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Cassandra Pollock is The Texas Tribune’s state politics reporter. She joined the Tribune full-time in June 2017 after a fellowship during the 85th Texas Legislature. Pollock spent her first two years at the Trib as an engagement reporter, which meant her name likely landed in your inbox every weekday morning with “The Brief,” a newsletter on all things Texas politics and public policy. Pollock is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism.
House members have filed nearly 240 proposed tweaks to the massive spending plan and are expected to spend hours taking votes on controversial issues ranging from Medicaid expansion to border security. Full Story
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House Bill 1927 would nix the requirement for Texas residents to obtain a license to carry handguns if they’re not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a gun. Texans under current state law must generally be licensed to carry handguns, either openly or concealed. Full Story
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The budget does not factor in over $35 billion in federal aid. Senators said they don't yet know when that money will come in and what strings could be attached. Full Story
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After some early tension, the Legislature's Republican leaders say they are on the same page with the business that remains. Full Story
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In return, lawmakers would agree to create a revenue stream for Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway through an additional charge on Texans’ power bills. Full Story
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“The governor of Texas is a very powerful person,” Patrick said at a Capitol news conference, ramping up his dayslong campaign to get Abbott to intervene. “He can do anything he wants.” Full Story
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Arthur D’Andrea was the only remaining member of the three-seat commission that regulates the state’s electric, telecommunication, water and sewer utilities. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the House "stood for big business" after Speaker Dade Phelan signaled skepticism about reversing billions of dollars in charges for wholesale electricity during last month’s winter storm. Full Story
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The Texas Senate and House have different rules for their members. But both require members to wear masks, though there are exceptions to when their faces must be covered. Full Story
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The provision is expected to be added to a bill addressing the governor's pandemic powers that has been denoted as a priority by House Speaker Dade Phelan, according to a draft obtained by The Texas Tribune. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott is well aware that some lawmakers, particularly in his own party, are interested in reining in his authority. However, it remains to be seen how much power Abbott is willing to relinquish. Full Story
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The judge opted against issuing an injunction that would block the federal ban on evictions, instead signaling that he expected the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to withdraw its moratorium. Full Story
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Abbott said power should be fully restored across the state Sunday night or Monday. Full Story
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Texans are reporting receiving exorbitant electric bills despite not having power during the storm. One Texan, according to The New York Times, received a $16,752 electric bill. Full Story
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Many people in the state still do not have power, and millions have had their water service disrupted. Full Story
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Abbott also blasted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for its handling of the recent winter storm. Full Story
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Abbott said he hasn’t been told which parts of Texas should expect power to return. Nearly 12 million Texans are also living under boil-water notices — and that number is expected to increase. Full Story
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ERCOT's CEO and president told reporters Wednesday he's optimistic that the state's grid will start to see some of the power it has lost return as temperatures warm up. Full Story
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ERCOT says while it's working to restore power to residents — many of whom had been without it for multiple hours or longer as temperatures remained well below freezing — it was also aiming to avoid a complete shutdown of the grid, which is used by roughly 90% of the state. Full Story
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“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. Full Story
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