Matt Zdun
Texas Politics Reporter
Central Texas
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/gray/1773e1a6-c73f-48ff-8d16-c95ff7d02029.png)
Matt is excited to join the KWTX family after two years in Austin. While in the state's capital, he reported on state politics and policy at The Texas Tribune and the Austin American-Statesman and served as a policy analyst during the 2019 Texas Legislative Session.
Previously, he also interned at CNBC and the Medill Justice Project.
He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in journalism and economics.
Matt now lives in and reports from Bell County. In his free time, he sings with a choir in Austin, plays piano and guitar and enjoys finding new places to eat out.
Have a story idea or just want to chat? Send him an email.
The Texas House will debate a permitless carry bill on Thursday.
The billion-dollar Texas Rent Relief Program is off to a bumpy start.
Democrats, Republicans push for the legalization of teledentistry in Texas.
A Republican state lawmaker is proposing some changes to police video recording policies in Texas.
Retired teachers and school workers could soon receive bumped up monthly checks from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
State lawmakers in the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee will consider the Damon Allen Act again this session.
A handful of large Texas-based corporations have come out against a pair of so-called election integrity bills in Austin, saying the bills disenfranchise certain voters.
State lawmakers quickly gave an initial green light last month to a bill that would allow bars to operate quick draw lottery games.
State lawmakers on the House State Affairs Committee heard three gun bills Thursday, including a bill that would designate Texas a so-called Second Amendment sanctuary state.
Starting in early April, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin reimbursing certain COVID-19-related funeral costs up to $9,000.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy high among Texas Republicans, poll shows
Texas lawmakers have already filed five nearly identical bills this legislative session that would prohibit magistrates from issuing so-called “no-knock” warrants.
Texas Senate fast-tracks several bills that would limit abortion
A storm that produced golf ball size hail left some damage behind in one Central Texas town overnight and tornadoes were confirmed in two area counties.
In a hearing Wednesday afternoon that was at times heated, members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services questioned witnesses on what is behind the growing number of sexual assault cases in the military.
Repricing the state’s electricity market after the winter storm seems increasingly unlikely
State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Killeen, has co-authored the so-called Second Look Bill, a chance for some who committed crimes as teenager, but were tried as adults, to be considered for parole sooner.
One Texas lawmaker wants to enlist hair stylists in identifying victims of abuse and domestic violence cases
Faced with a surge of unaccompanied minors at the Texas-Mexico border, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday he’s expanding an anti-smuggling operation launched earlier this month to include human trafficking.
Texas Republican lawmakers push election integrity bills will voting rights advocates say they are not needed.
Three Texas lawmakers have filed bills to end the controversial practice of LGBTQ conversion therapy among children in the state.
State Rep. Claudia Ordaz Perez, D-El Paso, filed a bill that would prohibit school districts from running active shooter drills that “mimic or appear to be an actual shooting incident.”
As the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package — dubbed the American Rescue Plan — heads to President Biden’s desk later this week, families with children could soon see significant monthly payments.
Texas lawmakers have filed dozens of pieces of legislation, each in different ways attempting to limit the power of the governor to issue emergency orders during declared disasters.
State lawmakers debate bill that would allow ‘censorship’ lawsuits against social media companies
State Rep. Victoria Neave, D-Dallas, has proposed creating a statewide tracking system for veteran suicides.
Food banks continue to urge state lawmakers to fully fund a grant program that provides fresh produce to families in need.
Special needs families say Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to lift the state’s mask mandate will make life trickier for them.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday said it is time to “open Texas 100%,” but health experts said it would be better to pump the breaks.
ERCOT faces a billion-dollar shortfall in the Texas power market.
Plumbers across Central Texas say they have been inundated with calls since last week’s storms, but they are having a hard time finding the parts they need.
State lawmakers on the House State Affairs and Energy Resources committees grilled various members of the energy industry in a marathon series of hearings on Thursday focused on last week’s power outages.
One man was injured early Wednesday afternoon in a shooting near a local mall.
A Central Texas man shot his wife to death and then shot himself as officers arrived at the couple’s home where three children were found unharmed.
State lawmakers are meeting in Austin this week to discuss last week's power outages and high utility bills.
Guests say they smelled gas the night before the Killeen hotel fire
Thousands of local residents have not had power since early Monday morning, and they are growing increasingly frustrated with a lack of answers from power companies.
Ahead of hearings in Austin next week to investigate this week’s widespread power outages, state lawmakers are already asking questions.
ERCOT’s ‘best case scenario’ includes a return to rotating outages
Why Texas energy officials do not know when power will be fully restored
In addition to power outages, some families also had no internet throughout Monday.
Several stores in the area say they are running low on firewood, propane, various types of salt and space heaters.
A Department of Public Safety trooper was injured Friday morning while at the scene of an accident on a Central Texas highway.
Central Texas school closures have left parents juggling tricky schedules.
Some small businesses are worried about COVID-19 lawsuits, even amid statewide liability protections that could soon arise.
Republican state lawmakers have filed dozens of bills this legislative session to promote what Gov. Abbott has called “election integrity” while Democratic lawmakers have filed bills that largely center around promoting greater access to the ballot box.
In his State of the State address last week, Gov. Greg Abbott said, “Texas must be a Second Amendment sanctuary state.”
Following the so-called bathroom bills filed and debated during the 2017 Texas legislative session, some state lawmakers have filed bills this session aiming to ban transgender girls and women from playing on women’s public school sports teams.
The state is expected to start up a new $1.3 billion rental assistance program in about two weeks.
Boosted in part by President Biden’s support of bumping up the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, a handful of state lawmakers have filed their own bills to raise the state’s minimum wage.