88th Texas Legislature

Students gathered at the Capitol this week to write letters to Texas lawmakers against book bans. One organizer said she hoped by being there the students would learn the statehouse was their house.

If the district wants to be able to offer pay raises, it will need to reduce spending by more than $30 million. One option Austin ISD is looking at is holding a tax rate election in November to generate additional revenue.

Students have asked President Jay Hartzell and Republican state Sen. Brandon Creighton to participate in a student-led town hall on April 19 in response to the implementation of the state's new anti-DEI law.

Senate Bill 17, which bans Texas public universities from having DEI programs and trainings, went into effect Jan. 1. Since then, UT Austin has renamed, reorganized or eliminated several university organizations. Now it's cutting jobs.

The Lake Travis ISD School Board voted this month to keep one book in the high school library and remove another after a parent with kids in elementary school formally challenged them.

Thousands of Texans with intellectual disabilities live in group homes. The group home system is struggling to retain workers under the low base wage the state legislature set last year.

Abbott endorsed the primary opponents of Texas Republican House incumbents who voted against his proposal last year to allow taxpayer dollars to pay for private school tuition of students.

The state of Texas squared off against the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of immigrant rights groups in federal court on Thursday over whether a new state border enforcement bill is constitutional.

More recently, the party has been engulfed in controversy and infighting — from spats over Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment to ties to white supremacists.

Earlier this month, Paxton announced his team was not going to continue contesting the lawsuit filed by four former top deputies who were fired after reporting him to the FBI for alleged corruption and misuse of public office.