Lawmakers were slated to spend millions of taxpayer dollars for the kits but changed course after a series of revelations in a ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he always intended to sign the measure but pulled it aside in response to the House playing “games” at the end of the legislative session.
The bill would close a long-standing loophole in state law that allows officials to withhold law enforcement records if no one was convicted in a case. The measure was the only bill sent to the Senate that did not get signed and sent to the governor.
State lawmakers passed a bill requiring courts to report involuntary mental health hospitalizations of juveniles for inclusion in the federal gun background check system. The law closes a gap revealed by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune in 2022.
West Texas voters rejected three conservative Christian candidates who sought to infuse religious values into local politics. But the campaign support the candidates received from local churches has prompted calls for state and federal probes.