Latest Contributions

• Senate panel advances Texas Senate and State Board of Education maps

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 28, 2021

  The initial drafts of both maps have so far attempted to strengthen Republican majorities by protecting incumbents and creating more GOP-friendly districts. Full Story 

• State Rep. Jim Murphy, chair of House GOP Caucus, won’t seek reelection

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 23, 2021

  Murphy, who represented House District 133 from 2007-09 and again since 2011, chairs the House GOP Caucus and the House Higher Education Committee. Full Story 

• State Rep. Chris Paddie, chair of powerful state affairs committee, says he won’t run for reelection

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Sept. 22, 2021

  The news comes less than a month after Paddie, who has represented House District 9 since 2013, announced he would run for reelection. Full Story 

• Law enforcement warns of “credible threat” against Texas legislators who voted for abortion ban

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 22, 2021

  The threat was apparently made on Reddit and included the names of House and Senate members who voted for Senate Bill 8 during the regular legislative session. Full Story 

• First draft of Legislature’s map of new State Board of Education districts shores up Republican majority

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Sept. 20, 2021

  The Republican-dominated, 15-member board determines what millions of public school students in the state are taught in classrooms. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill restoring the funding that he vetoed for the Texas Legislature and its 2,100 state employees

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 17, 2021

  Abbott vetoed the funding earlier this year as retribution for the House Democrats’ walkout to block the GOP elections bill at the end of the regular session. Full Story 

• How the quorum break got broken: Texas Democrats splintered during second session break

  by Patrick Svitek and Cassandra Pollock Sept. 10, 2021

  For House Democrats, the story of the second special session is much different from that of the first one. The excitement of leaving the state had worn off, the media spotlight had dimmed and the pressures to return home were mounting. Full Story 

• Texas Legislature adjourns second special session after passing more of Gov. Greg Abbott’s priorities

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 2, 2021

  The Legislature is expected to return soon for another special session focused on redrawing the state's political maps. Full Story 

• Texas House advances bill to restore money to pay salaries for 2,100 state workers after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed Legislature funding

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 1, 2021

  The legislation will need another stamp of approval in the House before it heads to the Senate, which has not yet debated its version of the proposal on the floor. Full Story 

• Texas House speaker says “absolutely no deals made” to bring back absent Democrats

  by Cassandra Pollock and Patrick Svitek Updated: Aug. 24, 2021

  Navigating the quorum break, Speaker Dade Phelan said he was especially mindful of not doing “un-repairable harm” to the chamber, indicating that could have happened if members were physically detained and brought to the chamber. Full Story 

• Texas House solidifies quorum with burst of returning Democrats but has only two weeks left to pass jam-packed agenda

  by Patrick Svitek and Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 23, 2021

  It’s unclear what the Legislature will be able to accomplish with just two weeks left on the 30-day clock. Key legislative deadlines are coming. Member relationships are frayed. Some Democrats warn the quorum could be broken again. Full Story 

• The threats of state troopers arresting House Democrats have yet to materialize

  by Cassandra Pollock and Patrick Svitek Aug. 18, 2021

  As of Wednesday, there were no known cases of absent Democrats being arrested, and the chamber was still shy of the 100 members it needs for a quorum to conduct official business. That is despite its Aug. 10 vote to proceed with the arrests. Full Story 

• Texas law enforcement deputized to round up absent House Democrats, intensifying battle in the lower chamber

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 12, 2021

  The Texas Supreme Court cleared the way for absent House Democrats’ civil arrests after it temporarily blocked Harris County judges’ orders protecting them from such a move. Full Story 

• Signed warrants produce no arrests of Texas Democrats for now, but perhaps a hardened resolve to stay away

  by Cassandra Pollock, Alexa Ura and James Barragán Updated: Aug. 11, 2021

  It’s unclear how far Republican leadership plans to take the arrests, and there remains debate about the limits of law enforcement’s authority to detain lawmakers who are not accused of committing crimes. Full Story 

• Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signs 52 arrest warrants for absent Democrats in bid to end chamber’s weekslong stalemate

  by Cassandra Pollock and Patrick Svitek Updated: Aug. 10, 2021

  The Texas Supreme Court earlier Tuesday ruled that Democrats who refuse to show up could be detained by law enforcement and brought back to the state Capitol. Full Story 

• Texas House, just shy of a quorum, issues order to lock members inside the chamber

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 9, 2021

  This is the second time in recent weeks the majority Republican House has voted to issue a “call of the House,” though members on Monday did not offer or debate a motion to enable law enforcement to track down members still missing from the chamber. Full Story 

• Texas Supreme Court denies Democrats' request to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott's veto of Legislature's funding

  by James Barragán and Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 9, 2021

  Abbott vetoed a section of the state budget that funds the Legislature — including salaries and benefits of 2,100 employees — as punishment for House Democrats' May walkout to prevent passage of a controversial voting bill. Full Story 

• Lawmaker relationships fray as Texas Democrats’ quorum bust to block voting bill drags on

  by Patrick Svitek and Cassandra Pollock Aug. 9, 2021

  “There’s been some significant — if not irreparable — damage to the relationships within the body,” said state Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall. Full Story 

• Another special session to pass a GOP voting bill started without a quorum. This time it’s unclear if Democrats will stay away.

  by Cassandra Pollock, Alexa Ura and James Barragán Updated: Aug. 7, 2021

  Both chambers convened at noon Saturday for a second overtime round ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott. The first 30-day stretch ended in an impasse after House Democrats left the state to block a controversial GOP elections bill. Full Story 

• GOP leaders say they’ve secured an extra month of funding for Texas Legislature to plug money vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 6, 2021

  Funds amounting to at least $12.6 million will be transferred from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to the Senate, the House, and legislative agencies such as the LBB, the Legislative Council and the Legislative Reference Library. Full Story