This week, the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs advanced two bills that would criminalize many drag performances. The bills, both filed by Republican Bryan Hughes of Mineola, take aim at men or women who use “clothing, makeup, or other similar physical markers” to “exhibit” as
Menstrual products are subject to a sales tax, and Democrat Donna Howard has tried to change that since 2017. With support from powerful Republicans, this could be the year.
As lawmakers consider bills targeting their livelihoods, queer Texans say more members of their community intend to defend themselves.
The lawmaker from Frisco has rallied right-wingers by promising to remove “sexually explicit” books from shelves. But he may lose them by targeting a beloved Texan classic.
Two bipartisan bills would make it easier for judges to incarcerate defendants before trial. Criminologists say that’s bad for public safety.
Taking a cue from authoritarian leaders, state representative Bryan Slaton has proposed property tax relief for some large families. White, straight, property-owning couples would be the primary beneficiaries.
The governor has promoted “school choice” at seven religious academies around the state. Why there?
Senator Paul Bettencourt’s proposal would hand the Harris County Flood Control District over to unelected bureaucrats appointed by the governor.
The lieutenant governor has consolidated power in the Legislature and exercises near-total control of his chamber. Will anyone challenge him?
Former House Speaker Tom Craddick and his family—including his daughter, Railroad Commission chairman Christi Craddick—earned about $10 million last year from oil and gas rights.
After banning almost all abortions in the state post-Roe, GOP lawmakers have proposed eighteen new ways of limiting access to the procedure.
Texas lawmakers say they won’t let the attorney general settle a lawsuit using taxpayer money, but they’re letting him avoid oversight.
Under Governor Greg Abbott and a Republican-dominated Legislature, Texas has experienced an unprecedented expansion of state power over municipalities.
Twelve states require that insurers pay for egg and sperm freezing before cancer treatment. Attempts to add Texas to the list have failed twice, but now lawmakers are trying again.
A bill would require that detention centers house kids based on the sex listed on their birth certificates, contradicting federal guidelines.
Briscoe Cain wants all Texans to have the right to gather eggs in their backyards, local ordinances be damned.
Legislators and staffers have been cavorting in one of Austin’s most dimly lit establishments.
Asian Americans across the state are rallying against the legislation, saying it’s racially motivated and could have unintended consequences for the Texas economy.
Bob Hall has long sought to outlaw gender-affirming treatments for minors. Now he seeks to effectively ban care for consenting adults.
In an address that resembled a campaign ad, the governor issued seven priorities for the Legislature, including a push for “school choice.”
A handful of bills target gender-affirming medical care. Some families have fled the state and others are ready to follow.
Two key bills with bipartisan support would help keep new moms alive and healthy. But similar efforts have fallen short in past sessions.
Senator Bob Hall’s bill is an unusual measure to address a nonexistent issue.
The ways of the Texas Legislature are confoundingly weird. Here’s a guide to the madness.
By not doing so, the state is jeopardizing the health of its most vulnerable populations and leaving billions of savings on the table a year.
Republicans in the Texas House and Senate have filed a blizzard of bills seeking to crack down on alleged voter fraud and increase state control over elections. Here’s an annotated guide.
Representative Candy Noble wants to ensure that governmental entities (i.e., the Capital City) can’t fund travel, childcare, or other support for abortion-seekers.
What should we do with our $27 billion windfall? We asked a variety of Texans for their brightest ideas.
The legislation would rewrite a portion of the education code to target programs that represent marginalized groups.
Austin Democratic representative Donna Howard’s legislation seems written to try to appeal to Republicans.
Representative Jared Patterson is following a long legislative tradition of trying to troll Austin.
Recent history and polling tell us that voters would support a measure to stop lawmakers from restricting abortion access—which is precisely why it’ll never pass.
Under his new Texas bill, any community theater that hosts a performance of ‘Peter Pan’ could find itself regulated as a strip club.
The small-government conservative has proposed a bill to allow pregnant drivers to access carpool lanes.
How Texas Monthly’s Paul Burka held the powerful to account—and made Texas a better place.
Mary Beth Rogers, who served as Ann Richards’s campaign manager and chief of staff, reflects on Texas politics in ‘Hope and Hard Truth.’
The Legislature established a committee last year to “promote patriotic education.” Drafts of one of its pamphlets reveal an effort to sanitize the state’s long struggle with racial issues.
Remington Johnson has become a touchstone for the families of transgender children.
Texas can change the status quo if our elected leaders engage in a good-faith debate over gun safety.
The state GOP long opposed new regulations on corporations. Then Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick launched a crusade against “woke” businesses.
‘Shouting Down Midnight’ is a hagiography of the state senator that tries to impose a triumph narrative for Texas Democrats where none exists.
Sissy Farenthold, who died Sunday, believed persistence and anger could change Texas.
Texas was once a model of how to safely and economically move away from mass incarceration. Now the old politics of “law and order” are back.
Our diverse big cities and suburbs are driving the state forward. Our leaders need to let Houston be Houston and Beaumont be Beaumont.
Reader letters published in our August 2021 issue.
Governor Greg Abbott said the Lege has done everything necessary to prevent future blackouts. We ask four experts whether that’s true.
A wild year begat an even wilder legislative session. Lawmakers faced blackouts, a pandemic, and their own worst impulses. Amid the chaos, we plucked out the leaders—and the losers.
The closest vote of Texas' legislative session concerned face coverings and the ability of the governor and county officials to deal with a future pandemic.
As clinics across the state offer ketamine therapy for depression, a bill would fund further studies on MDMA use and psilocybin for PTSD treatment of vets.
Provisions of Senate Bill 7 would require some naturalized citizens to prove their right to vote.
