It’s one of the most robust paid leave laws in the country and has required the state government to build out a sprawling administrative apparatus.
With little in local tax revenue to help pay staff, rural Texas sheriffs are often forced to do more with less. Lawmakers hope a new grant program will help rebuild the ranks of rural law enforcement.
Despite an unusually wet winter, the state is considering making permanent a temporary ban on watering “ornamental turf” at corporate, industrial or government properties with potable water.
An advocacy group for nude recreation has been a presence at the annual meeting of state legislators for decades — not to advertise, but to prevent inadvertent disruption of a way of life and a multibillion-dollar industry.
The Democracy Restoration Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, Texas, would restore voting rights in federal elections for all released felons regardless of parole or probation status and regardless of state laws.
It makes anyone across the state who shares personal identifiable information about another person with the purpose of harming them to be found civilly liable in court. The ACLU has cited free speech concerns.
The bills will make it easier to distribute the opioid reversal drug Narcan, create a curriculum on the dangers of certain drugs, fund a coordinated crisis services system, establish a task force to study alcohol pricing and addiction services, and more.
The proposed legislation would hold companies liable for accusations of harassment, wage theft and other forms of mistreatment. The fast food industry has spent $3.9 million from Jan. 1 through June 30 on lobbying efforts to kill the legislation.
A new state law requires armed personnel on every public school campus starting on Sept. 1, a change intended to increase security and safety after last year’s Uvalde massacre. There are 318 registered school marshals across the state.
J.B. Pritzker signed a bill this week requiring public school districts to establish full-day kindergarten by the 2027-28 school year. The bill also requires a half-day program.
The Legislature killed a school funding bill after it was tied to a contentious school voucher plan that would use public funds for private schools, forcing districts to lay off staff and new buses to afford teacher raises.
AM radio stations provide a free-to-listen voice for underrepresented communities and act as a reliable source of public safety information during emergencies. Proposed legislation would require car manufacturers to keep the AM dial on EV dashboards.
Many landlords see federal housing vouchers as a red flag about the renters’ income, and while 17 states and D.C. have laws that protect against housing assistance program discrimination, enforcing them is still a challenge.
Texas began offering schools extra money to expand their bilingual programs in 2019. But as the nation grapples with a teacher shortage, some counties are unable to find qualified teachers to teach the classes.
More than 50 democratic state assembly members want federal regulators to stop a planned natural gas pipeline over environmental concerns, particularly in poor, rural areas.
A new state law that goes into effect in September blocks city, county, school district and other authorities from limiting or banning the use, sale or lease of an engine based on its fuel source.
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