Houston Public MediaMay 21

House and Senate lawmakers are poised to announce a deal on an $8.5 billion funding package for Texas public schools.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2025/05/21/522014/texas-house-senate-lawmakers-reach-8-5-billion-school-funding-deal/

#EducationNews #News #Politics #Texas #PublicSchoolFunding #TexasHouse #TexasLegislature #TexasPublicEducation #TexasSchoolFunding #TexasSenate

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

The deal, confirmed by three lawmakers familiar with the discussions, appears to strike a face-saving compromise for both chambers over how to increase funds for the state’s public schools.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaMay 21

The House is slated to vote on a bill to clarify Texas’ near-total abortion ban Wednesday, after it passed the Senate unanimously last month.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/health-science/2025/05/21/521910/proposal-to-clarify-when-texas-doctors-can-perform-life-saving-abortions-faces-critical-vote/

#HealthScience #Healthcare #News #AbortionBan #TexasHealth #TexasHouse #TexasSenate

Proposal to clarify when Texas doctors can perform life-saving abortions faces critical vote

Texas banned all abortions three years ago, with a narrow exception that allows doctors to terminate a pregnancy only to save a pregnant patient’s life.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaMay 9

State Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Houston, has announced he is running for the seat being vacated by state Sen. Mayes Middleton, who is forgoing reelection to run for attorney general.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/05/09/521004/houston-state-rep-dennis-paul-announces-bid-for-texas-senate-with-backing-from-dan-patrick/

#Galveston #Houston #Local #News #Politics #Texas #LieutenantGovernorDanPatrick #RepDennisPaul #SenMayesMiddleton #TexasHouse #TexasSenate

Houston state Rep. Dennis Paul announces bid for Texas Senate with backing from Dan Patrick

Paul is the first candidate out of the gate to succeed incumbent Mayes Middleton in an open seat running from Galveston to the outskirts of Houston.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaMay 6

A Texas House bill that would place people convicted of child grooming on the state's sex offender registry is heading for a full Senate vote as the legislative session winds down. 

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/local/2025/05/06/520655/proposed-audriis-law-in-texas-aiming-to-close-legal-loophole-heads-for-full-senate-vote/

#Local #News #Politics #Texas #AudriiCunningham #AudriiSLaw #HouseBill2000 #SexOffenders #TexasLegislature #TexasSenate

Proposed ‘Audrii’s Law’ in Texas aiming to close legal loophole heads for full Senate vote

Members of the State Senate Criminal Justice Committee unanimously approved House Bill 2000, dubbed "Audrii's Law," on Tuesday. The legislation aims to prevent violent crimes by closing a legal loophole that allows certain sex offenders to fly under the radar.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaMay 1

The Texas Senate passed a bill that would enhance the penalty for assaulting a utility worker, making it equal to that of assaulting a first responder. The proposed law was authored by a Democrat from Houston.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/infrastructure/2025/05/01/520283/senate-passes-bill-to-increase-penalty-for-assaulting-utility-workers/

#Crime #Houston #Infrastructure #Local #News #Politics #Texas #CarolAlvarado #CenterPointEnergy #HurricaneBeryl #SenateBill482 #TexasSenate #UtilityWorkers

Texas Senate passes bill to increase penalty for assaulting utility workers in aftermath of Hurricane Beryl

Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) authored Senate Bill 482, which would increase the penalty for assaulting a utility worker to a third-degree felony and make harassing a utility worker a Class A misdemeanor. Workers for CenterPoint Energy faced threats and physical assaults last year after Hurricane Beryl caused prolonged power outages.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaApr 30

The Texas Senate approved changes Tuesday to the state's strict abortion ban that both Republicans and Democrats say would clarify medical exceptions and has drawn support from women who were told they could not end their pregnancies despite life-threatening complications.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2025/04/30/520220/texas-senate-oks-effort-to-clarify-medical-exceptions-under-states-abortion-ban/

#News #89thTexasLegislature #Abortion #Medicine #TexasSenate

Texas Senate OKs effort to clarify medical exceptions under state’s abortion ban

Texas lawmakers advanced a bill to change the language in the state's abortion laws in an effort to clarify when doctors are allowed to perform an abortion during a medical emergency. The bill, which passed unanimously in the Texas Senate on Tuesday, is the first time Republican lawmakers have sought to amend the state's ban since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

Houston Public Media
WYM ModApr 29
Beto O’Rourke's bold move to seek a Senate seat in Texas again has sparked interest. During a Denton town hall, he emphasized that his decision hinges on the will of Texas voters. Previously, he faced Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, losing by a slim margin. With a Republican stronghold in Texas, O'Rourke's challenge remains significant. Read more about his announcement for deeper insights! [Source](https://crooksandliars.com/2025/04/beto-orourke-voters-convince-me-and-ill) #TexasSenate #BetoORourke #Politics #Election2024 #TownHall
Beto O'Rourke To Voters: Convince Me, And I'll Run Again

“If it comes to pass that this is what the people of Texas want, that it’s the highest and best use of what I can give to you, then yes I will,” O’Rourke said.

Crooks and Liars
Houston Public MediaApr 24

The Texas Senate is considering a bill that would prevent students without legal status in the United States from receiving financial support from the state to enroll at colleges or universities.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2025/04/24/519487/texas-senate-considers-whether-people-without-legal-status-should-receive-financial-aid-for-college/

#Education #EducationNews #Galveston #Immigration #Local #News #Politics #Texas #DACARecipients #HigherEducationTexas #SenMayesMiddleton #StudentFinancialAid #TexasColleges #TexasSenate

Texas Senate considers whether college students without legal status in U.S. should receive financial aid

State Sen. Mayes Middleton, the Galveston Republican who authored Senate Bill 1798, says it would amend state law so that students without legal status -- including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients -- would also have to pay out-of-state tuition rates to attend universities or colleges in Texas.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaApr 17

The University of Houston-Victoria is one step closer to being renamed Texas A&M Victoria after a bill that would transfer the campus to a different university system overwhelmingly passed the state Senate on Wednesday.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2025/04/17/519081/university-of-houston-victorias-proposed-transfer-to-texas-am-system-gets-senates-approval/

#Education #EducationNews #News #Texas #StateSenatorLoisKolkhorst #TexasAMUniversitySystem #TexasSenate #UniversityOfHouston #UniversityOfHoustonSystem #UniversityOfHoustonVictoria

University of Houston-Victoria’s proposed transfer to Texas A&M system gets Senate’s approval

Under the proposed law, the governance, control, management and property of the University of Houston-Victoria would be transferred from the University of Houston System to the Texas A&M University System — which would assume control of the campus's land, facilities and property.

Houston Public Media
Houston Public MediaApr 17

Texas senators voted 20-11 on Wednesday to approve a bill that would drastically limit how the state's public universities teach their students about history, race and inequality.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/education/2025/04/17/519037/texas-senate-approves-bill-that-could-reshape-how-history-and-race-are-taught-in-state-universities/

#Education #EducationNews #News #SenateBill #SenateBill37 #TexasBills #TexasSenate

Texas Senate approves bill that could reshape how history and race are taught in state universities

An overhauled version of Senate Bill 37 would also allow anyone to file complaints that could lead schools to lose funds.

Houston Public Media