricting maps

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The trial in El Paso will hear a challenge over the redistricting maps drawn by the Legislature that are based on the 2020 census.

Texas Legislature clarifies when doctors can perform life-saving abortions

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The bill does not expand abortion access, but further explains when a doctor can intervene to save a pregnant patient’s life.

Major energy consumers will face new limits if Texas House approves proposal

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The legislation would give ERCOT the ability to turn off power to major consumers in an emergency.

In El Paso, measles is infecting more adults than children

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Adults who are unsure whether they’re vaccinated can get additional shots, health experts say.

02

Texas Legislature moves to build Texas Life Memorial on Capitol grounds

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Approval of the monument comes as the lower chamber prepares to debate the “Life of the Mother Act” bill later this week.