Patrick Svitek | Texas Tribune

House Bill 3979 is part of a national effort by red-state legislatures to ban or limit the teaching of critical race theory. That academic discipline examines how racism has shaped legal and social systems within the United States.

Huffines, who has criticized Abbott as being too slow to fully reopen the state, served in the Senate from 2015-2019.

The event this week is attracting a who's who of big-name Republicans who could run for the White House in a few years.

Nearly two dozen candidates are vying to fill the late congressman's seat, and former president Donald Trump is backing Wright's widow, Susan Wright.

The governor broke his silence Tuesday on the legislation that has been building momentum at the Texas Capitol.

The TV and radio ads, which are set to start airing Thursday, make the case that Texas is forfeiting "billions" in tourism dollars to nearby states that allow casinos.

The former Republican governor is throwing his weight behind a bill by state Rep. Alex Dominguez, D-Brownsville, that would order a clinical study of using psilocybin — found in "magic mushrooms" — to help veterans with mental health problems.

The proposals include overhauling the governance of the state’s electric grid operator, mandating “weatherization” of power facilities and establishing a statewide disaster alert system.

Cruz appeared at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, as President Joe Biden headed to Texas to see the state’s recovery from last week’s storm, which left millions of Texans without power and potable water.

Abbott has kept Texas under a mask mandate since July, but her said Thursday that an announcement is coming “pretty soon.”

At least 10 candidates have already surfaced for the May 1 special election, including Wright's widow, Susan Wright.

State health officials said Sunday that 28 hubs will be getting 158,825 doses this week.