Today is the opening day of the Texas legislative session. And after last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, security is a much bigger concern than it has been in recent memory. Lawmakers are having to consider what was unimaginable a week ago – that demonstrations outside the state Capitol could turn into something much […]
Texas State Legislature
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Travis County prepares for 87th Texas Legislature
Last Tuesday, Dec. 15, Travis County Intergovernmental Relations Officer Julie Wheeler presented the draft agenda items for the upcoming Texas legislative session to the Travis County Commissioners Court. The 87th Texas Legislature will convene on Jan. 12, and the legislative agenda will be a living document, with updating positions to represent the policy priorities and […]
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Austin gets ready for Texas Legislature
When Texas legislators return to the state capital in January they can expect to face a $4.6 billion budget deficit, according to a prediction from Comptroller Glenn Hegar. The deficit is a result of the pandemic and associated economic decline, along with lower oil prices, Hegar said. Just a year ago, the comptroller was predicting […]
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State Sen. Kirk Watson stepping down in April to lead Hobby School of Public Affairs
State Sen. Kirk Watson, who has represented Austin in the Texas Senate since 2007, announced he’s resigning this spring to become the founding dean of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. In a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, Watson, a Democrat, said his last day in office will be April 30. […]
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Abbott vows to ‘unleash’ state resources if Austin doesn’t change its homelessness rules by Nov. 1
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he’s prepared to “unleash the full authority of every state agency” if Austin doesn’t address issues surrounding homelessness by Nov. 1. In a letter to Mayor Steve Adler, Abbott said Austin’s revision of its homelessness rules presents a public health and safety concern and that he could marshal state resources […]
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New Texas pipeline protest law is about more than pipelines
A law went into effect in Texas this week that increases penalties for demonstrators who interfere with oil and gas pipelines and other pieces of “critical infrastructure.” Oil and gas states have adopted such laws to crack down on demonstrations like the one at Standing Rock, where protesters disrupted construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. […]
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Report finds Texas bipartisanship wins
Despite the “blue wave” election in 2018, Republicans maintained control of both houses of the Texas Legislature during the 2019 legislative session that just concluded. As expected, the majority of bills were authored and approved by Republicans. During the session, however, bills with bipartisan authorship were more than twice as likely to pass as bills […]
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Texas lawmakers tried to take the reins from cities this session. The results were mixed.
For the last handful of legislative sessions, the Texas Legislature has had it in for Austin and other cities. GOP lawmakers who regularly thumb their noses at “big government”-minded efforts in D.C. have filed bills targeting city laws regulating everything from plastic bag usage to how residents preserve trees, arguing city laws in Austin create […]
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‘Death of mobile voting’ bill to complicate elections
Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir calls House Bill 1888, which won legislative approval with little fanfare, “the death of mobile voting.” The legislation requires that each early voting location be open for voters on each and every day that voting is conducted at the main early polling place, and that each location remain open for […]
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Travis County contemplates small wins, big losses at Legislature
Every week while the state Legislature is in session, Travis County’s chief lobbyist, Deece Eckstein, briefs members of the Commissioners Court on the bills that might affect the county. In recent months, the weekly briefing has usually been bleak, but on Tuesday he began his presentation with a rare piece of good news. “The good […]
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State lawmakers approve legislation shielding most Texans from surprise medical bills
Surprise medical bills may be a thing of the past for many Texans. In a unanimous vote, the Texas House approved a Senate bill banning health care providers from sending steep medical bills to insured Texans in emergencies. Senate Bill 1264 passed the Texas House on a 146-0 vote. If signed into law, it would […]
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County leaders denounce anti-lobbying proposal
In addition to imposing strict constraints on local governments’ ability to raise property tax revenue, Republicans at the state Legislature want to limit how those governments can spend their tax dollars. A number of bills have been filed this session that would prohibit local governments from spending public funds to advocate for or against legislation. […]