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Alex Samuels was a reporter for The Texas Tribune from 2017 to 2021. She helped with national campaign coverage, wrote stories about the intersection of race and politics in Texas, and covered the hottest political news bubbling out of local communities. She was also one of the primary authors of The Blast, the Tribune’s subscription-only daily newsletter for political insiders. Alex began at the Tribune as a fellow in 2016. She graduated in 2017 from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. She originally is from Massachusetts and is the best pingpong player at the Tribune.
"I refuse to act like it is still a possibility and continue to provide false hope to my constituents," state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, said in a statement. Full Story
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Some business groups who thought they had a slam dunk bill on employment benefits are now worried that LGBTQ opposition they tried to prevent could kill one of their priorities. Full Story
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Eliminating the lockbox requirement for school marshals was one of many suggestions Gov. Greg Abbott outlined for the Legislature in a 43-page plan released weeks after last year's deadly shooting at Santa Fe High School. Full Story
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The House also signed off on a $9 billion supplemental budget that would withdraw $4.3 billion from the state savings account. Full Story
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Lawmakers were alerted that a page on the House floor had the infection, triggering discussions about vaccine policies in the state. Full Story
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Issues like city-mandated paid sick leave and "red flag" gun laws are popular among Texas voters, polls suggest. Will opposing them have consequences in 2020? Full Story
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At a meet-and-greet with Democrats in Dallas Tuesday night, Castro dismissed suggestions that his bid for president was being overshadowed by Beto O'Rourke and said he was working hard "to make sure that at the right time I’m the frontrunner of this race." Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's wariness of proposals to expand the state's narrow medical cannabis program may block any such bills from reaching the governor's desk this session. Full Story
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The Texas Democrat says he raked in over $6.1 million for his presidential bid in the first 24 hours of his campaign — an eye-popping number that beats every other Democrat who has disclosed first-day figures so far. Full Story
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O’Rourke called the writings he produced while part of the group "really hateful, really bad stuff" and said he was "mortified to read it now." Full Story
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