The long hours this week are a direct result of one of the first big end-of-session deadlines that hits today. The House has until the end of today to take initial action on any bill or resolution coming out of that chamber.
John Reynolds
John Reynolds was the newsletters editor for the Tribune from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, he was a reporter for Quorum Report, a non-partisan online political newsletter focusing on the ins and outs under the Dome, for more than seven years – covering the waterfront from health and human services and redistricting to pensions and elections. A native of Atlanta, Ga., he started his journalistic career one day after the attacks of Sept. 11 in Lubbock, Texas, where he rotated through a slew of beats at The Avalanche-Journal. He received his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and studied at the University of Georgia's graduate school in journalism. When not at work, he actively attempts to convince himself he is adept at tennis with varying levels of success. And he has adopted the Austin custom of appreciating smoked meats and listening to music in grassy/muddy fields.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: May 13, 2015
The House’s tax writing committee on Tuesday took up the Senate’s proposal to cut property taxes by raising homeowners’ residential homestead exemption. But what transpired on Tuesday was far from a kumbaya moment.
Posted inHealth care
New in Trib+Health: Health Care Measures at the Lege
In this week’s edition of the Trib+Health newsletter: Lawmakers tackle pending health legislation, The New Yorker’s Atul Gawande returns to McAllen and an interview with Scott Walters of the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: May 12, 2015
The nonprofit group that has been secretly videotaping legislators this session has drawn the scrutiny of the Texas Rangers, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: May 11, 2015
The news organization Breitbart Texas confirmed that it has received footage of lawmakers shot by a nonprofit tied to conservative causes, but it has no plans to release any of it before the end of the legislative session in three weeks.
Posted inState Government
New in Texas Weekly: Ms. T Teaches Members a Lesson
A veteran lawmaker uses a rare parliamentary tactic to revive a bill, a rare victory on pot legalization may prove short lived and more on the fallout over Jade Helm — all that and more in the latest issue of our subscriber-only newsletter for political insiders ($).
Posted inState Government
The Brief: May 8, 2015
San Antonio voters go to the polls on Saturday with the smart money on the election going an extra round.
Posted inState Government
Buzz Dulls on Marijuana Legalization Bill; Floor Action in Doubt
A House committee Wednesday night voted 5-2 to approve a proposal to legalize marijuana in Texas — but that might be as far as the measure gets.
Posted inState Government
Senfronia Thompson Expands Lawmakers’ Legislative Lexicon
The Houston Democrat has been in the House since 1973 and has learned some parliamentary tricks along the way. This week, Ms. T taught many of her colleagues about one of those maneuvers.
Posted in
Inside Intelligence
Inside Intelligence: About Those Jade Helm Rumors…
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about who’s having the best session and about fallout from the Jade Helm controversy.
