https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/joshua-fechter/The latest news by Joshua Fechter.enWed, 06 Aug 2025 16:35:09 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/06/texas-senate-property-tax-cities-counties/The proposal would put tighter limits on how much property tax revenue cities and counties of a certain size can collect each year.By Joshua FechterWed, 06 Aug 2025 16:35:09 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/06/texas-senate-property-tax-cities-counties/The Texas Senate approved a proposal that would limit how much revenue cities and counties can generate from property taxes without voter approval. The legislation goes to the House.Republican legislators talk amongst themselves during the 89th legislative special session in the Senate Chambers on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025 in Austin, Texas.Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/01/republicans-legislature-cities-counties-property-taxes/Republican state lawmakers want to curb property tax bills by further limiting how much can be collected by cities and counties.By Joshua FechterFri, 01 Aug 2025 16:13:55 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/01/republicans-legislature-cities-counties-property-taxes/Cities across Texas may have new limits on their budgets if the Legislature approves a proposal that advanced through a Senate committee Friday.Cars drive on Intersate 35 East with the downtown Dallas skyline looming in the distance on Sunday, July 27, 2025.Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/30/texas-taxpayer-funded-lobbying-2025/Critics of the bill say the state’s smallest cities and school districts will be silenced at the Capitol.By Joshua FechterWed, 30 Jul 2025 19:07:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/30/texas-taxpayer-funded-lobbying-2025/The Texas Senate is poised to approve a bill that would put limits on lobbying efforts by local governments. Similar proposals have failed in the state House.Texas state senators take care of business at their desks during floor debate on SB5 the THC regulation bill on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. Clockwise from upper left are Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, Sen. Adam Hinojosa, D-Corpus Christi, Sen Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown and Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels.Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/23/texas-legislature-housing-crisis-coalition-nicole-nosek/A bipartisan coalition, organized by Nicole Nosek, played a role in getting the Legislature to pass laws tackling the state’s housing affordability woes.By Joshua FechterWed, 23 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/23/texas-legislature-housing-crisis-coalition-nicole-nosek/Nicole Nosek, chair of the housing advocacy group Texans for Reasonable Solutions, at the Texas capitol in Austin on June 25, 2025.Nicole Nosek, chair of the housing advocacy group Texans for Reasonable Solutions, at the Texas in Austin on June 25, 2025. Nosek has spent the past four years advocating for laws to control Texas' rising housing costs.Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/18/texas-legislature-death-star-law-city-ordinances-limits/The 2023 law, previously ruled unconstitutional by a Travis County judge, prevents cities from enforcing ordinances that don’t align with broad swaths of state law.By Colleen DeGuzman and Joshua FechterFri, 18 Jul 2025 15:46:11 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/18/texas-legislature-death-star-law-city-ordinances-limits/Downtown San Antonio. An appeals court has upheld a 2023 state law that limits cities' ability to pass ordinances that don't align with state laws.Downtown San Antonio on May 25, 2024.Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/angela-paxton-divorce-texas-attorney-general-ken/In a statement, Angela Paxton said she moved to end her 38-year marriage “on biblical grounds,” citing “recent discoveries.”By Eleanor Klibanoff and Joshua FechterThu, 10 Jul 2025 12:59:29 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/angela-paxton-divorce-texas-attorney-general-ken/Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife Senator Angela Paxton wave to conventioneers during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife Senator Angela Paxton wave to conventioneers during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/texas-floods-growth-kerr-county-camp-mystic/Experts suggested that more data and education are needed as Texas and the rest of the country build in known flood plains.By Joshua Fechter and Paul Cobler, Graphics by Carla AstudilloWed, 09 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/texas-floods-growth-kerr-county-camp-mystic/Local officials have a limited set of tools to keep people from building in flood-prone areas. And as the state continues to grow, policymakers will have to grapple with how to manage new construction and extreme weather.Damage from the flood around a bridge on Highway 39 in Hunt on July 5, 2025.Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/census-aging-population-texas/Texas remains younger than other states, but the number of older Texans has outpaced that of any other age group.By Joshua Fechter, Graphics by Edison WuThu, 26 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/26/census-aging-population-texas/Marina Hernandez helps students clean up for center time in her Pre-K 2 classroom at Gingerbread Kids Academy in Richmond, Texas, in 2024. Children outnumber seniors in Texas, according to U.S. Census data.Marina Hernandez helps students clean up for center time in her Pre-K 2 classroom at Gingerbread Kids Academy on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2024, in Richmond.Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/16/texas-legislature-housing-bills/The Legislature passed laws allowing smaller homes on smaller lots and making it harder for neighbors to block new housing.By Joshua FechterMon, 16 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/16/texas-legislature-housing-bills/Texas lawmakers hope changes made this year will spur new home building and lower the cost of housing.Houses in a North Austin neighborhood on Oct. 9, 2020.Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-legislature-property-tax-cuts-2025/Texas is slated to spend $51 billion on property tax cuts over the next two years. Some worry that’s unsustainable.By Joshua FechterWed, 04 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/04/texas-legislature-property-tax-cuts-2025/Voters are expected to vote in November to approve a series of tax cuts for homeowners and businesses.An aerial view of new construction homes in a subdivision next to farmland and an irrigation canal in Edinburg, Texas on May 12, 2025.Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/01/texas-legislature-small-lots-compromise-housing/State legislators passed an array of bills this year aimed at reining in the state’s high home prices and rents.By Joshua FechterSun, 01 Jun 2025 17:45:43 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/01/texas-legislature-small-lots-compromise-housing/Homes under construction in the Mueller neighborhood in East Austin on Oct. 7, 2023. Texas lawmakers approved a bill to allow smaller homes on smaller lots across Texas and sent it to the governor's desk.Homes under construction in the Mueller neighborhood in East Austin on Oct. 7, 2023.John Jordan/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/28/89th-legislature-texas-future/Policy experts discussed a new school funding bill, a $20 billion package to keep up with water demand and the state’s energy fund.By Joshua Fechter and Sofia SorochinskaiaWed, 28 May 2025 14:58:27 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/28/89th-legislature-texas-future/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/27/texas-cities-penalties-progressive-policies/Senate Bill 2858 would have expanded a sweeping state law intended to erode the authority of the state’s major urban areas.By Joshua FechterWed, 28 May 2025 00:01:39 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/27/texas-cities-penalties-progressive-policies/The Austin downtown skyline on Sept. 22. 2022.The Austin downtown skyline on Sept. 22. 2022.Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/27/texas-house-tiny-homes/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.By Joshua FechterTue, 27 May 2025 17:57:50 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/27/texas-house-tiny-homes/A construction worker builds homes in far west San Antonio on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.A construction worker builds homes in far west San Antonio on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.Scott Stephen Ball for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/26/texas-homeless-camping-ban-senate-bill-241/The bill would have withheld some tax dollars from cities that did not comply with state law.By Joshua FechterMon, 26 May 2025 23:34:09 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/26/texas-homeless-camping-ban-senate-bill-241/A tent stands in a field after being removed from a homeless encampment underneath Interstate 45 in Dallas in 2022.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.Emil Lippe for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/25/texas-housing-costs-bills-tiny-homes-office-buildings-apartments/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.By Joshua FechterSun, 25 May 2025 15:52:57 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/25/texas-housing-costs-bills-tiny-homes-office-buildings-apartments/A stretch of suburban homes line the landscape southeast of San Antonio on July 26, 2023.A stretch of suburban homes line the landscape southeast of San Antonio on July 26, 2023.Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/23/texas-house-squatters-eviction-bill/The chamber jettisoned a provision tenants’ advocates warned would make it easier for Texas landlords to evict renters.By Joshua FechterFri, 23 May 2025 19:44:46 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/23/texas-house-squatters-eviction-bill/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.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.Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/20/texas-legislature-housing-mixed-use-office/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.By Joshua FechterTue, 20 May 2025 14:17:46 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/20/texas-legislature-housing-mixed-use-office/Empty warehouses and other abandoned commercial real estate will face an easier path to become housing after the Texas House gave its first approval to a bill that changes certain zoning laws.Empty real estate in downtown Brownwood on Sep 9, 2020.Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/20/texas-homeowners-legislature-property-tax/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.By Joshua FechterTue, 20 May 2025 13:52:31 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/20/texas-homeowners-legislature-property-tax/Texas homeowners may see their tax bills slashed again after the Texas House gave initial approval to a set of bills Tuesday.A farmhouse on U.S. Highway 190 in Milam Co. on March 16, 2025.Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/16/texas-businesses-donald-trump-tariffs/The higher taxes on imports will shrink Texas businesses’ profits and raise costs for consumers, business owners say.By Joshua FechterFri, 16 May 2025 15:51:51 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/16/texas-businesses-donald-trump-tariffs/