The latest special sessions news from The Texas Tribune.
Just two months after vetoing a bill aimed at restricting city rules on tree removal, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed a similar measure into law passed during a summer special session. Full Story
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The Texas Legislature's special session ended with a bang, but it wasn't the sound of the property tax bill the governor was hoping for. Will he call state lawmakers back for more? Full Story
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In Austin — the poster child for property tax recapture in Texas right now — the school district is telling taxpayers they’ll be sending $2.6 billion to the state over the next five years. That's inspiring some crazy ideas. Full Story
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A bill requiring Texas women to pay a separate health insurance premium to get coverage for non-emergency abortions — what opponents have dubbed "rape insurance" — is close to becoming law. Full Story
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Legislation that would allow Texans to vote on whether cities in large counties can annex areas outside of their limits — a contentious issue that prompted a filibuster in May — got one step closer to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk Friday. Full Story
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A new report says the deferrals and other fiscal tricks lawmakers used this year — and are considering in the current special session — are digging a hole legislators will have to fill when they return to write a new budget in January 2019. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Patrick about Gov. Greg Abbott's comparison of his accomplishments to former Gov. Rick Perry's, whether school finance reform has a real shot in the special session, and how soon the Texas Legislature will adjourn — again. Full Story
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With a little more than a week left for this special session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers are preparing closing arguments — and obituaries — for their pet issues. Full Story
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In his first special session as governor of Texas, Greg Abbott is watching his hopes for 20 wins on 20 agenda items fall victim to the same legislative discord that marred the regular session earlier this year. Full Story
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Lawmakers have yet to send Gov. Greg Abbott a single bill to sign from the special session, and with less than two weeks left, it’s highly unlikely Abbott will get his entire 20-item agenda through the process. Full Story
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An eye-opening proposal to kill the local school property tax in order to force Texas lawmakers to build a new school finance system won unanimous approval Thursday from the House's tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Aman talks to Evan, Ross and Patrick about how the special session might end now that we're at the halfway point and reports that Rick Perry might be Trump's next head of Homeland Security. Plus, an update on Dawnna Dukes' corruption case. Full Story
Texas legislators would love to lower your property taxes, but none of the proposals they're considering in the special session would do that. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick marked the halfway point of the special session Tuesday by calling for "better communications" with the House, which has moved much slower on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda than Patrick's Senate has. Full Story
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Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price talked about their Tuesday meeting with Gov. Greg Abbott about several local control issues he put on the agenda for the special legislative session. Full Story
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Measuring the progress of legislation is easy: This one passed, that one didn't. Political success in a legislative session is different: A mediocre legislative record can be a victory for all sides. Full Story
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The Texas Senate is just about done passing bills on Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session agenda, including the controversial "bathroom bill." Full Story
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The governor put a number of public education proposals on the Legislature's plate for the current special session. Getting more than one or two into law would defy the odds. Full Story
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The Texas House has given early approval to a bill that would allow property owners to plant new trees to offset municipal fees for tree removal on their land. Full Story
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The Senate on Wednesday gave initial approval to legislation that would roll back local mobile phone ordinances that go beyond the recent statewide ban on texting while driving. Full Story
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