Our updated Texas 2020 Hotlist: The most competitive races in this year's primary
A couple of The Texas Tribune's political nerds highlight (their latest version of) the most interesting races up and down the 2020 primary ballot. Full Story
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TribCast: Bernie Sanders' Super Tuesday momentum and judicial election questions
On this week's TribCast, Alexa talks to Matthew, Patrick and Emma about Bernie Sanders' momentum going into Super Tuesday, how that's stoking concerns among some Democrats and the questions that come with judicial elections. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas one of four House members to vote against anti-lynching bill
Gohmert said he voted against the legislation because the penalty was not harsh enough. Full Story
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Analysis: The Texas Supreme Court and the ruling class
A well-heeled loser of a lawsuit that went to the Texas Supreme Court did a detailed analysis and concluded that the big law firms that politically support the judges get the best results. Maybe money is the reason, maybe it's not. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
This judge refused to toss Rick Perry’s indictment. Now Perry is backing his opponent in Court of Criminal Appeals race.
A PAC with close ties to Perry is backing Gina Parker’s campaign to oust incumbent Judge Bert Richardson in the GOP primary. Full Story
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![Republican Gina Parker is challenging incumbent Judge Bert Richardson in the GOP primary for the Place 3 seat on the state Court of Criminal Appeals.]()
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With an unusually large Democratic field on Super Tuesday, delegate cutoff looms large for some presidential candidates in Texas
Recent polls suggest some candidates could miss the threshold to collect statewide delegates. That includes Michael Bloomberg, who has put more effort into the state than any other primary candidate. Full Story
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![Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg speaks to supporters during a campaign event at the Buffalo Soldier Museum in Houston on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020.]()
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More young Texans are registering to vote. Will they actually turn out?
Voter registration activity at Texas high schools spiked ahead of the 2018 general elections, when young and Hispanic voters turned out in record numbers for a midterm. Full Story
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![Students Jasmine Barrera, left, Louis Lor, and Liana Smoot register to vote with Pamela Orr at McCallum High School in Austin on Jan. 31, 2020.]()
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T-Squared: Take The Texas Tribune's annual reader survey
Your responses will help us better understand the people consuming our journalism and how they use it — and that will make us better equipped to serve you. Full Story
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![Amanda Elise Salas asks a question to state Senator and Representatives during a panel of The Rio Grande Valley & 86th Legislature event by The Texas Tribune on June 10, 2019 in Edinburg, Texas.
Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune]()
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ACLU sues seven Texas towns for passing local anti-abortion ordinances
The lawsuit takes aim at towns that have declared themselves "sanctuary cities for the unborn." Full Story
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![Joaquin is a small town that borders Louisiana.]()
Credit: Ben Fenton for The Texas Tribune -
Bernie Sanders stokes question for Texas Democrats: How would his nomination affect their down-ballot plans?
Sanders supporters say he'll bring new voters to the polls to help Democrats flip Texas, but some establishment figures are in panic mode. Full Story
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![Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at his campaign rally in Austin on Feb. 23, 2020.]()
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Webb County and Laredo coming face to face with the reality of a border wall
Webb County hasn’t seen the buildup of barriers that El Paso or the Rio Grande Valley has since 2006. But change is coming, and it's coming quickly. Full Story
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![A culvert runs perpendicular to the Rio Grande in Webb County. This strip of land is planned to be assessed by the federal government as a potential site for the Trump Administration's border wall expansion. Feb. 12, 2020.]()
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After penalizing gay teacher, Mansfield ISD awards her $100,000, plans vote to ban sexual orientation discrimination
As part of the settlement, the school district agreed to provide mandatory training to human resources and counseling staff on LGBTQ issues in schools, and to require its board of trustees to vote on whether to add protections for sexual orientation into its policies. Full Story
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![Stacy Bailey, left, has sued Mansfield Independent School District alleging that it discriminated against her based on her sexual orientation.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Stacy Bailey -
"It's a joke": Flaring expert finds big problems in report from Texas oil and gas regulator
"It looks more like a political manifesto to me," a Texas A&M professor said about a report from the Railroad Commission of Texas. Full Story
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![A gas flare burns bright on a production site northeast of Andrews, Texas.]()
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To fight huge drop in bus riders, North Texas transit agency faces hard choices about who gets service
The new bus layout coming in 2022 might bring more service to high-demand areas, but it could also modify routes that serve people at their doorsteps. Full Story
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![A Dart bus lies idle at a stop near Westmoreland Station in Dallas on Feb. 2, 2020.]()
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State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. bets on experience, seniority as he confronts two Democratic primary challengers
The longtime state senator from Brownsville is hoping his upper-chamber clout can ward off two intraparty opponents questioning his Democratic credentials. Full Story
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![State Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, on the Senate floor on May 6, 2019.]()
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A conversation on the 2020 Texas primary with LBJ Future Forum
On March 3, 14 states including Texas will host a presidential primary or caucuses. Watch our conversation with the LBJ Future Forum previewing the Texas primary and where we are in the national race. Full Story
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Former UT coach Michael Center sentenced to six months in connection with admissions scandal
Center took a $100,000 bribe in exchange for marking a prospective student a tennis recruit. The student had no background in tennis and left the team shortly after being accepted into the university. Full Story
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![UT men's tennis coach Michael Center exits the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Austin on March 12, 2019. The university placed Center on administrative leave after FBI documents revealed that he allegedly accepted a $100,000 bribe in 2015 to help with a studentÃs admission.]()
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Speaking statistically, this GOP donor wants to convince you that money buys justice in Texas
After losing a case at the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court, millionaire Salem Abraham set out to mathematically test the idea that campaign contributions influence the elected justices. Now he wants to change the system. Full Story
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![Salem Abraham in his office on Dec. 19, 2019.]()
Credit: David Bowser for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Health care and its discontents loom over Texas Democrats in 2020
Texas Democrats, like Democrats elsewhere, put health care at or near the top of their lists of most important problems. But they have significant disagreements among themselves over what to do about it. Full Story
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![Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at his campaign rally in Austin on Feb. 23, 2020.]()
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Analysis: Why would a Texas Democrat want a seat in the Republican state Senate?
On paper, Texas senators have it better than their counterparts in the Texas House, but why would a Democrat want to work in a place where Republicans are fully and completely in control? Full Story
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![State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, meets with fellow members on the Senate floor on May 10, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune
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