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.

Almost a year after it closed, Garza County officials say they are finalizing the sale of the Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility to the state of Texas. Lubbock Public Health has confirmed the presence of both the St. Louis Encephalitis Virus and West Nile Virus in the area. Our Bishop Van Buren reports the city is urging residents to avoid contact with mosquitos. And after a human case of screwworm was confirmed in the U.S., the Texas Department of State Health Services has launched a resource page on its website.

Dubbed a "parent rights" bills, Senate Bill 12 bans DEI programs in K-12 schools — and prohibits clubs LGBTQ+ students say are vital resources.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 13 Texas residents, states that the redrawn districts in the new map — which Gov. Greg Abbott says he'll "swiftly" sign into law — are racially discriminatory and violate voter protection laws.

Republican lawmakers are poised to push the map through over fierce Democratic opposition, positioning the GOP to net up to five additional seats in Texas.

It's been nearly two months since floodwaters tore through the Texas Hill Country, leaving more than 130 people dead.

The Texas House passed several bills related to floods and other natural disasters yesterday. They include disaster funding, emergency plans, and improved communication for first responders. Here in Lubbock, readers and comic fans have a busy weekend ahead. Our reporter Samantha Larned has more on the Lubbock Book Festival and Hub City Comic Con.

On Wednesday, the Texas House is finally debating a new map for the state's congressional districts that could give Republicans as many as five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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.

More than 50 Democratic Texas House members have been out of state for nearly two weeks in an effort to block a Republican-led legislation that would redraw the state's congressional maps. On Thursday, they announced their conditions for returning to the Capitol in Austin.