The latest 86th Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
Some of the central issues are momentous, but the 86th Texas Legislature has managed — so far — not to lose its temper. That's out of the ordinary, but for a group of politicians who don't want to be compared to their federal counterparts, it counts as a kind of success. Full Story
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A measure to limit arrests for misdemeanors that only result in fines initially got House approval. Then it failed on a subsequent vote amid what some say was confusion over what the bill would do. Lawmakers tried to revive it Friday evening — after several lawmakers had left the chamber — but that attempt also failed. Full Story
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Democratic state lawmakers filed multiple bills this year to require the state to prepare for a warming planet. None of them have been scheduled for public hearings. Full Story
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States across the country are advancing "heartbeat bills" that aim to overturn the landmark Supreme Court decision, but major Texas anti-abortion groups are worried that such an approach could backfire. Full Story
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Legislation swapping higher sales taxes for lower property taxes flopped this week, and for lawmakers, it flopped in the best way possible: They never had to cast a vote. Full Story
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The LGBTQ Caucus, formed this year, notched a major victory Thursday evening, defeating a controversial measure as the Texas House raced toward a midnight deadline. Full Story
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The bill was one of several bail reform measures filed after federal court rulings, jail deaths and a state trooper's murder drew attention to Texas' pretrial jailing practices. A late addition to limit who could be released from jail at no cost was removed by lawmakers Friday. Full Story
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill weeks after a federal judge blocked the existing state law in response to a lawsuit. Full Story
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For the past year, an influential conservative think tank has lobbied to make wind and solar projects ineligible for a popular local property tax abatement program. A measure to do that has stalled, but renewable advocates are watching for last-minute changes to other legislation. Full Story
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Under the measure, defendants who have active psychotic symptoms of certain mental illnesses at the time of the crime would be ineligible for capital punishment. The bill now heads to the more conservative Senate. Full Story
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On this week’s TribCast, Aman talks to Ross, Matthew and Shannon about how Texas lawmakers' plan to raise the sales tax collapsed, why the 2019 session is like the 1997 one and what we'll be watching out for in the session’s final three weeks. Full Story
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The measure aims to prohibit caller ID spoofing — when callers tamper with information transmitted to people’s phones to disguise their identities. Full Story
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One of the big bills of the session — a sales- for property-tax swap — was put on ice this week. Lots of other bills are ready for their post-session burials, too, but keep your eyes open. In the Texas Legislature, dead legislation has a way of coming back to life. Full Story
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But an amendment to the bill could keep the devices in place until cities' contracts with vendors expire. Camera proponents say they make intersections safer, but critics say they undermine due process. Full Story
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The bill would also prevent what abortion opponents call "discriminatory abortions" — where a woman or a doctor pursues an abortion on the basis of the fetus' sex, race or disability. Full Story
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In a party-line vote, the upper chamber advanced a bill that would make it more difficult for cities and state agencies to remove or alter historical markers. The legislation comes amid a larger debate over whether to keep or remove Confederate monuments. Full Story
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It was the second time in as many days that the lower chamber moved to increase which medical conditions allow Texans to use CBD oil for treatment. But both bills face an uphill battle in the Senate. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott and other legislative leaders endorsed the sales tax increase, intended to help fund ongoing cuts to school district taxes. But it has been effectively killed this session. Full Story
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"Having a hearing is sometimes a victory," said state Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, whose conversion therapy ban was debated for the first time this year. Full Story
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State leaders are pushing a plan to drive down property taxes using revenue from a one-cent increase to the sales tax. They have said the plan would result in roughly $250 a year in savings on a $200,000 home. Full Story
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