Medicaid expansion

The Medicaid expansion debate continued at the State Capitol Friday as lawmakers are still deciding whether to accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Texas is one of more than a dozen states that has decided not to expand the current Medicaid program, but lawmakers are considering a possible compromise that would allow Texas to come up with its own plan.

Watch the video below to learn more and hear from three journalists who cover the legislature: Christy Hoppe with the Dallas Morning News, Jonathan Tilove with the Austin American-Statesman, and Jay Root with the Texas Tribune.

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Craft beer legislation

The state senate is considering a new piece of legislation that would allow craft brewers to sell their products.

Though they brew it and bottle it, under current Texas laws craft brewers can’t sell their product directly to consumers. Instead, they have to go through a distributor or sell to a retail location.

Brewers say changing the law would would allow them to hire staff, keep their breweries open longer, and help fund the growth of their businesses.

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Education Reform

Many lawmakers are ranking public education reform at the top of their agendas this legislative session. Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) is pushing comprehensive reform that would give independent schools districts across the state the ability to opt out of the current education code and implement their own accountability standards.

Isaac identified statewide standardized testing as the number one problem facing school districts. "In my opinion, we've gone too far mandating with what schools must perform," he said.

Click the video below to hear how Isaac would like to change the public education system and how school districts would play a role.

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