Monthly Archives: April 2019
Monica's Law Passes House Floor
On November 29, 2015, Monica Deming was shot and murdered in her Odessa home by her ex-boyfriend, Brandon Leyva, who then killed himself. In...
Texas House Advances Rural Broadband Bills
The Texas House of Representatives has voted to advance two bills that aim to rectify the technological chasm in rural communities. The bills came...
Texas House passes bill that reduces penalties for Texans caught with small amounts of...
After a brief discussion, the Texas House gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would reduce the penalties for low-level possession of marijuana...
Texas Senate passes school safety bill intended to prevent mass shootings
In the first legislative session after the deadly mass shooting at Santa Fe High School, the Texas Senate nearly unanimously approved a sweeping school...
Analysis: The Texas House is handcuffing property tax relief to education reforms
Texas isn’t going to get any action on property taxes without reforms to school finance, if the latest House maneuver is the barometer.
The House...
House committee passes Senate property tax bill — after altering it to look more...
Blasting the Senate for taking a symbolic approach on school district taxes, a panel of House lawmakers heavily altered then approved the upper chamber’s...
Senate Education Committee Holds First Hearing on School Finance
AUSTIN, TX - The Senate laid out the framework for its plan to address school finance reform and public education funding during its first...
HOW FIRST-TERM LEGISLATORS USE TWITTER TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR CONSITUENTS
Eighth in an ongoing series
Last week, we compared how the freshmen use their social media platforms, specifically Facebook, to communicate with their constituents.
This week,...
Heat tensions rising in state jails and prisons
A bill that would have tackled high temperatures at state jails and prisons has been eviscerated and replaced with a cost study. HB 936...
Texas House votes to advance bill to shore up teacher pension fund
State Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, speaks at a press conference on March 5, 2019. Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune
The Texas House voted Wednesday to...
