https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/joshua-fechter/The latest news by Joshua Fechter.enWed, 28 May 2025 00:01:39 -0500https://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/https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/15/texas-fastest-growing-princeton-fort-worth-population-census/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.By Joshua Fechter, Graphics by Yuriko SchumacherThu, 15 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/15/texas-fastest-growing-princeton-fort-worth-population-census/The North Texas region that includes Dallas is home to five of the nation's fastest growing cities.The Dallas skyline from the Top o' Texas Tower ride at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas on Oct. 14, 2024.Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/14/texas-legislature-business-property-tax/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.By Joshua FechterWed, 14 May 2025 14:28:11 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/14/texas-legislature-business-property-tax/Texas business owners may see a lower tax bill in the future. The Texas Legislature is taking steps toward approving a deal that would lower certain taxes.Small businesses are reflected in a storefront window in downtown Smithville on Mar. 11, 2024.Maria Crane for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/09/texas-legislature-homeowners-insurance/Texans pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the country, putting lawmakers under pressure to tackle rising costs.By Joshua FechterFri, 09 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/09/texas-legislature-homeowners-insurance/Texas lawmakers have few options to drive down rising home insurance costs.Homes in a college neighborhood off Park Place in College Station, Texas, on April 23, 2024.Ishika Samant for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/05/texas-legislature-housing-nimby-bill/Texas lawmakers have sought to make it easier to build more homes — and harder for neighbors to block projects.By Joshua FechterMon, 05 May 2025 15:51:14 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/05/texas-legislature-housing-nimby-bill/Newly developed apartments sit next to older homes in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood on July 11, 2024.Newly developed apartments sit next to older homes in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood on July 11, 2024.Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/05/texas-property-tax-cut-deal/Legislators in the House and Senate have reached an agreement on more property tax relief. But some critics worry the cuts aren’t sustainable forever.By Joshua FechterMon, 05 May 2025 15:01:50 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/05/texas-property-tax-cut-deal/Homes along Lake Austin on March 06, 2023.Homes along Lake Austin on March 06, 2023,Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/05/texas-legislature-republicans-progressive-policies-cities/One proposal would allow the attorney general to sue cities and freeze sales tax revenues for up to 90 days.By Joshua FechterMon, 05 May 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/05/texas-legislature-republicans-progressive-policies-cities/Texas Republican lawmakers have spent several years eroding local control, especially in the state's largest Democratic-controlled cities like Austin.A view of the Austin skyline from the dome of the Texas Capitol on Aug. 12, 2021.Sophie Park/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/30/texas-legislature-homelessness-crisis-bills/Republican lawmakers are considering a bill to strengthen the state’s ban on homeless encampments and speed up the eviction process.By Joshua FechterWed, 30 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/30/texas-legislature-homelessness-crisis-bills/Texas lawmakers are debating legislation advocates say will make the state's homelessness problem worse. One proposal would allow the state to clean up homeless encampments like this one in Austin and charge the city for labor.Tents are pitched in front of Austin City Hall protesting camping bans on May 10, 2021.Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/22/exas-republicans-legislature-housing-affordability/There’s political urgency for Republicans to deal with housing affordability, especially as surveys find most Texans say housing costs are a top concern.By Joshua FechterTue, 22 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/22/exas-republicans-legislature-housing-affordability/Texas Republicans hope a legislative package debated this year will increase home construction and lower the cost of home ownership.The Mueller neighborhood in East Austin on Oct. 7, 2023.John Jordan/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/14/texas-high-speed-rail-planning-grant-cut/Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said if the private sector wants the rail line, it should cover planning costs.By Joshua FechterMon, 14 Apr 2025 18:38:41 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/14/texas-high-speed-rail-planning-grant-cut/Railroad tracks near a proposed high-speed rail terminus on the outskirts of downtown Dallas. The Trump administration canceled a federal grand that was to have been used to plan the Texas high-speed rail line.Railroad tracks near a proposed bullet train terminus on the outskirts of downtown Dallas, on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022.Ben Torres for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/10/texas-property-tax-cuts-budget/State budget watchers — and some Republicans — worry Texas is spending too much on property tax cuts.By Joshua Fechter and Jasper SchererThu, 10 Apr 2025 16:12:28 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/10/texas-property-tax-cuts-budget/A row of high-density townhomes in Austin on March 23, 2025.A row of high-density townhomes in Austin on March 23, 2025.John Jordan/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/07/texas-republicans-public-transit-dart-project-connect/The Texas Legislature is considering bills that transit officials warn could hamper public transportation in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth regions.By Joshua FechterMon, 07 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/07/texas-republicans-public-transit-dart-project-connect/A Dart bus lies idle at a stop near Westmoreland Station in Dallas on Feb. 2, 2020.A Dart bus lies idle at a stop near Westmoreland Station in Dallas on Feb. 2, 2020.Duy Vu for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/19/texas-senate-smaller-homes-vote/Lawmakers, who are preempting locals on lot sizes in new subdivisions, have been eyeing ways to allow more homes to be built as the state faces a shortage.By Joshua Fechter and Zach DespartWed, 19 Mar 2025 20:21:21 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/19/texas-senate-smaller-homes-vote/Senate Bill 15, which would reduce the amount of land cities require single-family homes in new subdivisions to sit on, cleared the chamber Wednesday by a 28-3 vote.The Mueller neighborhood in East Austin on Oct. 7, 2023.John Jordan/The Texas Tribune