Capitol Highlights: 7/21/23
Tax-relief plan headed to governor Proponents are calling it the “biggest property tax cut in Texas history.” Both chambers of the Texas Legislature passed an $18 billion package during the…
Capital Highlights 7-14-2023
House Democrats’ tax plan would help renters Texas House Democrats unveiled a $20.9 billion plan for property tax relief that drops tax rates, increases the homestead exemption, gives annual rebates…
Capital Highlights (5.26.23)
House defies Abbott A key House education committee adjourned last week without voting on a school voucher bill that is Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority this session, the Houston Chronicle…
Capital Highlights – 5.19.23
Fort Hood renamed after Korean,Vietnam war hero It’s official. Fort Hood, named for a high-ranking Confederate officer in the Civil War, has been renamed Fort Cavazos, in honor of native…
Capital Highlights 5.12.23
Clock ticking on moving bills The clock is ticking on getting bills out of the House and to the Texas Senate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warned last week in a…
Capital Highlights (5/5/23)
House OKs $4.5B for teacher pay raises The Texas House last Thursday passed two education-related bills, one that allocates $4.5 billion for teacher pay raises and another to increase the…
Capital Highlights (4/14/23)
House OKs $302 billion budget The Texas House approved a $302 billion budget last week that included an amendment prohibiting the use of state money on private school tuition —…
Capital Highlights (4/7/23)
Texas leads nation in jobs added The Lone Star State continues to lead the nation in jobs added with 58,200 new positions in February, bringing the state to nearly 14…
CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS 3/31/23
Senate passes tax cut package The Texas Senate last week unanimously approved a $16.5 billion package to lower property taxes and inject billions of dollars into public schools. As reported…
Capital Highlights
Ice storm wreakshavoc in much of state Residents in Central and Northeast Texas are still cleaning up after a winter storm last week snapped power lines and tree limbs, causing…
Capital Highlights
Lawmakers push $15K teacher raises A group of House Democrats is proposing a $15,000 raise for the state’s teachers and a 25% raise for other state employees by using some…
Capitol Highlights
Border security, tax relief and raises top list For the Texas House and Senate, there is not much daylight between each chamber’s priorities in this year’s legislative session. Leaders say…
Capitol Highlights
Gary Borders/Texas Press Association Speaker open to resort-style casinos in state House Spaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, told The Dallas Morning News and other media outlets that he is open to…
Capital Highlights
Early voting begins Oct. 24 Early voting in the Nov. 8 general election begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 4. Applications for voting by mail must be received by…
Capitol Highlights
Mail-in ballot applications rejected at high rate Mail-in ballot applications for the March 1 primary are being rejected by almost 40% — largely because of a missing ID number, which…
Texas Workforce Announces Job Surge
Texas Press, Capital Highlights The Texas Workforce Commission released June employment figures that showed Texas employers added nearly 56,000 jobs in June, while the unemployment rate dropped to 6.5%.“The Texas…
Absent lawmakers stymie special session
Gary Borders/ Texas Press Association Nearly 60 Texas House Democrats left the state last Monday for Washington, D.C. in an effort to stop passage of a Republican-led elections bill. This…
Legislature returns for special session
Gary Borders/Texas Press Association The Texas Legislature convened in special session last Thursday and GOP legislators introduced a fresh set of voting bills after Democrats blocked an earlier attempt during…
Heat wave prompts conservation call
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas urged Texans to cut back on power usage last week when an unusually large number of power plants shut down for unexpected repairs as…