Texas Lawmakers Split on Business Court Rural Expansion (1)

Bills filed Friday in the Texas Legislature are at odds on whether the state’s business courts should stick to the original five big-city divisions that opened last year or expand to rural areas.

Legislation from Sen. Bryan Hughes (R)—who sponsored the original 2023 bill creating the courts—delays a deadline to activate six unfunded courts around the state to 2028 from 2026, giving lawmakers at least two more years to see if they want them.

Meanwhile, competing legislation from Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R) would open the six unfunded courts as early as in January, when he’s asking the governor to begin ...