Texas bill penalizing cities and counties for progressive policies misses House deadline
Senate Bill 2858 would have expanded a sweeping state law intended to erode the authority of the state’s major urban areas. Full Story
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Joshua Fechter is the Dallas-based urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, covering policy — including housing affordability, housing and property taxes, evictions, policing and transportation — and politics in Texas' major metropolitan areas. Before joining the Tribune in August 2021, Joshua covered City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
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![The Austin downtown skyline on Sept. 22. 2022.]()
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Texas bill allowing smaller homes on smaller lots amid housing affordability crunch advances in House
Senate Bill 15, a top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is part of a broad push by lawmakers to put a dent in the state’s high home prices. Full Story
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![A construction worker builds homes in far west San Antonio on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.]()
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Texas lawmaker abruptly spiked his bill to punish cities that don’t deal with homeless encampments
The bill would have withheld some tax dollars from cities that did not comply with state law. Full Story
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![A tent stands in a field after being removed from a homeless encampment underneath Interstate Highway 45 in Dallas, Texas on Friday, July 22, 2022.]()
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Bill to allow smaller homes on smaller lots resurrected in Texas House
A top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the legislation would make it easier to construct homes on smaller lots. A House Democrat briefly killed the bill. Full Story
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![A stretch of suburban homes line the landscape southeast of San Antonio on July 26, 2023.]()
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Eviction bill now focuses on squatters in Texas House rewrite
The chamber jettisoned a provision tenants’ advocates warned would make it easier for Texas landlords to evict renters. Full Story
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![A tenant walks her puppies outside of an apartment where the tenants were evicted and the apartment emptied at the Life at Jackson Square apartments in Houston on April 11, 2023.]()
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Vacant offices, strip malls may get new life as housing in Texas’ largest cities
The bill is part of a suite of GOP proposals aimed at curbing the state’s high housing costs — chiefly by allowing more homes to be built. Full Story
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![Empty real estate in downtown Brownwood on Sep 9, 2020.]()
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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. Full Story
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![A farmhouse on U.S. Highway 190 in Milam Co. on March 16, 2025.]()
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Texas businesses feel the pinch from Trump’s tariffs, Fed survey finds
The higher taxes on imports will shrink Texas businesses’ profits and raise costs for consumers, business owners say. Full Story
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![A ReadyOne Industries worker sews the fabric to make Army camouflage pants at the sewing factory in East El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.]()
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The fastest-growing city in the U.S. is in Texas, and it’s not the one you’re thinking of
With Princeton leading the Texas pack, the state continues to set the pace for the rest of the nation, with seven of the 15 fastest-growing cities. Full Story
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![The Dallas skyline from the Top o' Texas Tower ride at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas on Oct. 14, 2024.]()
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Business tax breaks closer to reality after Texas Senate approves compromise
The Texas House must approve changes to the proposal that were brokered by party leaders. It’s part of a package of bills to bring down property taxes statewide. Full Story
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![Small businesses are reflected in a storefront window in downtown Smithville on Mar. 11, 2024.]()
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