Proposition A on the May 6 ballot will test the city’s political climate and progressives’ ability to advance a controversial agenda.
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.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Amid Slaton scandal, Texas Legislature moves to crack down on lawmakers who give alcohol to minors
The House passed a bill with a late amendment to make it a state jail felony for a “public officer” to give alcohol to a minor under any circumstances. Slaton voted for the amendment.
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Texas Legislature 2023
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez “very likely” to challenge Ted Cruz in 2024
Gutierrez has served in the Texas Senate since 2021 after previously serving over a decade in the House.
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Politics
Sen. Ted Cruz collects $1.5 million in first quarter to fuel his third Senate campaign
The Texas Republican has not yet drawn a serious challenger to his reelection bid.
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Politics
Ahead of primary, Rep. Tony Gonzales touts $1.3 million raised, 80 endorsements
After being censured by his party, the San Antonio Republican posts a strong fundraising quarter and district support.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Complaint alleges Rep. Bryan Slaton had “inappropriate relationship” with an intern
The complaint came after an incident in which Slaton and the staffer allegedly met up at his Austin apartment last weekend. A separate staffer told The Texas Tribune that Slaton drank alcohol with an intern under 21 years old.
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Texas Legislature 2023
After House vote signaling opposition to school choice, Gov. Greg Abbott says the fight isn’t over
The House voted 86-52 on Thursday to amend the budget to ban state funding for “school vouchers or other similar programs.” Abbott has spent the past two months touring the state to build support for the proposal, spending tremendous political capital on trying to break through the rural Republican opposition to it.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate approves education savings account bill — but House signals a tough road ahead
A Texas House vote earlier in the day suggests Senate Bill 8 might be short of the votes needed to pass in the lower chamber. Senators also passed a bill on Thursday that would give teachers a one-time bonus.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Gov. Greg Abbott is turning up the pressure on passing school choice. Will it pay off?
Passage of a school choice measure is anything but a sure bet, as there is little evidence that the governor has been able to convince rural Republicans in the Texas House — who have for years been a reliable firewall — to drop their opposition.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Bills to expand gambling access in Texas clear House committee
Gaming advocates are pushing to legalize casinos and sports betting in Texas. The committee votes represent more progress than the proposals made last legislative session, when they got hearings in committee but were never voted out.
