https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/jasper-scherer/The latest news by Jasper Scherer.enWed, 12 Mar 2025 11:34:40 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/12/texas-gambling-sports-betting-casinos-house-republicans/Gambling critics hope the net loss of more than a dozen votes for sports betting — and 10 votes for casinos — will be enough to block any action in the Texas House.By Jasper SchererWed, 12 Mar 2025 11:34:40 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/12/texas-gambling-sports-betting-casinos-house-republicans/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/07/texas-comptroller-christi-craddick-don-huffines-2026-glenn-hegar/Hegar’s impending departure from the comptroller’s seat creates a rare opening for one of Texas’ coveted statewide offices.By Jasper SchererFri, 07 Mar 2025 12:54:57 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/07/texas-comptroller-christi-craddick-don-huffines-2026-glenn-hegar/Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick and former state Sen. Don Huffines.Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick and former state Sen. Don Huffines.Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/05/sylvester-turner-texas-houston-dies/Turner’s death comes two months into his first term representing Texas’ 18th Congressional District, the seat long occupied by former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who also died in office last year amid a battle with pancreatic cancer.By Jasper SchererWed, 05 Mar 2025 09:08:21 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/05/sylvester-turner-texas-houston-dies/Then-Houston mayor Sylvester Turner describes his bout with cancer in an interview at City Hall in Houston on Nov. 15, 2022.Houston mayor Sylvester Turner describes his bout with cancer in an interview at City Hall in Houston, TX, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022.Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/05/texas-thc-ban-hemp-senate-bill/There is little doubt that a ban will sail through the Senate. But its prospects are far less certain in the House.By Jasper SchererWed, 05 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/05/texas-thc-ban-hemp-senate-bill/THC products that are now available from thousands of stores in Texas would be outlawed under a bill under consideration in the state Senate.Various Delta 8 THC products at a Valero station on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 in Spring Branch.Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/26/texas-house-vouchers-republican-cosponsors/The 75 co-sponsors plus the bill’s author would provide enough votes to pass Gov. Abbott’s top priority measure in the 150-seat House.By Jasper SchererWed, 26 Feb 2025 12:52:32 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/26/texas-house-vouchers-republican-cosponsors/Voucher bills would allow many of these Houston students and students around the state to use tax dollars toward the cost of private schools.Students enter a classroom at one of the 11 Houston-area campuses of Yes Prep, a public charter school system serving 7,000 low-income students.Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/24/texas-lottery-couriers/The policy shift was announced before state senators, skeptical of the move, grilled officials with the department and courier services in a hearing on SB 28.By Ayden Runnels and Jasper SchererMon, 24 Feb 2025 11:37:58 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/24/texas-lottery-couriers/A Texas Lottery stand at an Austin convenience store on Feb. 20, 2025.A Texas Lottery stand at an Austin convenience store on Feb. 20, 2025.Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/21/ted-cruz-podcast-super-pac-complaint-dismissed-fec/The agency dismissed a campaign finance watchdog complaint after finding no evidence Cruz “solicited, directed, received, transferred, or spent the funds.”By Jasper SchererFri, 21 Feb 2025 15:15:31 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/21/ted-cruz-podcast-super-pac-complaint-dismissed-fec/U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a bus tour campaign stop at Tia Juanita's Fish Camp in Longview on Saturday Oct. 5, 2024.U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a bus tour campaign stop at Tia Juanita's Fish Camp in Longview on Saturday Oct. 5, 2024.Michael Cavazos for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/21/texas-lottery-tickets-courier-services/While the Lottery Commission says it can’t regulate sales to couriers, lawmakers want changes after two major jackpots were won using those services.By Ayden Runnels and Jasper SchererFri, 21 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/21/texas-lottery-tickets-courier-services/Texas Lottery officials have come under fire recently over the sales of tickets to draw games via third-party services.Texas Lottery cards at an Austin convenience store on Feb. 20, 2025.Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/20/texas-house-school-vouchers/The proposal sets a few possible points of contention between the House and Senate, including how much money should families get through the program.By Jaden Edison, James Barragán and Jasper SchererThu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:56 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/20/texas-house-school-vouchers/The Texas House filed its priority bill on private school vouchers on Thursday.Corina Pannabecker teaches first grade at Ogden Elementary in San Antonio on April 30, 2018.Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/20/texas-vouchers-trump-elon-musk-greg-abbott/Supporters of voucher-like education savings accounts are trying to press their advantage early and build a sense of inevitability.By Jasper Scherer and James BarragánThu, 20 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/20/texas-vouchers-trump-elon-musk-greg-abbott/Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows have focused attention at the start of the legislative session on supporting the plan to let families use state money to help pay the cost of private school.Gov. Greg Abbott speaks with Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, during ‘Parent Empowerment Night’ at San Antonio Christian School, in San Antonio, Texas, on February, 17, 2025. The governor has made the polarizing school voucher bill, Senate Bill 2, a top priority for this year’s legislative session.Scott Stephen Ball for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/14/texas-house-committee-assignments-chairs-winners-losers/There were only so many chair positions to go around, with 30 committees for 88 Republicans, making it inevitable that some would miss out on plum appointments.By James Barragán and Jasper SchererFri, 14 Feb 2025 19:38:55 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/14/texas-house-committee-assignments-chairs-winners-losers/House committee assignments were an early test for state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, in his initial weeks as speaker.State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, gives an acceptance speech as he is elected Speaker of the House in a runoff vote of the members on Jan. 14, 2025.Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/texas-house-committee-assignments-dustin-burrows/Republicans chair all committees, as promised, while Democrats will lead half of the newly created subcommittees.By James Barragán and Jasper SchererThu, 13 Feb 2025 13:18:02 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/texas-house-committee-assignments-dustin-burrows/House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, named many experienced Republican leaders to head committees for the new session.House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, presides over a session on Feb. 11, 2025.Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/12/texas-bail-bills-pretrial-detention-legislature/The package of bills would tighten the state's bail laws to keep more people in jail — including undocumented immigrants — while their criminal cases are pending.By Pooja Salhotra and Jasper SchererWed, 12 Feb 2025 16:13:08 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/12/texas-bail-bills-pretrial-detention-legislature/Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick holds a press conference on changes to the bail system, an emergency item this legislative session, on Feb. 12, 2025.Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick holds a press conference on bail reform, an emergency item this legislative session, on Feb. 12, 2025.Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/11/texas-legislature-gambling-casinos-sports-betting/With plenty of patience and money, the industry is extending its multi-year campaign to bring legal casinos and sports betting to the state.By Jasper SchererTue, 11 Feb 2025 13:54:09 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/11/texas-legislature-gambling-casinos-sports-betting/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/05/texas-border-security-immigration-spending-operation-lone-star/Texas’ border spending exploded after Joe Biden’s election, then state leaders signaled a new willingness to reduce it when Trump won. That didn’t last long.By Alejandro Serrano and Jasper SchererWed, 05 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/05/texas-border-security-immigration-spending-operation-lone-star/Texas National Guard members on the banks of the Rio Grand at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on Jan. 16, 2024.Texas National Guard members load a raft to a pickup at the bank of the Rio Grand at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, on Jan. 16, 2024. Texas has closed off Shelby Park, cutting access to federal agents to part of the Texas-Mexico border and escalating tensions between the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/29/dan-patrick-priorities-texas-senate/Restrict THC, help with deportations, infuse religion in schools and provide property tax relief – these are among the Patrick priorities.By Jasper SchererWed, 29 Jan 2025 11:49:59 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/29/dan-patrick-priorities-texas-senate/Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has listed the items from his conservative agenda that are his top legislative priorities for the new session.Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over on the Senate floor during the first day of the second special session at the state Capitol in Austin on June 28, 2023.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/ken-paxton-texas-state-bar-lawsuit-dismiss-2020-election/The state bar had sought to sanction Paxton, which could have carried a punishment ranging from a private reprimand to disbarment.By Jasper SchererThu, 23 Jan 2025 13:26:22 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/23/ken-paxton-texas-state-bar-lawsuit-dismiss-2020-election/The request would end a lawsuit by the State Bar of Texas against Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, over false statements related to the 2020 election.Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, speaks to the media Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, during a press conference following arguments in the case “Free Speech Coalition, Inc., et al. v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas,” at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.Luke Johnson for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/22/texas-budget-school-vouchers-teacher-raises-border-security/Both chambers set aside $1 billion for a voucher-like education savings account program — double what was on the table two years ago — in a sign that supporters are emboldened after recent electoral gains.By Pooja Salhotra and Jasper SchererWed, 22 Jan 2025 11:19:51 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/22/texas-budget-school-vouchers-teacher-raises-border-security/The Texas State Capitol on Dec. 5, 2024 in Austin.The Texas State Capitol on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Austin.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/17/texas-house-speaker-democrats-dustin-burrows/The Democrats’ short list of possible benefits: A leader who learned to keep promises, a chance at chairing committees, and what they see as more chances for a fairer playing field.By James Barragán and Jasper SchererFri, 17 Jan 2025 12:38:58 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/17/texas-house-speaker-democrats-dustin-burrows/State Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, hugs fellow Reps. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and David Cook, R-Mansfield, after Burrows won the vote for speaker.State Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, hugs fellow Reps. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and David Cook, R-Mansfield, after Burrows won the vote for the next Speaker of the Texas House Of Representatives on the first day of the 2025 Texas Legislative Session in Austin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/texas-house-speaker-election-dustin-burrows-winners-losers/The new speaker’s power over the budget and committee assignments is expected to bolster established Republican leaders and some Democrats who supported the winner.By Jasper SchererWed, 15 Jan 2025 16:29:10 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/texas-house-speaker-election-dustin-burrows-winners-losers/State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, shakes hands with state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, after winning the vote for the next House speaker on the first day of the 2025 Texas Legislature in Austin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.State Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, shakes hands with state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, after winning the vote for the next House speaker on the first day of the 2025 Texas Legislature in Austin on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune