A resolution to let voters decide whether to legalize casino gambling, however, was delayed for a day while supporters worked to find enough support for passage.
Patrick Svitek
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.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Progressive causes lose big in San Antonio and El Paso charter elections
San Antonio voters rejected by wide margins an effort to decriminalize abortion and require police to issue citations rather than make arrests for some nonviolent offenses. In El Paso, an effort to wean the city from fossil fuels fared similarly poorly.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Legislature enters homestretch with many of the session’s biggest issues unresolved
The list of potential hurdles includes property tax cuts, school choice, the power grid, the state budget, plus diversity and tenure in higher education.
Posted in
Politics
Dallas Democrat Colin Allred announces 2024 challenge to Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz
Allred was first elected to Congress in 2018 and quickly became a rising Democratic star. Cruz is Texas’ junior senator and unsuccessfully sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.
Posted in
Guns in Texas
Poll finds solid majority of Texans, even Republicans, favor raising age for gun purchases
The University of Texas survey also found stronger support for Sen. Ted Cruz, while Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis remain popular among Republicans.
Posted in
Politics
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred preparing to challenge Ted Cruz in 2024, sources say
The former NFL player and civil rights lawyer has been a rising Democratic star in Congress.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
After backlash, Abbott expresses some regret after labeling all Cleveland shooting victims “illegal immigrants”
The governor’s focus on immigration status, not the loss of life, draws rebukes from across the country.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Democrats rally around Joe Biden as he announces reelection bid
Texas Democrats are hopeful Biden can run a competitive race in the historically red state — especially if the GOP nominee is Donald Trump again.
Posted in
LGBTQ+ Texans
Texas agriculture commissioner orders employees to wear clothes “consistent with their biological gender”
The policy comes as LGBTQ advocates are fighting a wave of hostile legislation at the Capitol, including proposals to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender children.
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Politics
Texas looms large in 2024 presidential race as Trump, others angle for early support
The former president is courting state support as other GOP candidates try to emerge from his shadow, including Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.