By Natalia Contreras, The Texas Tribune November 14, 2025 Voters in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, who have been without representation in Congress since March, now face back-to-back elections for the seat, to be held only weeks apart next year.   Voters this month finally got to vote in a special election to decide who would finish…

By Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune November 14, 2025 The Texas State Board of Education is reshaping how public schools will teach social studies for years to come, but its recent selection of the panelists who will advise members during the process is causing concern among educators, historians and both Democrats and Republicans, who say…

By Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune November 12, 2025 Texas lawmakers on Thursday opened a sweeping review of campus speech with a call to restore civil discourse, saying student reactions to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk exposed deeper problems with intimidation, hostility and uneven responses from universities. “Freedom of speech is not the…

By Emily Foxhall, The Texas Tribune November 13, 2025 Former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on Thursday said his decision to drop his bid for another term leading the lower chamber last year was rooted in his disapproval of President Donald Trump’s agenda. Phelan, a Beaumont Republican who served two terms as speaker, narrowly survived…

By Jess Huff, The Texas Tribune November 13, 2025 Voters just approved $20 billion to be spent on water supply, infrastructure and education over the next 20 years. That funding is just the beginning, however, and it will only go so far, panelists said during the “Running Out” session at The Texas Tribune Festival.  And…

By Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune November 13, 2025 Democratic candidates for Texas governor on Thursday cast themselves as the best pick to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a fourth term. Speaking at a Texas Tribune Festival event, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, said Abbott was to blame for the state’s biggest problem…

By Nicholas Gutteridge, The Texas Tribune November 13, 2025 Texas A&M University System regents unanimously voted Thursday to approve a new policy that will require each campus president to sign off on any course that could be seen as advocating for “race and gender ideology or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity.” The…

By Marijke Friedman, The Texas Tribune November 13, 2025 As part of the spending deal to end the government shutdown, federal lawmakers approved a provision cracking down on hemp products containing THC, restoring a ban Texas Republicans sought to impose earlier this year. The funding package, passed by the U.S. House and signed into law…

By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune November 13, 2025 Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who is pushing his state to pursue mid-decade redistricting, said Thursday that President Donald Trump should not get to unilaterally decide which states redraw their maps this cycle. “Donald Trump decided to start picking and choosing which states should go through this…

Projects include sidewalks, bike lanes and safety improvements Nov. 13, 2025 AUSTIN – The Texas Transportation Commission has approved more than $284.8 million for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that will help improve safety, mobility, access and quality of life for people across the state. These federal Transportation Alternative funds will go toward 73 projects statewide…