Texas House of Representatives

Madden Bows Out

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 14, 2011

State Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Plano, won't seek an 11th term in the Texas House, he told the Tribune this afternoon. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
Federal Judges Will Draw New Political Maps for Texas

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 8, 2011

Next year's congressional and legislative elections in Texas will probably be conducted using political maps drawn by federal judges instead of those drawn by lawmakers. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Colbert on Larry Taylor: "Get Off His Back, Media"

By Evan Smith Nov. 8, 2011

On last night's episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert "defended" state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, who came under fire last week for using an ethnic slur in a legislative hearing. Full Story
School Dropouts, Politicians and the Funny Arithmetic of State Budgets

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 28, 2011

Every time a student drops out of public school, taxpayers save money. That’s one fewer student, at an annual savings of more than $11,000 per year from state and local sources. Full Story
Things to Do: The House's Interim Charges

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 20, 2011

The House's interim charges are out, starting with instructions to everyone to consider ways to improve the state's manufacturing capability and increase the "transparency, accountability, and efficiency" in state government. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Campaign Chatter

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 14, 2011

Another veteran is retiring from the Legislature, special election candidates are flinging endorsements at each other, and a doctor is leaving the House. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Will Redistricting Court Battles Create Electoral Confusion?

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 10, 2011

The redrawing of political district lines — which ideally happens just once a decade after a federal census — could create a series of crazy election cycles for Texas voters and candidates. It happened in the 1990s, and it could happen again now. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Campaign Chatter

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 7, 2011

A looming special election in Bryan, and movement in Fort Worth and El Paso top the list of political moves this week. Full Story

Credit: Erik Hersman
Gone, Baby, Gone

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 7, 2011

Lost track of who's leaving and who's staying in legislative office? Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Campaign Roundup: The Week's Political News

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 5, 2011

State campaign news, candidate announcements, retirements and rumors from the past week. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Campaign Chatter

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 30, 2011

Chris Harris and Will Hartnett say they won't be back, but the horde of candidates for state and federal legislative seats is growing. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Hartnett Confirms He Won't Seek Re-election

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 29, 2011

State Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas, said this afternoon that he won't seek another term in the Texas House. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Campaign Chatter

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 23, 2011

Rep. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, will run for Steve Ogden's Senate seat. Ogden isn't running, and Williamson County has become the 300-pound gorilla of that district in terms of population. Rep. Larry Gonzales, R-Round Rock, won't run. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
The Texas Weekly Index: March Fights, November Peace

By Ross Ramsey and Ryan Murphy Sept. 21, 2011

General elections in Texas will be less competitive than ever under the redistricting maps approved by the Legislature earlier this year. The political threats to incumbents, if any, will come in primaries and not in general elections. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Feds: Proposed Texas Maps Undermine Minority Voting Rights

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 20, 2011

The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that new political maps for the Texas House and the state's congressional delegation don't protect the electoral power of the state's minority populations as required by the federal Voting Right Act. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
The Texas Weekly Index

By Ross Ramsey and Ryan Murphy Sept. 15, 2011

Lots of things affect election outcomes. Candidates. Money. Issues. Surprises. But some of the results are wired into district maps, through redistricting. Here's our charting of the political atmosphere — Republican or Democratic — in each of the House, Senate and congressional districts drawn by the Legislature this year. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Jose Aliseda: The TT Interview

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 13, 2011

The freshman Republican state representative on what he liked about the legislative session, what's wrong with the process, the press, politics and why he'd be coming back for more if a local job hadn't opened up. Full Story
Texplainer: Can Texas Use the Rainy Day Fund to Fight Wildfires?

By Claire Cardona Sept. 12, 2011

Gov. Rick Perry has said the Rainy Day Fund should be preserved as an insurance policy against natural disasters, but Texas can't actually dip into it until the next legislative session — in 2013. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Lyne Won't Seek Re-election to House

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 9, 2011

Another House freshman won't be back: Lanham Lyne, R-Wichita Falls, says he won't seek re-election to the Texas House in 2012. Full Story

Credit: Courtesy Lanham Lyne
Challenge to Texas Redistricting Opens in Federal Court

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 6, 2011

The state's new political maps are now in the hands of the federal government. An army of lawyers lined up before the start of federal hearings on Tuesday, lugging boxes of papers and briefcases bulging with the scribbled notes and other arguments they'll present over the next two weeks. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman