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THE TEXAS DISPATCH

Under the Dome

Inside the Texas Legislature -- bills, votes, and committee action from the Texas House and Senate.

Latest in Under the Dome
Agencies

Texas Windstorm Insurer Sends Four Recommendations to the Legislature, Including a Plan to Move Coastal Policies to Private Carriers

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association's board voted Oct. 8 to ask the Legislature for four changes in state law when lawmakers return in January 2027: a repeal of a special-judge requirement for lawsuits against the association, public money for storm-resistant construction, repairs to the 2025 law that rebuilt how it pays for a catastrophe, and a redesign of the program meant to move coastal policies to private insurers.

By The Texas Dispatch · Oct 15 · 6 min read
Interim Hearings

Senate Water Panel to Study Pecos Basin Decline, Red Bluff Governance and Produced-Water Reuse

The Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs will gavel in at 9 a.m. Sept. 2 to take invited and public testimony on a single interim charge covering the Pecos River Basin: falling flows, the interstate compact that governs them, the 1930s special district that stores the water, and the treated oilfield wastewater that companies want to put into the river.

By The Texas Dispatch · Aug 27 · 4 min read
Economy

Senate Economic Development Panel to Weigh Hotel-Tax Accountability, Project Finance Zones, AI Jobs

The Texas Senate Committee on Economic Development will gavel in at 9 a.m. Sept. 3 to take testimony on three interim charges: how Texas cities collect, report and spend hotel occupancy tax revenue; whether the Legislature should approve each new project finance zone individually; and what artificial intelligence is doing to the state's labor market.

By The Texas Dispatch · Aug 27 · 4 min read
Health Care

House Health Care Affordability Panel to Weigh Plan Design, Small-Employer Coverage and Cost Transparency

The Texas House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability will gavel in at 9 a.m. Sept. 1 to take invited testimony only on four interim charges aimed at the cost side of the state's health care system — delivery and financing models, insurance plan design, coverage for smaller employers, and what consumers are able to learn about price and quality before they buy.

By The Texas Dispatch · Aug 25 · 4 min read