#2025texaslegislature — Public Fediverse posts

Stores scramble to sell smokeable hemp products before Texas-wide ban takes effect – Houston Public Media

Andrew Schneider/Houston Public Media Kenneth Berner, right, co-owns Burners Vape, Smoke, and Herb with his …
#NFL #HoustonTexans #Houston #Texans #2025TexasLegislature #business #Football #Health&Science #Lawenforcement #Local #Marijuana #news #Politics #smokeablehemp #tetrahydrocannabinol #texas #TexasDepartmentofStateHealthServices #THCproductsinTexas
https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/844670/

Stores scramble to sell smokeable hemp products before Texas-wide ban takes effect – Houston Public Media https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/844670/ #2025TexasLegislature #business #Football #Health&Science #Houston #HoustonTexans #HoustonTexans #LawEnforcement #Local #Marijuana #news #NFL #Politics #SmokeableHemp #tetrahydrocannabinol #Texans #texas #TexasDepartmentOfStateHealthServices #THCProductsInTexas

Supporters of Texas' redrawn congressional maps had previously said race played a role in redistricting. Now, they argued in court it was a purely partisan effort.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/10/02/532457/at-hearing-democrats-say-the-redistricting-process-was-flawed-from-the-start/

#News #Politics #2025TexasLegislature #REDISTRICTING #TexasCongressionalMaps

Voter and civil rights organizations are seeking to block efforts by Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to expel 13 Democratic state representatives from office for their role in this summer’s quorum break.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/court/2025/09/05/530161/civil-rights-groups-challenge-abbotts-paxtons-efforts-to-expel-democratic-house-members-who-broke-quorum/

#Court #Houston #Local #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #QuorumBreak #SupremeCourtOfTexas #TexasAGKenPaxton #TexasConstitution #TexasGovernorGregAbbott

HB 18 would ban lawmakers from raising funds while participating in a quorum break. The measure is in response to the Democratic quorum break that unsuccessfully sought to prevent Republican-sponsored congressional redistricting legislation.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/09/03/529947/texas-house-passes-bill-to-punish-quorum-breaks/

#News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #CongressionalRedistricting #FreedomOfSpeech #QuorumBreak #SpecialSession #TexasConstitution

As students across Texas head back to school, their districts are grappling with how to comply with new state laws. Senate Bill 12 restricts several DEI initiatives in public schools, while Senate Bill 13 introduces new library policies.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/education/2025/08/14/528670/texas-school-districts-to-face-new-restrictions-on-dei-libraries/

#Education #EducationNews #LGBTQ #Local #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #89thTexasLegislativeSession #SchoolLibraries #SenateBill12 #SenateBill13 #TexasPublicSchools

As a new school year begins in Houston and across the state, a new law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all Texas public-school classrooms is set to take effect Sept. 1. The law is being challenged in court.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/08/11/528429/opponents-of-ten-commandments-display-law-seek-to-block-its-enforcement-as-houston-isd-begins-school-year/

#Court #Education #EducationNews #HISD #News #Politics #Religion #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #ACLUOfTexas #FirstAmendment #ReligiousFreedom #TenCommandments #TenCommandmentsInSchools

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday that he will seek a court ruling declaring that state House Democrats who broke quorum and left the state have “abandoned their offices,” potentially allowing Gov. Greg Abbott to appoint their replacements.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/08/05/527957/ag-ken-paxton-will-seek-court-order-to-have-dems-who-have-broken-quorum-thrown-out-of-office/

#Court #Elections #National #News #Politics #Texas #Voting #2025TexasLegislature #QuorumBreak #SpecialSession #TexasAttorneyGeneralKenPaxton #TexasGovernorGregAbbott #TexasHouseDemocrats

A bill that would dramatically redraw Texas’ congressional maps has advanced in the GOP-led House of Representatives, increasing the chances that Democrats will break quorum to deny Republicans the minimum number of legislators needed for the House to function.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/08/02/527799/congressional-redistricting-map-passes-house-committee-pushing-dems-towards-quorum-break/

#CivilRights #Elections #National #News #Politics #Texas #Voting #2025TexasLegislature #CongressionalRedistricting #QuorumBreak #SpecialSession #TexasRedistricting #VotingRightsActOf1965

The proposed map targets districts dominated by coalitions of Latino and Black voters, with a focus on districts in the Rio Grande Valley, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Central Texas. Houston Democrats would also see their districts shuffled.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/30/527537/republicans-file-texas-congressional-redistricting-map-raising-prospects-for-democratic-quorum-break/

#Elections #International #News #Politics #Texas #Voting #2025TexasLegislature #Congress #RacialDiscrimination #SpecialSession #TexasRedistricting

The University of Houston hosted a hearing of the Texas House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting on Saturday. Almost all of the candidates running for TX-18, vacant since Rep. Sylvester Turner's death in March, urged the committee not to redraw the boundaries.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/27/527261/candidates-for-texas-18th-congressional-district-speak-against-redistricting/

