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The Latest Breaking News from Joan Huffman

Bills to create new Texas courts would likely reverse Democratic gains, restore GOP dominance

Supporters say the proposals would increase efficiency and expertise, but opponents argue the attempts are political and probably unconstitutional.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Senate passes $308 billion budget plan, kicking off high-stakes negotiations with the House

There are $5 billion and several political wedges standing between the House and Senate plans, which now move into conference committee with less than five weeks before session ends.

The Texas Tribune

Senate budget panel approves $308 billion spending plan with new money for teachers, mental health, juvenile justice

The proposal for the 2024-25 budget cycle includes $142.1 billion in general revenue spending — about $5 billion higher than the proposal approved last week by the Texas House — at a time when lawmakers have a historic $32.7 billion surplus at their disposal this session.

The Texas Tribune

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Texas Senate approves bill that would create mandatory prison or probation terms for some gun crimes

Sen. Joan Huffman said the bill was in response to increased violent crime since 2019. Legislative researchers could not determine how the bill would affect the state’s prison population.

The Texas Tribune

Bill intended to force Texas prosecutors to pursue abortion, election cases passes Senate

The bill, a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is part of a larger effort to limit the power of elected prosecutors, especially in Texas’ largest, left-leaning counties.

The Texas Tribune

Family of dead National Guardsman urges Legislature to make death benefits bill named for him retroactive

While the state guarantees law enforcement officers, like Department of Public Safety troopers, a $500,000 death benefit for their families if they die on duty, National Guard troops who stand shoulder to shoulder with those DPS officers on Operation Lone Star don’t have the same benefit.

The Texas Tribune

To be safe, Texas Senate again approves political district maps

The vote ensured the Senate met its constitutional requirement to redraw districts in the first regular session after publication of the 2020 census results.

The Texas Tribune

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Bills advance to close loophole allowing some lawmakers to increase their pay to $140,000

Two bills that advanced in House and Senate committees on Wednesday both exempt any lawmaker who has already taken advantage of the benefit.

The Texas Tribune

Senate passes bill opening door for prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with murder

Gov. Greg Abbott and state lawmakers have taken a tough-on-drugs approach to the fentanyl crisis, primarily pushing efforts to increase criminal penalties.

The Texas Tribune

Texas bill requiring 10-year prison sentences for gun felonies faces opposition from criminal justice and firearm advocates

Under Senate Bill 23, all felonies involving a gun would incur a mandatory 10-year prison sentence. It’s meant to curb crime, despite the lack of correlation between harsher sentences and crime rates.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Senate passes first bill this session, a bipartisan effort to close teen gun loophole

In its first bill passed this session, the Texas Senate sought to ensure juvenile mental health hospitalizations are reported to the federal firearm background check system.

The Texas Tribune

Lawmakers could use $5 billion of a record surplus for raises, flood prevention and border operations

Budget proposals would boost state spending for the current budget cycle for projects ranging from mental health hospitals to state pay raises. This would leave $27 billion in surplus for the next two years.

The Texas Tribune

The top fundraisers in the Texas State Senate

Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations, how often they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political entities may contribute to campaigns.

Ballotpedia

Lawmakers could no longer “double dip” into pension funds under newly filed bill

State Sen. Joan Huffman filed a bill that would repeal a provision that allowed longtime lawmakers to increase their yearly take-home income by $140,000 by collecting pension payments without retiring.

The Texas Tribune

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The Texas Tribune

Why three longtime Texas lawmakers are now eligible for an extra $140,000 a year

A few of Texas’ most veteran lawmakers may have seen their part-time legislative compensation skyrocket from $7,200 to nearly $150,000 annually, thanks to a law passed quietly at the end of the 2021 legislative session.

Tribune News Service

Who will pay $3.3M settlement in whistleblower suit against Texas AG Ken Paxton’s office?

AUSTIN, Texas — What happens now that Ken Paxton’s office has settled the lawsuit filed by four whistleblowers who accused him of bribery and abuse of office?

The Texas Tribune

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveils committee assignments with one Democratic chair

Conservative activists have pushed for legislative leaders to ban Democrats from leading committees.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Legislature’s state budget proposals leave more than $50 billion in state funds up for grabs

The preliminary budgets by House and Senate call for $130.1 billion in state spending over two years, even though tens of billions more are available to them. The bills do not bust state or constitutional spending limits.

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The Texas Tribune

Texas senators draw lots to determine how long their terms will be

After redistricting, the state constitution requires senators to draw lots to determine which half of the chamber will have four-year terms and which will have two-year terms. This keeps Senate district elections staggered every two years for the rest of the decade.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Senate votes to take up redistricting again

The redistricting process this year is mostly procedural and is not expected to produce very different results from the most recent process completed in 2021.

The Texas Tribune

After a Texas National Guard member died, his family got no financial payment. Lawmakers want to change that.

In April, Bishop Evans drowned after jumping into the Rio Grande to save two migrants being swept away by the current. His family members will receive no financial payment, but they would if he worked for DPS or was under federal deployment.

The Texas Tribune

Texas diverts $359.6 million from prisons to keep Greg Abbott’s border mission operating

The latest infusion was among $874.6 million in “emergency” budget transfers requested by the Texas Legislative Budget Board, which is composed of GOP state leaders and budget writers.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joins other key Republicans in supporting repealing the “tampon tax”

Advocates have previously called for repealing the sales tax on products like tampons, sanitary pads and pantyliners. Menstrual products are already tax-free in 24 states.

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