Texas Legislature

House Bill 35 goes into effect on Sept. 1, creating a new program that aims to connect firefighters and EMS workers across Texas with peer-to-peer mental health support.

And in 2025, the Texas Legislature's 89th session was no different. Earlier this year, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 412, which makes changes that could mean criminal charges for educators.

The plan redraws Texas' congressional districts, potentially shifting several seats from Democratic to Republican control in the 2026 midterms.

New laws range from school vouchers and water infrastructure funding to a ban on city and county-funded abortion travel funds.

"Republicans think they can walk all over us," Alvarado said in a post on social media Friday afternoon. "Today I'm going to kick back ... Going to be a long night."

A federal judge has granted a temporary halt to a new Texas law that requires the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. He found that it was a violation of the freedom of religion—but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is promising to appeal. We hear from Rabbi Mara Nathan about why she joined the suit and how she feels about the future of religious freedom in Texas.

After protests, a two-week quorum break and out-of-state pressure, the Texas House passed a new map for the state's congressional districts on Wednesday. The bill now proceeds to the Texas Senate, which is weighing a slightly different redistricting map.

Dozens of Democrats left the state earlier this month to block a redistricting plan that would add up to five GOP-held congressional seats in Texas.

The San Antonio Democrat was first elected to the Legislature in 2019.

Texas state Rep. Mihaela Plesa says Democrats' two-week walkout created a "nationwide movement," but she's ready to make a legal case against redistricting.