#CivilRights #Elections #InDepth #National #News #Politics #Texas #Voting #18thCongressionalDistrict #2025TexasLegislature #GovernorGregAbbott #RacialDiscrimination #SpecialSession #TexasRedistricting

Texas state representatives will convene at the University of Houston Saturday to hear public comments on plans to redraw congressional maps mid-decade.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/24/527083/uh-to-host-texas-congressional-redistricting-hearing-on-saturday/

#Elections #Houston #Local #News #Politics #Texas #Voting #2025TexasLegislature #Congress #MidtermElections #PresidentDonaldTrump #SpecialSession #TexasRedistricting

Democratic lawmakers at the state capital on Monday said they are keeping all options on the table to stop Republican leaders from advancing their special session redistricting agenda, along with other legislative bills they say are harmful to the average Texan. 

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/21/526889/texas-democrats-consider-breaking-quorum-other-strategies-as-special-session-launches/

#Local #News #Politics #2025TexasLegislature #Congress #Elections #GovernorGregAbbott #National #PresidentDonaldTrump #SpecialSession #Texas #TexasRedistricting #Voting

President Donald Trump is seeking to pick up at least four, potentially five, Texas congressional seats for Republicans in a midterm election cycle that ordinarily would favor the Democrats.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/21/526668/texas-legislature-begins-mid-decade-redistricting-under-pressure-from-trump-and-abbott/

#Elections #InDepth #National #News #Politics #Texas #Voting #2025TexasLegislature #Congress #GovernorGregAbbott #PresidentDonaldTrump #SpecialSession #TexasRedistricting

Disaster preparedness and flood recovery are at the top of the agenda for Texas' special legislative session. Many of the measures likely to come up for debate were considered months or years before the deadly flash flood in the Hill Country.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/07/14/526276/texas-missed-opportunities-to-prepare-for-hill-country-flood-former-fema-chief-of-staff-says/

#EnergyEnvironment #Flooding #Houston #Local #National #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #DisasterPreparedness #FederalEmergencyManagementAgency #SpecialSession #TexasHillCountryFlooding #TexasRedistricting

Gov. Greg Abbott has directed state lawmakers to come up with a replacement for the STAAR test as part of the upcoming special session. It's unclear how that will address the problems critics have with the way standardized tests are used in Texas.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2025/07/10/526159/abbott-calls-for-lawmakers-to-replace-staar-test-as-part-of-special-session/

#Education #EducationNews #HISD #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #SpecialSession #STAARTest #StandardizedTesting #TexasGovGregAbbott #TexasPublicSchools

Four civil liberties organizations filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas to challenge the constitutionality of a new law requiring the display of an explicitly Protestant translation of the Ten Commandments in all public-school classrooms.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/07/02/525523/four-civil-liberties-organizations-sue-texas-over-ten-commandments-display-law/

#Court #Education #EducationNews #National #News #Politics #Religion #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #EstablishmentClause #FirstAmendment #SeparationOfChurchAndState #TenCommandments #TexasPublicSchools

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill that would have let victims of human trafficking claim duress as a defense against any crimes they’re charged with committing on behalf of their traffickers. Lawmakers will revisit the issue in a special session.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/criminal-justice/2025/06/27/525084/trafficking-victims-face-prosecution-for-committing-crimes-under-duress-the-special-session-could-fix-that/

#CriminalJustice #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #Abuse #HumanTrafficking #SexTrafficking #SpecialSession #TexasGovernorGregAbbott

Here is a list of the 26 bills vetoed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, along with his reasons for preventing the proposed legislation from becoming law. 

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/06/23/524701/all-28-bills-vetoed-by-gov-abbott-this-session-and-why/

#News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #89thTexasLegislativeSession #AbbottVetos #GovGregAbbott #SpecialSession #Veto

Texas Republican lawmakers continued their carrot-and-stick approach to higher education during this year’s legislative session, pressuring public universities into abandoning what they view as progressive policies.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2025/06/20/524548/once-again-targeting-higher-ed-texas-lawmakers-limited-faculty-influence-campus-speech-this-session/

#Education #EducationNews #Immigration #News #Politics #Protests #Sports #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #AmericanAssociationOfUniversityProfessors #HigherEducationTexas #TexasColleges #TexasUniversities #UniversityOfHoustonVictoria

Senate Bill 10 would require the display of the Ten Commandments in all public-school classrooms. SB 11 would allow for periods of prayer or Bible reading in public and charter schools. Both are likely to face legal challenges under the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/06/19/524438/bills-on-religion-in-public-schools-await-gov-greg-abbotts-signature-as-sunday-deadline-looms/

#Court #Education #EducationNews #News #Politics #Religion #SupremeCourt #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #89thTexasLegislature #EstablishmentClause #FirstAmendment #SchoolPrayer #TenCommandments

