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The Latest Breaking News from Paul Bettencourt

Senate panel begins negotiations with the House over how to scrap the STAAR test

The Senate’s rewrite of House Bill 4 reflects a gap in what the chambers want to see out of the new state assessment and the performance ratings that largely hinge on its results.

The Texas Tribune

Another big tax cut for Texas homeowners appears imminent

Providing bigger tax breaks to homeowners is a key component of a deal brokered by Republicans in the Texas Legislature to lower tax bills for Texans.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Already Gives Public Ed Dollars to Private Operators. Here’s How That Worked Out.

The state created “Texas Partnership” charter schools to turn around struggling public campuses, but an Observer investigation has uncovered numerous academic and financial issues.

Texas Observer

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Texas homeowners could see lower property tax bills if deal from Republican lawmakers passes

Legislators in the House and Senate have reached an agreement on more property tax relief. But some critics worry the cuts aren’t sustainable forever.

The Texas Tribune

Advocates fear Texas lawmakers are about to worsen the state’s homelessness crisis

Republican lawmakers are considering a bill to strengthen the state’s ban on homeless encampments and speed up the eviction process.

The Texas Tribune

Texas lawmakers consider barring counties from mailing unsolicited voter registration forms

Voting rights advocates worry that legislation approved by House and Senate committees could make it harder to get more people on the rolls.

The Texas Tribune

School districts stay quiet as lawmakers push to limit when they can sue the state

School leaders have privately criticized a bill that would make it harder to contest their performance ratings in court. But they did not testify against it to avoid lawmakers’ ire.

The Texas Tribune

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Texas Republicans take aim at public transit in two major cities

The Texas Legislature is considering bills that transit officials warn could hamper public transportation in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth regions.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Senate panel approves $500 million infusion for film incentives

Senate Bill 22 would more than double the amount of money Texas spends to lure film and television projects and has the backing of Texas movie stars including Matthew McConaughey.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Senate advances bill to allow smaller homes on smaller lots

Lawmakers, who are preempting locals on lot sizes in new subdivisions, have been eyeing ways to allow more homes to be built as the state faces a shortage.

The Texas Tribune

Texas countywide voting bill would allow fewer polling sites

Senate Bill 985 would revise a 2023 law that raised the minimum number of voting locations. County election officials say they’ve struggled to comply with it.

The Texas Tribune

The Texas Senate wants more — and smaller — starter homes in new neighborhoods

The goal of the new legislation is to help drive down the cost of housing so that more Texans can afford homes.

The Texas Tribune

Republican senators threaten not to boost Texas public universities’ funding over DEI ban

In a letter, Sens. Brandon Creighton and Paul Bettencourt said they found “numerous” violations of the law, but didn’t provide specifics.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Senate unanimously approves tax cuts for homeowners

The marquee proposal would increase the amount of a home’s value exemption from school taxes to $140,000 from $100,000. The legislation must win approval from the House next.

The Texas Tribune

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The Texas Tribune

With vouchers fast-tracked, other Texas public education issues to watch this session

From teacher pay and preparation to special education and DEI, here are issues Texas lawmakers are prioritizing this legislative session.

The Texas Tribune

Gov. Greg Abbott wants to set a high bar for local tax increases

Local officials, school advocates and tax policy experts said such a proposal could have dire impacts on basic services.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Republicans want more property tax cuts. Here’s how they may do it.

Gov. Greg Abbott said cutting taxes is a top priority, however, state lawmakers don’t have as much money to plug into tax cuts as they did two years ago.

The Texas Tribune

Texas lawmakers signal push to require proof of citizenship from voters

Gov. Greg Abbott gave an inflated number of noncitizens removed from the state’s voter rolls, officials acknowledged, confirming findings by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, and Votebeat.

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Latin Times

Texas Attorney General continues targeting Latino-heavy Harris and Bexar counties over voter registration

According to 2022 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos make up around 40.2% of the Texas' total population

The Texas Tribune

Harris County voter outreach proposal sparks another fight with Texas Republicans

The county plans to ID eligible voters and send them registration forms. GOP officials say it’s an end-run around state law.

The Texas Tribune

Texas legislators want to help property owners deal with squatters. But the changes could affect tenants.

Housing advocates say Texas laws fall short when it comes to property trespassers but they warn changes could worsen the state’s evictions crisis.

The Texas Tribune

Texans get their first crack at electing the people overseeing the state’s complicated property appraisal process

In the state’s larger counties, voters can now elect people to the agencies that appraise property values.

WEKU

After a boom in cash aid to tackle poverty, some states are now banning it

Four states so far have passed laws prohibiting the use of public money for no-strings cash aid. Advocates for basic income say the backlash is being fueled by a conservative think tank.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Supreme Court justice implies Democrats will cheat in 2024 election

Justice John Devine’s comments at a conservative event are the latest to prompt concerns about his impartiality as a jurist.

Texas Observer

Texas Counties Try to Fight Poverty with Cash

A Harris County poverty relief program intended to put money into needy pockets faces a challenge from a Texas state senator.

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