Texas educators praise new school cellphone ban
The new state ban took effect on Sept. 1, and Texas’ more than 1,200 public school districts have adopted policies ranging from secure phone pouches to increased monitoring. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers are in Austin for the 89th Texas Legislature’s second, 30-day special session. They are redrawing the state’s congressional map, considering limits on consumable THC products and pushing flood preparedness measures. A first special session ended without successful legislation after House Democrats fled the state to block Republicans’ proposed congressional redistricting map. The regular session ran from January to June and resulted in a new school voucher program, a ban on DEI initiatives in public schools and proposals to increase the state’s water supply.
The new state ban took effect on Sept. 1, and Texas’ more than 1,200 public school districts have adopted policies ranging from secure phone pouches to increased monitoring. Full Story
Opponents of reunification therapy say it can psychologically harm children, while supporters say it’s unnatural for children to reject parents. Full Story
The executive order comes after the Legislature ended a special session without the House, Senate and governor agreeing on restrictions. Full Story
Democrats in the Texas House began the year by elevating a new speaker and left Austin relegated to the sidelines in the one chamber that had granted them at least scraps from the table. Full Story
Between cracking down on abortion pills and restricting transgender restroom use, lawmakers also tackled flood safety and the STAAR test. Left untouched: Texas’ hemp industry. Full Story
The parents of children who died at Camp Mystic advocated for the new legislation, which now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature. Full Story
A bill scrapping the state’s standardized test heads over to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. It would replace STAAR with three shorter tests at the beginning, middle and end of the year. Full Story
Legislators couldn’t reach a last-minute deal to tighten regulations on consumable hemp products. Full Story
The House refused Senate changes allowing exports to continue while the state studies its underground water supply. Lawmakers left the Capitol without reaching a compromise. Full Story
The House refused to back a bill that would apply only to the state’s largest cities. Full Story
Suburban officials in the Dallas-Fort Worth region have enacted rules aimed at curtailing a sweeping new state law to allow more apartments. Full Story
Lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year allowing voters to update their address at the polls and immediately vote on elections tied to that new residence, as long as the move was within the county. This bill walks it back. Full Story
House members who freeze future legislation by fleeing Texas will face steeper fines, loss of seniority and committee posts, and limits on political fundraising. Full Story
The law does not specifically ban the possession of THC vape pens, but those who sell them face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 penalty. Full Story
Despite explosive growth turning Tarrant into a racially diverse swing county, two new political maps will leave it with whiter, more Republican representation. Full Story
Camp Waldemar, Vista Camps and Camp Stewart ask the lieutenant governor for an expert to determine where cabins are located, want financial aid if pending camp safety bills pass. Full Story
High priority bills that propose banning THC have not moved through the Texas House, as the current overtime session could conclude in the coming days. Full Story
The governor was expected to sign off on the new district lines, which passed the Legislature last week and aim to flip five Democratic seats in the 2026 midterms. Full Story
After months of controversy, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation must tackle poor sales and legislative scrutiny as it takes over the games on Sept. 1. Full Story
The measure failed after the two chambers disagreed on whether to include a carveout that would have let parents access records from the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. Full Story