The latest Texas House of Representatives news from The Texas Tribune.
Saying he wasn’t certain of victory and didn’t want to put other members at risk by forcing a vote, Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, withdrew from the race for House speaker on Tuesday. Watch his full comments from the House floor. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/010812_ART_Simpson.jpg)
Legislators, journalists and others shared thousands of tweets and photos on Tuesday, the first day of the 83rd legislative session. Check out this selection of what they shared. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/CapitolDome_1.jpg)
As 181 members of the Texas Legislature work during the 83rd session, use this application to navigate the Capitol and locate lawmakers' offices. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/capitol-map.png)
The Legislature is back for the 83rd time, and we've refreshed our directory of statewide officials and legislators. Many of the old names are here, and so are the names of the numerous freshmen. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/ElectedOfficials-Lead.jpg)
House Speaker Joe Straus faces a challenge on the first day of the 83rd Texas Legislature, and the Senate gets another run at a rule that empowers political minorities and sometimes frustrates majorities. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/EmptySeats-Capitol.jpg)
Here's a list of the Twitter handles of the 120 state lawmakers who do the communications thing 140 characters at a time. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/new_twitter_logo.jpg){kind=logo}
Third parties — outsiders — can't vote in the race for Speaker of the House. But the lawmakers who will actually elect the speaker next month are listening, and acting, on what's going on outside. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4a7f9ed421e4bb79ab8bc211a47ea1db/BD%20INC%20SImpson%20Straus%202012)
A successful challenge to House Speaker Joe Straus would be a serious show of strength for outside activists. A big defeat, however, could undermine their influence just as the 2013 session begins. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/30e6541936cc8f17c6e894d925ba0f25/BD%20INC%20Straus%20Simpson%202012)
The Texas House under Speaker Joe Straus was more conservative in 2011 than in 2009, but not as conservative as in 2003. For opposite reasons, that was good and bad news for lawmakers from both parties. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/MarkJones-sized.jpg)
House Speaker Joe Straus has the votes to win reelection, according to his loyalists. But he's got a declared opponent and another in the wings, and they've got a month to work with. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7614e6e08e96d78750578e555d174903/BD%20INC%20Simpson%20PR%20187%20CMS%202011)
Despite organized efforts to unseat him, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus said Wednesday he is confident his colleagues will re-elect him to the post so he can focus the 2013 legislative session on “serious issues” for a fast-growing state. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/85e76e8a1b77c506f9f0a5c57292c7fc/BD%20INC%20Straus%20766%202012)
At our Hot Seat conversation at Trinity University in San Antonio, state Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, and state Sen.-elect Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, sparred about public education, health care and other issues in play in the upcoming 83rd session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/HotSeat-SA-002.jpg)
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has at least one opponent in his bid for a third term in that job, but the circumstances that undid his predecessors in the post don't exist now. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9e2caee9ad0c0b98bcae07cb43e3fd79/BD%20INC%20Straus%20Joe%20028%202012)
Two bills filed by lawmakers recently seek to restrict the actions of federal agencies in Texas. Lawmakers say the bills are meant to stand up for Texans' freedom, but federal agencies say practices targeted by the bills keep people safe. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/WhiteHouse-TexasCapitol.jpg)
State Rep. David Simpson of Longview, a Republican who rode to office with heavy Tea Party support two years ago, is considering a run for Texas House speaker against incumbent Republican Joe Straus of San Antonio. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/_KCB8243.jpg)
Full video of my 11/19 TribLive conversation with three incoming state representatives: Republicans Cecil Bell Jr. and Giovanni Capriglione and Democrat Mary Gonzalez. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/_KCA4139.jpg)
At this morning's TribLive conversation, incoming state Reps. Cecil Bell Jr., Giovanni Capriglione and Mary Gonzalez talked about school finance, standardized testing and the prospect of school choice legislation in the 83rd Session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/NewGuys-2_1_1.jpg)
Larson: The conservative House has a conservative speaker, and there's no reason to change leaders. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Larson.jpg)
The letters dribbling into House Speaker Joe Straus' mailbox raise questions about the House's redistricting last session, but that's just a way for his rivals to raise questions about his leadership. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TXTrib-StrausBebee-003.jpg)
Speaker Joe Straus defended the House's redistricting work and said they'll continue their legal fight after a second Republican — Bill Zedler of Arlington — joined Democratic inquiries about how Straus' staff handled those political maps in 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/_KCA9647.jpg)