Category Archives: State News
How Biden’s Executive Orders Will Impact Texas

After calling for unity in his inaugural address, President Joe Biden quickly turned around and signed a flurry of executive orders.
Read moreSenate Redistricting Committee Seeks Public Input

Senator Joan Huffman announced that the Texas Senate Redistricting Committee will hold a series of regional hearings to solicit testimony from the public about the upcoming redistricting process.
Read moreBlinn Associate Degree Nursing Program Ranks Among the Best in the Southwest

Blinn ranked No. 2 among 268 schools offering nursing programs in the region.
Read moreBettencourt and Johnson File SB237 To Give Police Discretion For Citations of Criminal Trespassing

SB 237 will give peace officers the discretion to handle criminal trespassing calls more effectively and more efficiently
Read moreTexas Sues Battleground States, Asks SCOTUS To Block Four States From Participating in Electoral College [VIDEO]
![Texas Sues Battleground States, Asks SCOTUS To Block Four States From Participating in Electoral College [VIDEO]](https://austincountynewsonline.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif)
Texas sued battleground states Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin on Tuesday to challenge their 2020 presidential election results. The lawsuit is based on the fact that these states did not follow their own state laws for Presidential election, including Pennsylvania’s and Georgia’s refusal to verify signatures on mail-in ballots as was required by state laws.
Read moreLegislative Preview: Texas Educational Freedom and Family Rights

While government-mandated shutdowns in 2020 exposed many problems in Texas education, it also opened the door for more options.
Read moreBettencourt Files SB 208 to Prohibit Election Officials from Sending Unsolicited Absentee Ballot Apps

SB 208 is among several pieces of legislation Senator Bettencourt will be filing on election integrity in the 87th Legislative Session.
Read moreDPS Ramping Up Move Over/Slow Down Enforcement

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding motorists the department is continuing its enforcement efforts across Texas focusing specifically on violations of the state’s Move Over/Slow Down law.
Read moreGovernor Abbott Announces Partnership With CyberStart America To Promote Cybersecurity Career Track For Texas High School Students

The state of Texas will participate in CyberStart America — an innovative, online cybersecurity game, competition, and talent search sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation and the SANS Institute.
Read moreA Week Before the Election, Texas National Guard Prepares to Deploy Troops to Cities

The Texas Army National Guard said Monday that up to 1,000 troops could be dispatched to cities across Texas ahead of the Nov. 3 election. But, A spokesperson for the Guard said the deployment is not related to the election and troops would not be stationed at polling places. Mayors in two cities say they weren’t advised of the deployment.
Read moreDPS Reminds Drivers to Watch for Students Returning to Class this Fall

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) wants to remind drivers to continue to be cautious and stay alert in school zones, particularly this school year with students attending classes on varying schedules.
Read moreOffice of the Governor, DSHS Provide Nearly 3 Million Flu Vaccines For Texas Children, Adults

Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has secured 2.8 million doses of flu vaccine for the Texas Vaccines for Children Program and the new Adult Influenza Vaccine Initiative.
Read moreTexas counties can offer only one drop-off ballot location, federal appeals court rules, upholding Gov. Greg Abbott’s order

Civil rights groups and voting advocates had argued the restriction would disproportionately impact low-income voters, voters with disabilities, older voters and voters of color in Democratic counties.
Read moreGovernor Abbott Issues Executive Order To Open Bars In Qualifying Counties

Governor Greg Abbott today issued an Executive Order to open bars and similar establishments at up to 50% capacity in conjunction with county officials.
Read moreAnalysis: It’s hard to make good pandemic policy if the Texas data is fuzzy

The state’s public health experts are changing their calculation of one of the governor’s go-to measures of the spread of coronavirus. It’s an improvement, but the new version has some bugs of its own.
Read moreTexas Coronavirus Update: More Than Half a Million Recoveries

With more questions surrounding the reliability of their positive case counts, the State of Texas reports 507,499 are estimated to have recovered from the coronavirus statewide.
Read moreMichael K. Young To Retire From Post As 25th President Of Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young on Wednesday announced his retirement from serving as the top administrator over one of the largest universities in the country.
Read moreDPS Increases Enforcement for Labor Day Holiday

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) encourages all motorists to practice safe driving habits and exercise caution throughout the holiday weekend.
Read moreGovernor Abbott Surveys Hurricane Laura Damage, Provides Update On Response And Recovery Efforts In Orange

Governor Greg Abbott today traveled to Southeast Texas to survey the damage from Hurricane Laura and meet with local officials.
Read moreGovernor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, Speaker Bonnen Announce Legislative Proposal On Police Funding

With this proposal, any city that defunds its police department will have its property tax revenue frozen at the current level.
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