Joshua Fechter

Watch live: Texas House to take up GOP congressional map delayed by Democrats’ walkout Republican lawmakers are pursuing the unusual mid-decade redistricting plan amid pressure from President Donald Trump to protect the GOP’s slim majority in the U.S. House.

Watch the vote live here: www.texastribune.org/2025/08/20/t... @texastribune.org

From Fort Worth to McAllen, Texans could lose clout in Washington if GOP changes political lines The GOP push to redraw the state’s congressional maps isn’t just a partisan move but one that deeply affects how Texans are represented in Congress.

NEW: The Texas House is debating a voting map to give the GOP five more seats in Congress.

From Fort Worth to McAllen, here's how Texans could lose clout in D.C. under the new map.

w/ @beregarcia.bsky.social & @carla-astudi.bsky.social

www.texastribune.org/2025/08/20/t... @texastribune.org

Texas businesses feel the pinch from Trump’s tariffs, Fed survey finds The higher taxes on imports will shrink Texas businesses’ profits and raise costs for consumers, business owners say.

Uncertainty spurred by President Donald Trump’s trade policies is having a chilling effect on Texas businesses, business owners tell the Dallas Fed.

A majority of business owners say consumers will ultimately pay the price of higher tariffs.

www.texastribune.org/2025/05/16/t... @texastribune.org

The fastest-growing city in the U.S. is in Texas, and it’s not the one you’re thinking of With Princeton leading the Texas pack, the state continues to set the pace for the rest of the nation, with seven of the 15 fastest-growing cities.

New this morning: Fort Worth is now home to 1 million people,
new U.S. Census Bureau data show. DFW is now the only metro area in the U.S. with two cities with 1M people.

But another North Texas city grew faster than anywhere else last year.

www.texastribune.org/2025/05/15/t... @texastribune.org

Texas lawmakers want to lower homeowners' insurance costs, but have few options Texans pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the country, putting lawmakers under pressure to tackle rising costs.

New this morning: Texas homeowners have faced skyrocketing insurance bills over the last few years.

State lawmakers hope to rein in those bills — but they acknowledge there’s only so much they can do to tackle costs.

www.texastribune.org/2025/05/09/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Based on preliminary counts, it looks like turnout in Dallas city elections on Saturday was 6.8%, which would be a historic low.

Texas Republican lawmakers may “financially handcuff” cities that don’t play by their rules One proposal would allow the attorney general to sue cities and freeze sales tax revenues for up to 90 days.

New this morning: Texas GOP lawmakers may enact stiff financial penalties for cities & counties that adopt progressive policies

The proposal's among a slate of bills aimed at stopping local officials from pursuing those policies www.texastribune.org/2025/05/05/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas’ housing crisis Once a bastion of cheap homes and affordable rents, Texas now finds itself in the grip of a severe housing affordability crisis. This series will examine how the state got here, how leaders plan to ad...

Catch up on our reporting on Texas' housing affordability crisis here: www.texastribune.org/series/texas... @texastribune.org #txlege

Takeaways from our reporting on Texas’ housing affordability crisis The Texas Tribune examined the state’s housing affordability crisis and why the state has struggled to build enough homes to meet demand.

@carla-astudi.bsky.social & I did a deep dive last year looking at rules in Texas cities that restrict how many homes can be built — a key driver of the state's high housing costs.

Here are five takeaways from our reporting: www.texastribune.org/2024/10/30/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025. A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate.

Texas needs about 320K more homes than it has, per one estimate.

But Texas cities have rules that effectively limit how many homes can be built, rules that state lawmakers may loosen this year:

www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas bill could help turn empty offices into housing Supporters hope easing zoning rules will entice landlords to renovate and ease the state’s housing crisis.

Some ideas Texas lawmakers are weighing to address the state's high housing costs:

-Make it easier to build accessory dwelling units
-Allow single-family homes on smaller lots
-Allow religious groups to build homes on their land

www.texastribune.org/2025/02/21/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas bill could help turn empty offices into housing Supporters hope easing zoning rules will entice landlords to renovate and ease the state’s housing crisis.

As Texas faces a housing crunch, state Sen. Bryan Hughes' bill would automatically allow homes to be built in places that now only allow:

-Offices
-Commercial development
-Retail
-Warehouses

www.texastribune.org/2025/02/21/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas bill could help turn empty offices into housing Supporters hope easing zoning rules will entice landlords to renovate and ease the state’s housing crisis.

Texas has a ton of empty office space.

State lawmakers want to make it easier to convert those vacant offices into apartments & condos.

w/ @carla-astudi.bsky.social
www.texastribune.org/2025/02/21/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Gov. Greg Abbott wants to set a high bar for local tax increases Local officials, school advocates and tax policy experts said such a proposal could have dire impacts on basic services.

NEW this A.M.: In his bid to curb Texas’ high property taxes, Gov. Greg Abbott wants a high bar for local tax increases

Local officials, school advocates & tax policy experts say Abbott's idea could have dire impacts on basic services

www.texastribune.org/2025/02/10/g... @texastribune.org #txlege

Donald Trump’s push to freeze federal funds sparks confusion in Texas Texas cities, counties, higher education institutions and nonprofits clambered Tuesday to gauge the potential fallout from the suspension, later blocked temporarily by a federal judge.

