Republican Pat Fallon to give up Congress seat and run for his old Texas Senate post
Fallon served in the Texas Senate for two years before running for Congress. He won’t see reelection in the U.S. House. Full Story
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![State Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper, at his desk on the Senate floor in 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Longtime U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess will not seek reelection
Burgess, a Dallas-area Republican who comes from a family of doctors, was a key critic of Democratic efforts to overhaul the country’s health care system. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, questions witnesses during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on June 23, 2020. Trump administration health officials will tell lawmakers that their agencies are preparing for a flu season that will be complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.]()
Credit: Sarah Silbiger/Pool via REUTERS -
Ken Paxton names administrative law expert with conservative bona fides Texas’ solicitor general
Aaron Nielson will take a one-year leave of absence from BYU’s law school to lead the influential unit within the attorney general’s office. Full Story
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![Aaron Nielson has been appointed Solicitor General by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.]()
Credit: Brigham Young University -
“People aren’t thinking about us”: How new ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates impacts medically-vulnerable Texans
The ban applies to all private businesses, including health care facilities like hospitals, which can jeopardize the health of those with compromised immune systems or other underlying conditions. Full Story
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![Alice Barton looks through a rack of homemade masks in her South Austin home on Nov. 10, 2023. Barton, a retired physician, continues to take COVID precautions such as masking.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Bison return to Texas Indigenous lands, reconnecting tribes to their roots
Indigenous ranchers in Texas are receiving help from nonprofits to rebuild bison herds in the state. One family in Sulphur Springs that received five bison last month invited Texas tribal members to see the herd in person. Full Story
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![People, including tribe members, gather in a circle during a blessing ceremony for the three herds of bison gifted to Theda Pogue, affiliated with the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma, and her family on Saturday, November 4, 2023 at GP Ranch in Sulphur Springs, Texas.]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
Texas A&M to spend more than $75 million to fire football coach Jimbo Fisher
The buyout amount is the largest in college sports history. Full Story
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![Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher reacts to a call during the second quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field in College Station on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports]()
Credit: Maria Lysaker/USA TODAY Sports via REUTERS -
Pope removes Tyler’s Bishop Joseph Strickland after opposition to church reforms
Bishop Strickland, a Pope Benedict XVI appointee, has been a fiercely vocal critic of Pope Francis’ efforts to reform the Catholic Church. Full Story
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![Catholic bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas walks during a procession to protest the Los Angeles Dodgers honoring the pro-LGBTQ+ group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence during LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on June 16, 2023.]()
Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports via REUTERS -
Judge upholds 2022 Harris County election results, throws out most GOP lawsuits
The judge found that Harris County’s elections office made mistakes and violated the state’s Election Code — but that didn’t affect the outcomes of several 2022 races. He also tossed all but one Republican lawsuit challenging the results. Full Story
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![Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth speaks to the media during a press conference about the upcoming Harris County elections, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, in Houston.]()
Credit: Marie D. De Jesús/Houston Landing -
Texas House committee moves school safety funding forward
The two new measure could bring $1.3 billion more to schools to pay for security systems, fencing and personnel training. Full Story
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![A police officer monitors Maplewood Elementary School in Austin on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, a few days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House committee advances school voucher bill, overcoming key hurdle
The committee action means school voucher legislation is poised to get its first House floor vote in recent history. Gov. Greg Abbott said if the Legislature fails to pass it this time, he will continue to call them back into session until they do. Full Story
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![A Nimitz Middle School student raises their hand during class Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Rep. Joaquin Castro warns of GOP’s adversarial rhetoric around Latino immigrants
Castro, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, has made improving discussion of Latinos and Latino issues in politics a focus of his time in office. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, poses for a portrait in his Rayburn House Office Building office, on Oct. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C.]()
Credit: Julia Nikhinson for The Texas Tribune -
Texas community colleges see biggest enrollment recovery since the pandemic
The uptick comes after community colleges saw enrollment drop by about 80,000 students between 2019 and 2021. Full Story
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![ACC Riverside campus on Feb. 27, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
How a small East Texas school district replaced its gas-guzzling buses with an all-electric fleet
The Martinsville Independent School District used a federal grant to replace four buses, which started transporting students last month. The principal believes he will save enough money on gas to hire a new teacher. Full Story
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![School busses are parked at the Austin Independent School District bus center on July 10, 2020 in Sunset Valley.]()
Credit: Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune -
Senate fast-tracks passage of vouchers and border security legislation
The Senate revved to life Thursday, holding committee hearings with little advance notice and advancing four bills that satisfy Abbott’s agenda. Full Story
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![State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, speaks with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on the Senate floor during the first day of the second special session at the state Capitol in Austin, on June 28, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
School voucher critics remain largely unswayed during Texas House hearing
House Bill 1, which stagnated during the previous special session, finally received a hearing in the lower chamber, a crucial step that will decide whether the proposal gets a full vote. Full Story
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![Nimitz Middle School teachers Selena Olivares, center left, and Pricilla Martinez lead their 7th grade English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) in an activity Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa. Martinez said that due to the increased amount of families moving to the Permian Basin, they sometimes teach 38 to 40 kids per class. “It’s been six weeks and I still don’t know all of their names… Its embarrassing to me,” Martinez said.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas executes Brent Brewer, who spent three decades on death row, for murder of Amarillo man
Brewer lost a clemency appeal earlier this week, despite one of his jurors pleading that his life be spared and an expert witness’ methods put into question. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to pause Brewer’s execution Thursday afternoon to hear arguments about the “junk science” used against him. Full Story
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![A still of Brent Brewer from a video provided by his attorneys.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Attorneys for Brent Brewer -
Texans approved billions for water and broadband infrastructure. Now what?
The legislation behind the historic investment directs state agencies to send money to the state’s smaller, cash-strapped towns that have difficulty paying for upgrades. Federal money is also expected to flow to regions that need broadband. Full Story
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![Tom Bailey flushes out a water line in Zavalla on April 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Mark Felix/The Texas Tribune -
With $200 million and state approval, University of Austin is ready to start accepting applicants
The university was started by a group of higher education critics who believe traditional higher education has abandoned its commitment to open inquiry, free speech and civil discourse. Full Story
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![The University of Austin in downtown Austin on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Texas schools asked voters for $18 billion in new debt to fix its campuses. They largely said yes.
The voter approval rate for school maintenance and construction costs dipped in 2021 after lawmakers required school boards to call them “tax increases.” Full Story
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![School bond supporters celebrate after one of Ector County Independent School District’s three bond propositions were passed during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas' part-time Legislature has been at it all year. Now they're heading into a rare fourth special session
A full 30-day session amounts to about $1 million in per diem payments to lawmakers, which are meant to cover their expenses in Austin. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan ended the first special session on Aug. 6, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park for The Texas Tribune