Texas Legislature

Following his election as Speaker of the Texas House, Lubbock Representative Dustin Burrows announced former Texas Tech chancellor Robert Duncan as Chief of Staff for the legislative session. Our reporter Olivia O'Rand has more on the upcoming retirement of Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District's superintendent Keith Bryant. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission says the data of as many as 61,000 individuals may have been improperly accessed by agency employees and recommends folks review their accounts.

Texas’ population is booming and there is not enough water for everyone. State Sen. Charles Perry hopes to fix that.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Lubbock Republican.

Yesterday, Lubbock City Council approved two reports from Lubbock Public Health and two amendments to city codes regarding pet ownership. Texas House members voted Lubbock Republican Dustin Burrows into the Speaker position yesterday. Our reporter Brad Burt has more from West Texans on the decision.

After weeks of infighting among Texas House Republicans over who would lead their chamber this legislative session, Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) has won the powerful role of House speaker.

The biggest thing to watch on day one of Texas’ 89th Legislative Session? Who the Texas House of Representatives chooses to be the next House speaker.

Today is the first day of Texas' 89th Legislative session; lawmakers will vote to fill the role of Speaker of the Texas House, with Lubbock’s Dustin Burrows and David Cook from Mansfield seemingly leading the race for that seat. Our reporter Bishop Van Buren has more on the upcoming Point-In-Time homelessness count later this month. The South Plains Homeless Consortium and the Texas Homeless Network are holding a training session for those interested in volunteering from noon to 1 P.M. at Monterey Church of Christ’s Fireside Room.

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission is asking the Legislature to allocate millions of the state's general revenue to rural public defense attorneys and offices.

Ahead of the 89th Legislative session in Texas' congress, the Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey reports state lawmakers will find out today just how much money they’ll have to work with when crafting the state’s next 2-year budget. KERA's Toluwani Osibamowo reports a new Texas A&M report shows rural counties are short on criminal attorneys who represent low-income defendants.

A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate.