The Latest Breaking News from the Texas House

A bill passed by the Texas House on Wednesday would also help schools rehire retired teachers and offer other incentives in an effort to fight the state’s teacher shortage.

Senate Bill 18 faces an uphill battle at the Texas House, where Speaker Dade Phelan has expressed concerns with completely eliminating the commonplace job protection.

The complaint came after an incident in which Slaton and the staffer allegedly met up at his Austin apartment last weekend. A separate staffer told The Texas Tribune that Slaton drank alcohol with an intern under 21 years old.

As of April 2, Ballotpedia has tracked 177 election-related bills in the Texas House of Representatives since the beginning of the year. Of the 177, Ballotpedia tracked 83 from March 27-April 2. Republicans sponsored 52, while Democrats sponsored 31. Five of 83 bills are below:   

House Bill 1 is being debated on the floor of the lower chamber, where representatives are hammering out details on the next two years of state spending.

A Texas House vote earlier in the day suggests Senate Bill 8 might be short of the votes needed to pass in the lower chamber. Senators also passed a bill on Thursday that would give teachers a one-time bonus.

Passage of a school choice measure is anything but a sure bet, as there is little evidence that the governor has been able to convince rural Republicans in the Texas House — who have for years been a reliable firewall — to drop their opposition.

As of March 26, Ballotpedia has tracked 94 election-related bills in the Texas House of Representatives since the beginning of the year. Of the 94, Ballotpedia tracked 36 from March 20-26. Democrats sponsored eight, while Republicans sponsored 28. Five of 36 bills are highlighted below:   

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate on Tuesday gave its initial approval to a bill that would restrict competition in collegiate sports by transgender athletes.