On Monday, state Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) filed a bill that would allow counties and municipalities in Texas to legalize recreational marijuana via ordinance. Taxes imposed on the legalized pot products would go to regulation, testing, quality...
Texas Legislature
back to archiveAre Texas Republicans scared of a little direct democracy?
Session after session, Texas Republicans have confidently shot down bills they have deemed unworthy of being called Texan or Texas law. “Wrong for Texas” — one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s favorite phrases to deploy when something generally good is being discussed —...
Texas Legislature kicks off hearings over grid failure
Lawmakers in the Texas Legislature held joint hearings in the state Senate and House on Thursday to get to the bottom of what happened during last week’s snowstorm and subsequent blackout. Among the first to testify to members of the House were NRG Energy CEO...
Texas Hispanic lawmakers discuss legislative priorities with NALEO
Texas lawmakers with NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected Officials) met virtually Thursday to talk about the next steps in this legislative session. State Rep. Mary González, who is on the Board of Directors of NALEO Educational Fund and is the Vice-Chair of...
As more Texas legislators test positive concerns remain for Capitol staff
It’s been almost 3 weeks since the opening day of the Texas Legislature was overshadowed by the politics and subsequent reality of COVID-19. Staff, press and politicos speculated how the House and Senate might shape its rules to prevent an outbreak in the densely...
COVID-19 is No Excuse to Keep Texans Out of the Legislative Process
Access to the Capitol will be quite limited for the general public this upcoming legislative session. If it's true that democracy dies in the dark it’s especially at risk in a redistricting year when crowds of concerned citizens are not allowed to gather, while their...
Here Comes the Gavel
When the Texas legislature gavels in on January 12, it will kick off a frenzied six month legislative process that crafts the budget and public policy in Texas for at least the next two years. We’ll be covering the legislative session as it evolves, and have our...
Op-Ed: What I’d like to see in the next legislature
There is a connection between voting and action. If you recall in the 2018 election, many Texans were motivated to vote in reaction to the Trump presidency and it felt wonderful. After that election, the Texas legislature provided an additional $6 Billion in revenue...
Dan Patrick proposes rule change to disempower Democrats in Texas Senate
As Donald Trump and loyal congressional Republicans attempt to overturn the results of the election, in Texas, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is doing his own part to stifle gains by Democrats. On Wednesday, Patrick reaffirmed his support for a rule change in the upcoming...