Texas state government

For decades, homelessness in Texas has largely been treated as a local problem. Cities operate shelters. Counties run jails and public hospitals. Nonprofits provide housing and services. Police respond to complaints and emergencies. But at the Texas Capitol, state lawmakers are beginning to ask whether that fragmented approach is itself part of the problem.

New regulations from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice are causing confusion with the Inside Books Project, a group that's been supplying literature to inmates for nearly three decades.

Immigration rights experts worry that the recent inquiry is the latest sign Trump is interested in transferring unaccompanied minors to the state, where it is easier to quickly deport them.

The Fort Worth Republican, one of the most hardline conservatives in the Texas House, had been floated for secretary of state in unconfirmed media reports ahead of his hire by the governor.

Huffines, a former Republican state senator, is seeking a full term as the state’s top financial officer. He previously primaried Abbott from the right and was among the most conservative lawmakers in Austin.

A Democratic board member says colleagues harassed her in social media posts during Texas’ debate over how history is taught. The GOP members deny any bullying.

A Travis County judge sided with a McLennan County Justice of the Peace who refused to marry gay couples and sued the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for disciplining her for her choice.

A $100,000 donation from Las Vegas Sands will help a nonprofit address treatment needs in Texas, where a state law set up a "compulsive gambling program" that is no longer funded.

State officials and researchers warned Texas lawmakers in May that New World screwworm was advancing toward the state and could carry a billion-dollar economic toll.

More than 130 cities, most with fewer than 10,000 residents, were blocked from increasing their property tax revenue because they had broken the law.