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Texas House of Representatives

The latest Texas House of Representatives news from The Texas Tribune.

  • Michael Quinn Sullivan: The TT Interview

    By Ross Ramsey

    The bomb-throwing president of Empower Texas and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility on why Joe Straus hasn't proved himself as a conservative, why the entry of outside groups like his own into the insiders' race for speaker is proper and what he'd like to see out of a Texas House with 99 GOP members in it. Full Story 

    Michael Quinn Sullivan of Empower Texans and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.
    Credit: Justin Dehn

  • Hosed in Waco

    By Ross Ramsey

    It was a bad Election Night for residents of the largest city in McLennan County. After years of regional dominance, their congressional seat belongs to Bryan, halfway to Houston; their state senate seat is 86 miles away in Granbury; and one of their House seats has moved three counties east, to Centerville. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Bob Daemmrich/Marjorie Cotera/Todd Wiseman

  • TribBlog: Straus Rebuffs Patrick

    By Elise Hu

    State Sen. Dan Patrick issued a release saying he would host a sit-down meeting of the three candidates for speaker in a "neutral" location. But House Speaker Joe Straus' office says it never agreed to to the meet-up. Full Story 

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    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Inside Intelligence: The Next Speaker Will Be...

    By Ross Ramsey

    For this week's installment of our non-scientific survey of political and policy insiders on issues of the moment, we asked two main questions: "Do you think Joe Straus will win another term as Speaker of the House next year, or do you think it will be someone else?" and "Should the Senate keep or abandon its practice of requiring approval from two-thirds of the senators before raising an issue for debate and approval?" And we asked an open-ended third: "How do you think the election outcomes will affect the legislative session ahead?" Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • Grand Old Parties

    By Ross Ramsey

    Now that the Republicans have a huge majority in the Texas House, they aren't sharing power with the Democrats; they're sharing power with themselves. More precisely, one faction of Republicans is sharing power with another faction of Republicans. However you label it — moderate vs. conservative, country club vs. country, Bush vs. Perry — it's bumpy. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • TribBlog: Straus to Chisum: "Have You No Shame?"

    By Elise Hu

    The speaker's race drama continues! House Speaker Joe Straus is hitting back — hard — at challenger state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, calling on Chisum to "stop the threatening letters, mean-spirited emails, and angry phone calls." Full Story 

    House Speaker Joe Straus and the man in the running to unseat him, state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa.
    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller/Bob Daemmrich

  • The Most Unpopular Fraction

    By Ben Philpott, KUT News

    Whatever the size of their majority in the Texas House, Republicans in the Texas Senate have to contend with the rule requiring two-thirds of members to agree to bring a bill up for vote. That's 21 out of 31 — and there are only 19 Republicans in the upper chamber. As Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, some in the GOP want the rule changed. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • The Crackdown Begins

    By Elise Hu

    Republican state lawmakers, buoyed by their party’s resounding victories on Election Day, have filed several bills ahead of the next legislative session that signal how far they're willing to go in tackling illegal immigration. State Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, filed a nine-bill bundle that included a proposal to require picture IDs at polling places. Full Story 

    Newly-elected state Rep. David Simpson at the head of the line to prefile bills on Nov. 8, 2010.
    Credit: Elise Hu

  • 2010: Donna Howard Wins in a Squeaker

    By Elise Hu

    It appears state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, will keep her seat in the Texas House. After overseas ballots were counted Monday, the final vote tally gave Howard a 16-vote victory over Republican challenger Dan Neil. Full Story 

    State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, and her GOP challenger, Dan Neil.
    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • HuTube: First to File

    By Elise Hu

    It's the first day to prefile bills for the next legislative session, and lawmakers lined up early to get in their legislation. (Some lawmakers were more eager than others.) Our latest HuTube post has the action from inside the House clerk's office. Full Story 

    Newly-elected state Rep. David Simpson at the head of the line to prefile bills on Nov. 8, 2010.
    Credit: Elise Hu

  • What 99 Means

    By Ross Ramsey

    When a party wins everything, as the GOP has in Texas this year, it gets almost everything its way. It also has everything to lose. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman