Texas Senate to ban reporters from chamber floor

The secretary of the Texas Senate said Friday that reporters would be barred from the chamber floor, continuing a restriction on the press that began ostensibly as a COVID-19 measure in 2021. (Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune)

The Texas Senate will bar news reporters from the chamber floor in the upcoming legislative session, which begins Tuesday, continuing a measure introduced two years ago as a COVID-19 precaution even as state officials publicly rail against other requirements to reduce the spread of the virus.

The news was first reported by The Dallas Morning News. In an email to the newspaper, Patsy Spaw, the Senate secretary, said press access in the chamber has not changed since last session.