Texas state government

Staff fired from the Texas Funeral Service Commission claim the head commissioner's advocacy for bills in the Texas Legislature presented an allegedly illegal conflict of interest. Legal and political experts say lobbying laws for regulatory agencies aren't so straightforward.

As Texas Republicans and California Democrats redraw U.S. House districts to their advantage ahead of next year's elections, they're potentially disrupting a rare partisan balance in American politics.

The state isn't providing schools with guidance and advocates say students who still qualify for lower rates are being asked to pay thousands more.

It comes days after reporting by KERA News revealed TFSC Presiding Officer Kristin Tips texted an anti-Muslim graphic and links in May to the commission's then-executive director Scott Bingaman.

Text messages obtained by KERA News show the presiding officer of the state's funeral regulation agency sharing an anti-Islam infographic and videos with the agency's former executive director during the commission's ongoing investigation into a North Texas mosque.

The Texas Funeral Service Commission on Wednesday nonsuited its lawsuit accusing two ex-staff attorneys of violating attorney-client privilege in the midst of an ongoing feud between fired staff and commission heads.

Paxton sued O'Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, last week, arguing that the group was deceptively fundraising for and illegally supporting Texas Democrats' walkout.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is calling on the "full faith and credit" clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says states should typically honor each other's judicial proceedings.

More than 50 Texas House Democrats left the state to stall a Republican-backed redistricting plan, effectively shutting down legislative business at the state Capitol.

The new proposed lines would also prevent few, if any, opportunities for Democrats hoping that an aggressive gerrymander could backfire on Republicans.