Stop misusing flag emojis. It’s the law.
Or at least it could be. Rep. Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) has introduced House Concurrent Resolution 75, urging Texans not to use the Republic of Chile’s flag emoji in place of the Texas flag. Though there’s not yet a Texas flag emoji available, one is expected to be released this year. To read more…
Calling for a convention of states.
The Senate State Affairs Committee took a major step on one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s four emergency items when it approved Senate Joint Resolution 2, calling for a national convention to allow states to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Texas needs the support of 33 other states for the convention to occur. To read more…
Governor for a Day.
Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) is set to serve as Governor of Texas on Friday. As President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate, Sen. Seliger serves as governor while the Governor and Lt. Governor are out of the state. Sen. Seliger will celebrate the day with constituent events in his district. To read more….
Texas public schools among the best.
In a recent ranking of public high schools across the nation, five of Texas’ schools landed in the top 25. Houston’s Eastwood Academy, Dallas’ School of Science and Engineering, and Austin’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School made the list. To read more…
Only in Austin…
On Sunday, 18,000 runners from 50 states and over 30 countries participated in the 2017 Austin Marathon, which included marathon, half marathon and 5K races. Participants in the full marathon had the opportunity to qualify for a coveted slot in the Boston Marathon. To read more…
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus has released committee assignments. To see what’s changed and what’s remained the same from last session, check out this handy resource: 
Gov. Greg Abbott’s three nominees to the UT System Board of Regents were confirmed unanimously by the Texas Senate. The Board has gained Sen. Kevin Eltife, a former Texas Senator; Rad Weaver, CEO of McCombs Partners; and Janiece Longoria, chair of the Port of Houston Authority. 
Didn’t get enough of Lady Gaga during the Super Bowl halftime? Catch her in Austin at the Frank Erwin Center on December 5th. Tickets go on sale February 20th. 
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has reported his Super Bowl jersey missing. The jersey, already being dubbed one of the most valuable NFL collectables ever, is thought to have been stolen from the NRG Stadium locker room in Houston, Sunday night. The Texas Rangers have joined the search party. 
Just a week after Gov. Greg Abbott named ethics reform an emergency issue, the Texas Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 14, which aims to curb conflicts of interest amongst state elected officials. It is the first bill passed by the Texas Senate during the 2017 legislative session. 
Former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson has been confirmed as the next U.S. Secretary of State by a 56-43 vote of the U.S. Senate. A Wichita Falls native and University of Texas graduate, Secretary Tillerson is the first Texan to fill the post in almost 25 years. 
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht delivered the State of the Judiciary address to a joint meeting of the Texas House and Senate. The Chief Justice discussed issues including bail reform, the cost of legal expenses, and ending straight-ticket voting. 
The rattlesnake rotunda is back. Today is the last day to visit the Sweetwater Jaycee wranglers and their rattlesnakes in the Texas Capitol Extension rotunda. Sssssss… 
Yesterday Gov. Greg Abbott delivered his State of the State address to a joint session of the Texas House and Senate. He declared four emergency items for the Legislature: overhauling Child Protective Services (CPS), banning sanctuary cities, implementing ethics reform, and calling for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution. 
Former President George H.W. Bush, the oldest living president, has been asked by the NFL to perform the coin toss at Sunday’s Super Bowl L1 in Houston. At 92 years old, President Bush is the oldest living president and was recently released from the hospital after suffering from pneumonia. 
In the wake of the July 7th ambush of Dallas officers, Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that the Homeland Security Grants Division will award the City of Dallas more than $1 million in grant funds for personal protective equipment for Dallas police officers. 
At Texas Muslim State Capitol Day yesterday, members and advocates of the Muslim community met on the south steps of the Capitol for a rally, during which at least 1,000 supporters linked arms to form a protective perimeter around the event. 
SXSW has announced that FBI Director James Comey will speak during the festival in March. Comey is slated to discuss the FBI’s role in facing national security challenges and protecting civil liberties with Newseum CEO Jeffrey Herbst. 
Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Janiece Longoria, Kevin Eltife, and Rad Weaver to The University of Texas System Board of Regents. For the Texas Tech University System, Gov. Abbott has appointed J. Michael Lewis, John B. Walker, and John D. Steinmetz. Gov. Abbott has also appointed Elaine Mendoza, Cliff Thomas, and Tim Leach to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. 
On Saturday, tens of thousands of Texans took part in women’s marches across the state. An estimated 50,000 people took part in the march in Austin, which culminated in a rally at the Capitol. 
Demographically, the 85th Texas Legislature is not entirely reflective of the state’s population. Two-thirds of members are white, 80 percent of members are men, there’s a 46-year age gap between the youngest and oldest members, and more than half of members have postgraduate degrees. 
Gov. Greg Abbott has reappointed Donna Bahorich as Chair of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE), for a term set to expire February 1, 2019. Bahorich was first elected in November 2012 to the SBOE, where she serves on the Committee on School Initiatives and as the Board’s charter school liaison to the Texas Education Agency. 
Tickets for the sixth annual Austin Food and Wine Festival went on sale this week. The festival returns to Auditorium Shores on April 28-30, with a lineup that includes top chefs from around the state. You won’t want to miss Saturday night’s fan favorite—the Rock Your Taco showcase. 
