Texas Legislature 101: How bills become laws — and how you can participate in the process
| January 13, 2025
Here’s a rundown of how legislation moves through the Capitol, the ways lawmakers operate and who the power players are. Editor’s note: This is an updated version of Texas Tribune’s 2023 guide to the Texas Legislature. Texas’ 2025 legislative session runs from Jan. 14 to June 2. Lawmakers will debate a bevy of issues and […]
VIDEO: This Texas Republican is coming for your sex toys
| January 9, 2025
State Rep. Hillary Hickland is coming for your dildos. The right-wing Republican won a seat in the Texas House in November. Now she wants to expand the GOP’s culture wars. Why? She’s apparently triggered by sex toys. Not all of them. Just ones, including dildos, sold in big box stores like Target, Walmart, CVS and […]
Gov. Greg Abbott: Texas is ready for Winter Storm Cora
| January 9, 2025
From brine on roadways to a power grid with more capacity, Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas is ready for Winter Storm Cora.
Medical debt will no longer appear on credit reports for all Americans
| January 8, 2025
This new rule will erase an estimated $49 billion in unpaid medical bills from the credit reports of roughly 15 million Americans, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency estimates that the new federal rule could help boost consumer credit scores by an average of 20 points.
Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025.
| January 6, 2025
A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate. DALLAS — Buying or renting a home in Texas used to be relatively cheap. Amid the state’s economic boom, its once-celebrated housing affordability has slipped. Texas renters now spend more on keeping a roof over their head than […]