NEW this evening: President Trump’s push to freeze federal funds sparks widespread confusion in Texas

Local governments, nonprofits, higher ed institutions & public transit agencies scrambled today to figure out just how deep cuts could go

www.texastribune.org/2025/01/28/t... @texastribune.org

Austin rents have fallen for nearly two years. Here’s why. A massive apartment building boom in the Austin-Round Rock region has driven rents downward, real estate experts and housing advocates have said.

Austin rents skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic as tens of thousands of new residents flocked there and the region’s job market boomed.

Now, Austin is one of the only major U.S. cities where rents are falling.

www.texastribune.org/2025/01/22/a... @texastribune.org

Texas’ housing crisis Once a bastion of cheap homes and affordable rents, Texas now finds itself in the grip of a severe housing affordability crisis. This series will examine how the state got here, how leaders plan to ad...

Check out the @texastribune.org's coverage of the state's housing crisis here: www.texastribune.org/series/texas... #txlege

Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025. A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate.

Texas lawmakers will likely look at other ways to reduce housing costs:

-Cutting property taxes (likely)
-Reining in institutional investors' homebuying activity (🤷‍♂️)
-Spending more on housing for low-income families (doubtful)

www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025. A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate.

Some Texas lawmakers may balk at moves to allow more homes in predominantly single-family neighborhoods.

A bill filed by a Lubbock Republican would shield single-family neighborhoods from cities' attempts to allow more housing.

www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

How local rules fuel high housing costs in 11 Texas cities Texas desperately needs more and denser housing to keep up with demand. But zoning restrictions get in the way, a Texas Tribune analysis found.

State lawmakers may consider reducing how much land Texas cities require single-family homes to be built on.

One GOP bill would tackle lot-size requirements, which can drive up a home's final cost & limit how many homes can be built apps.texastribune.org/features/202... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025. A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate.

Texas lawmakers could make it easier for homeowners to build ADUs in the backyards of single-family homes.

Two GOP lawmakers have filed bills aimed at doing so after a similar one died in the Texas House in 2023. www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

How local rules fuel high housing costs in 11 Texas cities Texas desperately needs more and denser housing to keep up with demand. But zoning restrictions get in the way, a Texas Tribune analysis found.

Texas lawmakers could look for ways to build more homes & put a dent in the state's housing shortage.

One avenue they may go down: addressing local regulations critics say prevent the state from adding enough homes to meet demand.

apps.texastribune.org/features/202... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025. A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate.

One way Texas lawmakers may try to solve the state's housing affordability crisis: addressing Texas' deep housing shortage.

Texas needs about 320,000 more homes than it has, per a recent estimate.

www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas has a housing affordability crisis. Here’s how state lawmakers may tackle it in 2025. A likely fight over how much power to take away from local governments may dominate the debate.

New this A.M.: Buying or renting a home in Texas used to be relatively cheap. But the state's once-lauded housing affordability has slipped.

Here's how state lawmakers may tackle the state's housing affordability crisis this year.

www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

Texas is now home to 31 million people even as population growth slows Texas added nearly 563,000 residents within the last year, new U.S. Census Bureau estimates show.

Texas' population surpassed 31 million people even as population growth slowed.

(Tried my hand at some rudimentary data visuals on this one!)

www.texastribune.org/2024/12/19/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

High-speed rail efforts in Texas have gained some momentum. The Texas Legislature and Donald Trump may change that. A yearslong effort to bring high-speed rail to Texas has recently shown signs of life, but state lawmakers have consistently put up roadblocks to keep it from happening.

The illusive dream of high-speed rail in Texas became foggier as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office and state GOP lawmakers intent on throwing up roadblocks to rail return to Austin next month.

www.texastribune.org/2024/12/10/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas is once more flirting with expanding passenger rail The state’s booming population, congestion problems and billions of federal dollars on the table have officials eyeing ways to boost passenger rail.

Texas' booming population, congestion problems and billions of federal dollars had officials across the state eyeing ways to boost passenger rail.

www.texastribune.org/2024/07/23/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Texas Republicans have tried to rein in property taxes for five years. Has it worked? Texas has spent billions of dollars to drive down property taxes. Many homeowners saw a significant tax cut last year, per a Texas Tribune analysis.

Some other stories I published this year:

Andrew Park & I examined the property tax bills of more than 50 Texas homeowners to see if they've benefited from a yearslong GOP push to cut property taxes.

Here's what we found:

www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/t... @texastribune.org #txlege

Affected by Texas’ high home prices and rents? We want to talk to you The Texas Tribune is writing about the state’s housing affordability crisis. Help us tell the story.

If you or someone you know is struggling with high housing costs or finding an affordable place to live, we want to chat!

www.texastribune.org/2024/09/11/t... @texastribune.org #txlege