The Texas Legislature closed out the special session Tuesday night amid a stalemate on property tax reform, leaving unfinished Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority.
85th Legislative Session
Posted inState Government
Texas Legislature sends another tree bill to Abbott
Days after approving an amended version of a House bill on tree regulations, the Senate voted to reverse itself late Monday night, rolling back two amendments that House Speaker Joe Straus had rejected.
Posted inState Government
As chambers negotiate on property taxes, intra-Republican tensions flare
Lawmakers moved closer Monday to giving some — but not all — Texans more say over the property taxes they must pay cities, counties and special-purpose districts each year.
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Public Education
Texas House, Senate move toward school finance compromise
The Texas House and Senate tentatively passed each other’s priority school finance bills Monday, preparing to discuss potential compromises with two days left in the special session.
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Public Education
Special session coming down to school finance, property taxes
House and Senate negotiators will have the next two days remaining in the current special legislative session to hammer out their differences on legislation tackling property taxes, school finance and other items still in play.
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Politics
Property tax legislation clears major hurdle in House
The lower chamber wants to set the threshold requiring voter approval of some property tax collection increases at 6 percent. The Senate put the trigger at 4 percent.
Posted inState Government
Special session bills finally reach Abbott’s desk, but big hurdles remain with 5 days left
Legislation finally began reaching Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk on Friday — with five days left in the special session — but there’s still much progress to be made on Abbott’s 20-item agenda.
Posted inState Government
Texas House approves “compromise” city annexation bill
Legislation that would allow Texans to vote on whether cities in large counties can annex areas outside of their limits — a contentious issue that prompted a filibuster in May — got one step closer to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk Friday.
Posted inState Government
Senate approves mail-in voter fraud bill, repealing nursing home law
The Senate on Friday approved a House-amended version of Senate Bill 5, which targets mail-in ballot fraud. But the altered bill repeals a nursing home voting law that passed with bipartisan support earlier this year.
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Politics
Texas bathroom bill appears to be all but dead in special session
With just days left in the special legislative session, controversial proposals to restrict bathroom use for transgender Texans appear to have no clear path to the governor’s desk.