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Patrick Svitek was the primary political correspondent for The Texas Tribune. Patrick covered elections, state leaders, the Legislature and political trends across the state from 2015 until 2024. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau. Patrick graduated in 2014 from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Abbott already planned to call a special session later in the year for the Legislature to do its decennial redrawing of Texas political maps. Full Story
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While 30% of Texans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the vast majority of children are unvaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine was authorized last week for children as young as 12. Full Story
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Bush has a unique history with Trump as the only prominent member of his famous political family to back the former president. Meanwhile, Paxton has tightly aligned himself with Trump in recent months. Full Story
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The runoff pits Wright's widow, Susan Wright, against state Rep. Jake Ellzey of Waxahachie. Both are Republicans. Full Story
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A key deadline passed Monday without action in the Texas House on casino legislation backed by the gaming empire Las Vegas Sands. A measure to allow sports gambling looks similarly doomed. Full Story
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House Bill 3979 is part of a national effort by red-state legislatures to ban or limit the teaching of critical race theory. That academic discipline examines how racism has shaped legal and social systems within the United States. Full Story
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Patrick, who twice chaired Trump's campaign in Texas, is up for a third term in 2022. Full Story
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Huffines, who has criticized Abbott as being too slow to fully reopen the state, served in the Senate from 2015-19. Full Story
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Todd M. Smith was arrested Thursday and released from Travis County Jail on Friday, according to the Travis County Sheriff's Office. On Sunday, his attorneys said he did nothing wrong and is cooperating with police. Full Story
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His approach differs somewhat from past sessions, when Abbott kept legislators in suspense on whether certain hot-button proposals would have his support. Full Story
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