The 88th legislative session is underway and Texas lawmakers are meeting in Austin to debate legislation they hope to turn into laws. KUT News, in partnership with our statewide network of public radio journalists in The Texas Newsroom, is committed to delivering clear, complete reporting that puts a human face on the issues, including:
- Property taxes. We're heading into this session with a budget surplus, and key lawmakers are pushing property tax "relief." Tell us what you want to know about property taxes in Texas.
- School vouchers. Supporters of vouchers — which would provide state money for students attending private schools — think they can score a win this session.
- Immigration and border security. With record numbers of border crossings and Gov. Abbott's increased rhetoric over the past few months, we anticipate this to be a priority for lawmakers.
- What's next for the grid and energy production in Texas. State leaders disagree on whether lawmakers did enough last session to address the grid's weaknesses.
- Culture wars. We’ll explore how the politics of this moment impacts our lawmakers' priorities and how that plays out over the session.
In addition to reporting on these issues, we'll produce regular features on what the Legislature is – and isn’t – tackling, as well as explainers based on your questions.
Listen daily on 90.5 or visit KUT.org. Subscribe to the KUT News Daily newsletter. Download the KUT News app or subscribe to our podcast KUT News Now, which is updated twice daily.
Looking for even more ways to stay connected to what's going on at the Capitol? Bookmark our 88th Texas Legislature coverage on KUT.org, follow some of our reporters on Twitter: Julián Aguilar (the border), Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Texas Capitol), Andrew Schneider (politics and government), Mose Buchele (energy, environment), Becky Fogel (education) and (of course!) KUT News.
Do you have an idea for an explainer? Is there a topic our newsroom should cover? Digital news editor Stephanie Federico and managing editor Ben Philpott want to hear from you.