For Speaker, a Different Kind of Challenge
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
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Lawmakers' Bills Target Perceived Overreach by Federal Government
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
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Simpson, Tea Party Favorite, Considers Challenge to Speaker
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
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![State Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, at a TribLive event on Jan. 26, 2012]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
TribLive: A Conversation with Three New House Members
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
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TribLive: New State Reps. on Public Education
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
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Guest Column: The Case for Joe Straus
Larson: The conservative House has a conservative speaker, and there's no reason to change leaders. Full Story
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![State Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio.]()
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You've Got Mail, Mr. Speaker
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
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Republican Says Straus Should Explain Redistricting Tactics
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
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![Rep. Bill Zedler R-Arlington speaks with Rep. Jim Murphy R-Houston on May 24th , 2011]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Bobby Guerra: The TT Interview
The new state representative for the Rio Grande Valley's House District 41 on his unusual path to office, what he hopes to accomplish before his re-election bid in November and how he's approaching the general election. Full Story
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Providers Seek More State Funds for Homeless Services
Leaders of homeless service programs on Monday addressed a joint hearing of a House appropriations subcommittee and the Urban Affairs Committee, saying any funding cuts would hinder their ability to provide services. Full Story
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![According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 36,000 Texans were homeless at any given time last year.]()
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The Hot Seat: A Conversation with Eltife and Simpson
At our Hot Seat conversation at the University of Texas at Tyler, state Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, and state Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, discussed the 82nd Legislative Session and looked ahead to the 83rd. Full Story
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Democratic Leader: Speaker Led Mapping Discrimination
A top Democratic leader in the Texas House, in a letter Wednesday, accused staffers in House Speaker Joe Straus' office of leading discriminatory conduct that got the Texas redistricting maps thrown out. Full Story
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![July 9th, 2012: Speaker Joe Straus speaks to reporters]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Integrity Unit Investigating Top Aide to Rep. Kleinschmidt
John Higgins, a top aide to state Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt, R-Lexington, is under criminal investigation for alleged improprieties related to travel reimbursements he got from the state, a prosecutor told the Tribune on Friday. Full Story
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![John Higgins, chief of staff to state Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt, can be seen on the far left of this photo with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. Higgins pleaded guilty following a Travis County District Attorney Public Integrity Unit investigation into improprieties involving travel reimbursements.]()
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Straus Names Senior Staff
House Speaker Joe Straus has appointed two top aides, one from his current staff and another from outside. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Straus: Process to End Budget Diversions Starts Now
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus called on lawmakers Monday to start figuring out how to stop diverting billions of dollars in dedicated taxes and fees that are being used to balance state budgets. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Interactive Map: Texas House Committee Clout
Use this interactive to explore the geographic distribution of committee members in the Texas House, by committee, to see who's got what clout on what subject. Choose a committee and the map highlights the district of each member and, in a different color, the home districts of the chairs, vice chairs and co-chairs. Full Story
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Court Stays the Course on Politics and Business
Corporations and unions can play in politics, but complete disclosures are not required. A corporate political campaign in Texas two years ago was unusual, featuring an unknown corporation that was open about what it was doing. Full Story
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Texplainer: When Legislators Die or Resign, What Happens to Their Seats?
When legislators die or resign, their seat is filled through a special election. The new representative serves out the end of the old representative's term. Full Story
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A House of Strangers Calls for a Shrewd Leader
Races for speaker of the House are based on relationships. How does that work when there are so many freshmen and sophomore members in the House? Full Story
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TribLive: Branch and TMF on Hughes vs. Straus
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, discussed the prospect of a Speaker's race leading up to the 2013 legislative session. Full Story
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