Texas education

Advocates say the bills will give parents more power over their children's schools. Critics say they don't give parents anything they didn't already have and will only strain their relationship with teachers.

Texas' Senate Bill 13 empowers school boards to decide which books are permitted in their school libraries. It also allows parents to submit a list of books their children are prohibited from checking out.

Shortly after the U.S. Department of Justice sued to block Texas from giving in-state tuition to immigrant students without legal status, state Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the two parties had filed a joint motion asking a court to permanently end the policy.

House Bill 126, which allows student athletes to receive a slice of the billions Texas colleges generate in revenue from their teams, now awaits the governor's signature.

Senate Bill 13 would require school boards or advisory councils to approve new books and review complaints. In most cases only 50 parents' approval would be needed to create the oversight councils.

One of the most highly debated bills in Texas' 2025 legislative session has passed both chambers and heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature. House Bill 2 provides $8.5 billion for the state's public school system.

On Thursday, the U.S. House narrowly passed a sweeping bill that slashes about $3.8 trillion in taxes by scaling back social safety net programs including Medicaid and SNAP.

Senate Bill 10 now goes back to the Senate for concurrence before advancing to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it into law.

The Texas Senate on Friday advanced a $8.5 billion public school funding bill, moving it one step closer to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.

The deal, confirmed by three lawmakers familiar with the discussions, appears to strike a face-saving compromise for both chambers over how to increase funds for the state's public schools.