At the annual conference of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, lawmakers described how government officials fail to meet transparency requirements.
All in State
Delayed Passage of Farm Bill
The farm bill, which is renewed every five years, funds critical crop insurance and loans to farmers and food to low-income families.
Texas A&M System’s Guidance on the State’s DEI Ban
The guidance asks universities in the system to avoid using the acronym DEI on their websites and walk a fine line between organizing events that “support diversity in a general way” but don’t “promote preferential treatment of any particular group.”
Texas Principal Arrested After Paddling a Student
Texas is one of 17 states that still permits paddling in schools.
DPS Announces First Female Texas Ranger Major
The promotion of Texas Ranger Captain Wende O. Wakeman to the rank of major, making her the first female Ranger major in the organization’s storied two-hundred-year history.
Texas Enlists Out-of-State Volunteers to Combat Wildfires
As the state’s wildfire season continues, rural fire departments and their volunteers are strained to keep up with hundreds of fires.
Parents Who Care for Their Disabled Children May Lose Money After Pay Raise
Parents whose sole income came from taking care of their disabled children have now lost their ability to work overtime hours.
New Law Bars Animal Cruelty Offenders from Owning Animals for Five Years
The law bans those convicted of animal cruelty, including those involved with dogfighting, from owning any kind of animal for five years after their first criminal offense.
How Texas is Getting through an Extreme Summer
Record-high power demand and faltering electricity sources have tested the grid in the past month, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to dig deep into its toolbox to keep power flowing.
774 New Texas Laws go into Effect Friday
The new laws affect schools, the electric grid and the power of local governments.
State Effort to Fund Schools Shortchange Rural Districts
In the past, the comptroller’s office says, many county appraisers were valuing property under market value, leading some school districts to receive more state funding than they were supposed to.
Abbott Names Hildebrand Chair, Appoints Doggett to Parks and Wildlife Commission
The Commission manages and conserves the natural and cultural resources of Texas and provides hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Texas Will Bill Electric Vehicle Drivers an Extra $200 a Year
The new registration fee is meant to make up for the state’s lost revenue from gasoline taxes that are used to pay for road construction and maintenance.
Texas Counties Don’t Have the Power to Ban Solar Farms
Residents have been fighting proposals for solar development because they don’t want to see trees cut down, grasslands scraped away or wildlife blocked with fences, among other reasons.
State Grid Operator Asks Texans to Reduce Energy
This is the second voluntary conservation notice issued this summer by ERCOT, which hopes to lower electricity use and avoid tight grid conditions amid an ongoing heat wave.
STAAR Scores Show Texas Students Struggling with Basic Math and Reading
Math scores are still below 2019 levels and about half of Texas students read below the level appropriate for most children in their grade.
Major Company Reverses ESG Credit Rating Practice
The OAG has launched several other initiatives to address the trend of financial companies behaving as an extension of politicians and activists by adopting ESG practices.
Gov. Greg Abbott declares wildfire disaster for three-fourths of Texas
At least 8,500 acres of Texas land have burned since Aug. 1.
Texas State Parks can be a Respite — or a Heated Hindrance
More than 1 million people visited Texas’ 89 state parks in June. In locations without bodies of water, park officials warn attendees not to overdo it as three-digit temperatures persist.
Texas Nixed Child ID Kits
Legislation that would require purchasing the kits is facing key opposition.