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he’s still on the fence about whether he’ll sign or veto Senate Bill 3, a measure that would ban consumable products containing THC, the psychoactive compound found in cannabis.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/06/17/524272/with-days-until-the-signing-deadline-texas-gov-greg-abbott-gives-no-hint-where-he-stands-on-a-thc-ban/

#Business #MedicineWellness #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #DrugPolicy #LtGovDanPatrick #Tetrahydrocannabinol #TexasGovGregAbbott #THC

A new health warning label may soon appear on many food and beverage packages in Texas thanks to a bill passed by state lawmakers.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/arts-culture/food/2025/06/05/523243/many-processed-foods-in-texas-could-soon-include-a-warning-label-under-a-new-texas-law/

#Business #Food #HealthScience #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #89thTexasLegislativeSession #FoodWarningLabels #GovGregAbbott #ProcessedFoods #RobertFKennedyJr

A noteworthy bill that failed to pass during the Texas legislative session would have required people to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in the state. Senate Bill 16 fit into a national trend.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/voting/2025/06/05/523216/bill-requiring-proof-of-u-s-citizenship-for-texas-voter-registration-fails/

#Elections #Immigration #News #Politics #Texas #Voting #2025TexasLegislature #89thTexasLegislature #Citizenship #SAVEAct #TexasVoterRegistration #VoterRegistrationLaw

A bill that would restrict Texas land sales to people connected with the governments of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia is heading for Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. If he signs the measure into law, it could lead to a swift legal challenge.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/housing/2025/05/30/522721/bill-restricting-texas-land-sales-to-foreign-residents-approaches-finish-line/

#Business #Housing #Immigration #International #National #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #AntiAsianLaws #FairHousingAct #ForeignLandOwnership #FourteenthAmendment #TexasHouseRepresentativeGeneWu

Four civil liberties groups, which already are suing Louisiana over its law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public-school classrooms, say they'll file a lawsuit against Texas as soon as Gov. Greg Abbott signs Senate Bill 10.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/05/30/522648/civil-liberties-groups-set-to-sue-texas-over-ten-commandments-bill/

#Court #Education #EducationNews #News #Politics #Religion #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #ACLUOfTexas #EstablishmentClause #FirstAmendment #GovernorGregAbbott #TenCommandmentsInSchools #TexasPublicSchools

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt led the effort to crack down on squatting with Senate Bills 38 and 1333, which are awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott's signature. The House revised both to strike a balance between the rights of property owners and tenants.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/housing/2025/05/29/522576/houston-senators-anti-squatting-bills-set-to-become-texas-law/

#Business #Court #Housing #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #Renters #Squatting #StateSenatorPaulBettencourt #TenantsRights #TexasHousers

A House bill prohibiting city and county governments in Texas from holding gun buyback events, like the ones in Houston and Harris County in recent years, will soon be heading to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/guns/2025/05/28/522443/house-bill-banning-local-governments-from-holding-gun-buyback-events-passes-texas-senate/

#CityOfHouston #Crime #Guns #HarrisCounty #Local #News #Politics #PublicSafety #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #Firearms #GunBuybackEvents #GunViolence #NationalRifleAssociation #TexasGunCulture

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill that will prevent insurance companies from raising the auto and home insurance rates of people just because their spouses have died.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/business/2025/05/27/522325/law-to-end-widow-penalty-for-home-auto-insurance-set-to-take-effect-sept-1/

#Business #Local #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #AgeDiscrimination #CarInsurance #GenderDiscrimination #HomeInsurance #TexasHomeInsuranceRates

The Texas House gave final approval to a bill increasing the amount of money the state spends to attract film and television productions. However, the amount is significantly lower than what the Senate had proposed.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/arts-culture-news/2025/05/27/522314/texas-film-incentive-program-proposal-cut-down-to-300-million-in-the-house/

#ArtsCulture #ArtsCultureBusiness #ArtsCulturePolitics #Business #News #Politics #PopCulture #Texas #TheatreFilm #2025TexasLegislature #FilmProduction #TexasFilms #TexasMovies #TexasMovingImageIndustryIncentiveFund #TVAndFilmProduction

The Texas House on Sunday passed Senate Bill 10, a measure requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public-school classroom in the state.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/05/25/522259/texas-house-passes-bill-requiring-display-of-the-ten-commandments-in-all-public-school-classrooms/

#Education #EducationNews #News #Politics #Religion #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #89thTexasLegislature #EstablishmentClause #FirstAmendment #TenCommandments #TexasPublicSchools

A bill to allow for periods of prayer or Bible readings in public and charter schools in Texas has cleared one of its last hurdles to becoming law. The bill passed its second reading in the Texas House on Thursday, and the final reading could come Friday.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/05/22/522105/school-prayer-bible-reading-bill-authored-by-houston-area-senator-passes-texas-house/

#Education #EducationNews #News #Politics #Religion #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #BibleInSchools #EstablishmentClause #FirstAmendment #SchoolPrayer #TexasPublicSchools