JASPER SCHERER/The Texas Tribune

The Texas Tribune

In bail talks, lawmakers close in on Texas GOP goal of keeping defendants in jail

GOP leaders see the issue as a matter of life and death, arguing that stricter bail laws are needed to curb violent crime tied to defendants who are out on bond. Critics, led by civil rights groups and progressive Democrats, view the bail crackdown as an infringement of the civil liberties of defend

In historic first, Texas House approves private school voucher program

The Texas House gave initial approval early Thursday to a bill that would create a $1 billion private school voucher program, crossing a historic milestone and bringing Gov.

Texas Lottery Commission says couriers no longer allowed to sell tickets

Since 2016, the commission has maintained to retailers and lawmakers it lacked authority to regulate couriers, which allow customers to buy lottery tickets remotely. But in a policy statement on Monday, the agency said it now views the practice as illegal and will revoke the lottery license of any s

Texas budget writers prioritize school vouchers, teacher raises and border security in early drafts

Both chambers set aside $1 billion in their initial spending plans for education savings accounts, a voucher-like policy that would let families use state funds to cover the cost of private school tuition and other education-related expenses. That amount is double what was on the table two years ago

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Bexar County over voter registration outreach effort

Paxton followed through Wednesday morning, filing a lawsuit in a state district court in Bexar County that seeks an emergency order to block the program. The lawsuit contends that counties lack the authority to send out unsolicited registration applications, while also arguing that Bexar County offi

It’s not just South Texas. Republicans are making gains with Latino voters in big cities, too.

For years, Carmen Cavazos’ neighborhood in southeast Houston has voted reliably for Democrats up and down the ballot.

At half a mile a week, Texas border wall will take around 30 years and $20 billion to build

That infrastructure — which has so far run up a price tag of some $25 million per mile — isn’t yet a contiguous wall. It has gone up in bits and pieces spread across at least six counties on Texas’ 1,254-mile southern border. Progress has been hampered by the state’s struggles to secure land access,