The Texas House and Senate have released their budget proposals. The starting point for the Texas Senate includes $103.6 billion, and the House starts at $108.9 billion. The Senate plan includes cuts to health and human services, and public education. The House budget increases spending for public education, child protective services, and mental health. The Senate Finance committee will start meeting next week. 
Tune in at 11:00 AM on January 31st for Gov. Abbott’s State of the State address, which will be delivered to a joint session of the Texas Legislature. What will Abbott’s top priorities be? 
Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) has been unanimously elected to serve as President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate. Sen. Seliger, who has served in the Senate since 2004, is now third in line for the governorship. He will preside over the Senate when the Lieutenant Governor is absent. 
Prompted by the tragic killings of Dallas police officers in July of last year, State Senator Royce West (D-Dallas) has filed Senate Bill 12. The bill would create a $25 million grant program to provide bulletproof vests for 50,000 patrol officers across the state. 
Monday, Comptroller Glenn Hegar presented the biennial revenue estimate for 2018-2019. The state will have $104.87 billion in state funds, about $8 billion less, to spend this session. 
Although she previously announced that she would retire on January 10th, Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) has been sworn in with the rest of her House colleagues. Hours later, the Travis County District Attorney and the Texas Rangers announced that they will pursue indictment charges. Grand jury proceedings will begin next Tuesday. 
Yesterday Speaker Joe Straus was unanimously re-elected to his fifth term as speaker of the Texas House. In his opening address to the House, Speaker Straus highlighted his legislative priorities, which include school finance, reforming child welfare, investing in the state’s mental health system, and economic development. 
It’s go time! The 85th Texas Legislature has been sworn in and will be tackling some of Texas’ biggest challenges from now until the end of the regular session on May 29th. 
President-elect Trump has nominated Former Texas Governor Rick Perry for U.S. Secretary of Energy. Perry served as Governor of Texas from 2000-2015, was a presidential candidate in 2012, and ran briefly in the Republican presidential primaries last year. He brings to the secretary role years of experience leading a state rich in energy resources, though he hasn’t yet discussed his vision for the agency. 
The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed four more locally-transmitted cases of Zika in Cameron County this week. The patients reportedly contracted the virus in late November, before the mosquito-control efforts had been intensified. Texas has been awarded a $5 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to combat the Zika virus. 
Governor Abbott has nominated Texas Racing Commission Chairman Rolando Pablos to replace Carlos Cascos, who is resigning, as Texas Secretary of State. If confirmed by the Texas Senate, Pablos will become the state’s chief elections officer and top adviser to the governor on border-related issues. Pablos has served on the Public Utility Commission, as CEO of The Borderplex Alliance, and founded the renewable energy company Uriel Americas. 
Hotel Van Zandt, which opened in the Rainey Street District last year, is starting a new Austin holiday tradition with its 12 Days of Christmas celebration. Stop by between December 12 and the 23rd for free community events including holiday trivia, Santa photos, an ugly sweater contest, and several movie nights. 
Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson is the most recent Texan to be discussed as a potential cabinet member for the Trump Administration. Tillerson met with President-elect Trump in New York City on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of serving as secretary of state. Tillerson was born in Wichita Falls, attended the University of Texas at Austin, and has served as the CEO of Irving-based Exxon Mobil for more than four decades. 
After the Houston Chronicle reported that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was purposely limiting the special education rate to 8.5 percent, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would send representatives from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Service to join the TEA in reviewing special education conditions in five Texas cities this month. The TEA has denied the allegations. 
During last week’s Legislative Budget Board meeting, lawmakers decided on a state growth rate of 8 percent. The Board, chaired by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus, decided to set the rate about 4 percent lower than that of the 2015 session, citing the economic impact of low oil prices. The growth rate determines how much the Texas Legislature can spend in the upcoming session. 
Need a dose of holiday cheer? The Trail of Lights at Zilker Park opens to the public for its 52nd year on December 10th. The city expects more than 400,000 visitors to the Trail this season. 
The University of Texas at Austin welcomes new head football coach Tom Herman, from the University of Houston. Coach Herman, who succeeds former Longhorn head coach Charlie Strong, is a UT grad and looks forward to returning to Austin. Meanwhile, Baylor’s interim head coach 
Texas Senator Judith Zaffirini from Laredo has filed Senate Bill 31, which would establish a statewide ban on texting while driving. Though attempts to pass similar bills failed during the last four state legislative sessions, Texas is now one of four states without such a ban. Zaffirini’s efforts are supported by Representative Tom Craddick from Midland in the Texas House. 
Lab tests confirm that a Cameron County woman has been infected with the Zika virus. The woman has not travelled recently to an area with ongoing Zika virus risks and appears to have contracted the virus from a Texas mosquito. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) does not expect the virus to become widespread in the state, according to the DSHS commissioner. 
The Texas House Chamber at the Capitol, which has been closed since April for renovations, reopened this week with a holiday addition: a 26-foot-tall tree. House members and their families decorate the tree with ornaments that reflect the character of their home districts. The project is led by Julie Straus, wife of House Speaker Joe Straus. 
Austin-based Yeti Coolers will open its first flagship store on South Congress during early 2017. The store will be located at South Congress Avenue and Barton Springs Road. This news comes just months after the rapidly expanding company filed documents for an IPO in July and announced plans for new headquarters in Southwest Austin in March of this year.