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• Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen offered media access to Empower Texans, suggested it target certain Republicans, recording shows

  by Cassandra Pollock, Emma Platoff and Patrick Svitek Updated: Oct. 15, 2019

  Bonnen also spoke disparagingly about multiple Democrats, calling one House member “vile” and suggesting that another’s “wife’s gonna be really pissed when she learns he’s gay.” Full Story 

  

   Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

• Secret Dennis Bonnen recording of alleged quid pro quo coming out next week, activist says

  by Cassandra Pollock Oct. 10, 2019

  Allegations against the Texas House speaker by hardline conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan have thrown the chamber into turmoil for the past couple of months. Full Story 

  

   Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune

• State Rep. Mike Lang announces he won't seek reelection

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 25, 2019

  Instead, Lang said Wednesday, he will run to become a Hood County commissioner. Full Story 

  

   Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

• Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to Empower Texans' Michael Quinn Sullivan: “You are destroying our party”

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 17, 2019

  Patrick and Sullivan, who have long been aligned on issues, traded jabs Tuesday over Sullivan's allegations against House Speaker Dennis Bonnen. Full Story 

  

   Miguel Gutierrez Jr.: Patrick/Bob Daemmrich: Sullivan

• Sen. José Rodríguez, an El Paso Democrat, announces his retirement

  by Cassandra Pollock and Patrick Svitek Updated: Sept. 13, 2019

  Rodríguez, who was first elected in 2010 to represent Senate District 29, said he will retire from the Senate at the end of this term in January 2021. Full Story 

  

   Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott suggests improving voluntary background checks for person-to-person gun sales

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 12, 2019

  Abbott stopped short of saying the Legislature should make the background checks mandatory. Full Story 

  

   Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

• Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen denied Michael Quinn Sullivan’s allegations in a voicemail. Hear what he said.

  by Cassandra Pollock and Jay Root Sept. 11, 2019

  The message was left on the phone of a member of the Texas House soon after news of a meeting between Michael Quinn Sullivan and Dennis Bonnen surfaced. Full Story 

  

   Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune

• Gov. Greg Abbott issues eight executive orders aimed at stopping potential mass shooters

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 5, 2019

  The orders focus largely on improving reporting channels when members of the public or law enforcement agencies worry that a person might become violent. Full Story 

  

   Jesus Rosales for The Texas Tribune

• Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen asks lawmakers to study strengthening laws that keep firearms from felons

  by Cassandra Pollock Sept. 4, 2019

  "Words alone will not deliver the bold solutions Texas needs in order to defeat the violence that has become far too commonplace in our state," Bonnen said in a statement Wednesday announcing his charges for a select House committee. Full Story 

  

   Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune

• Texas House Democrats ask Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session after two mass shootings

  by Cassandra Pollock and Chase Karacostas Updated: Sept. 4, 2019

  Members of the House minority say they want to consider legislation “closing the background check loopholes” and “banning the sale of high-capacity magazines.” Full Story 

  

   Colin Murphey/San Angelo Standard-Times/USA TODAY NETWORK

• State Rep. Dustin Burrows calls for release of secret recording of meeting with Michael Quinn Sullivan

  by Cassandra Pollock Aug. 22, 2019

  Burrows said he hasn't been contacted by the Texas Rangers about his meeting with Sullivan and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, but said "there was nothing illegal done." Full Story 

  

   Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

• How a secretly recorded Dennis Bonnen-Michael Quinn Sullivan meeting could raise the stakes for the 2020 elections

  by Cassandra Pollock Aug. 22, 2019

  Democrats hoping to flip the Texas House are touting the controversy surrounding the meeting as a sign of Republican dysfunction. Full Story 

  

   Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune

• Houston Democrat Jessica Farrar to retire from Texas House

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 16, 2019

  Farrar, an attorney first elected to the lower chamber in 1994, represents House District 148, which covers parts of northern and western Houston. Full Story 

  

   Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune

• Dustin Burrows resigns as Texas House GOP Caucus chairman amid allegations of targeting Republicans

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 16, 2019

  Conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan has said he secretly recorded Burrows and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen asking him to challenge 10 House incumbents in the 2020 elections. Full Story 

  

   Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune

• Allen West launches bid for Texas GOP chair

  by Cassandra Pollock Aug. 15, 2019

  West will take on James Dickey, who has served as state Republican chair since 2017. Republican delegates will elect their next state party chair at the Texas GOP convention in May. Full Story 

  

   REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

• Texas Rangers asked to investigate allegations against House Speaker Dennis Bonnen

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 12, 2019

  At issue is whether Bonnen, an Angleton Republican, and state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, offered hardline conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan media credentials for his organization in exchange for politically targeting a list of fellow GOP members in the 2020 primaries. Full Story 

  

   Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune

• Texas Democrats sue over Michael Quinn Sullivan and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen meeting

  by Cassandra Pollock and Emma Platoff Aug. 8, 2019

  In their lawsuit, the Democrats contend Bonnen, Sullivan and state Rep. Dustin Burrows violated campaign finance laws and demanded that Sullivan produce a recording of the meeting that he has so far played only for select Republicans. Full Story 

  

   Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

• Texas House committee to probe allegations against Speaker Dennis Bonnen

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 7, 2019

  The House General Investigating Committee, which holds subpoena power, will review allegations that Bonnen offered media credentials to a conservative group if it targeted 10 GOP lawmakers in the upcoming election. Full Story 

  

   Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune

• "I said terrible things": Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen apologizes for Michael Quinn Sullivan meeting

  by Cassandra Pollock Updated: Aug. 6, 2019

  Bonnen once again requested that a secret recording the conservative firebrand Sullivan made of the meeting be made fully public. Full Story 

  

   Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune

• House Democrats call for Michael Quinn Sullivan to release secret Dennis Bonnen recording

  by Cassandra Pollock Aug. 2, 2019

  "Complete transparency is paramount; allowing select political insiders to hear it in private isn’t going to cut it," said state Rep. Chris Turner, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Full Story 

  

   Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune