The latest Texas Legislature news from The Texas Tribune.
After months of speculation, two Democratic candidates have emerged to campaign for the contested Senate District 10 seat Sen. Wendy Davis has vacated to run for governor. Libby Willis and Mike Martinez have officially entered the race. Full Story
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After his part in the federal government shutdown, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is still very popular with Texas Republicans and remains their top pick in the 2016 presidential pack, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer believes that the investigation into whether a University of Texas System regent should be impeached could require a look at UT regents' personal computers, iPads and smartphones. Full Story
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This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: The vote on water and other constitutional amendments is days away, Todd Staples jabs at Dan Patrick and Democrats start testing Ted Cruz's popularity with independent voters. Full Story
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Full video of my 10/31 TribLive conversation with Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, a 2014 candidate for lieutenant governor. Full Story
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What's normal in Texas general elections — legislators in one party endorsing candidates challenging colleagues from the other party — is turning up in primaries. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, a 2014 candidate for lieutenant governor, talked about his opposition to in-state tuition and other state programs for undocumented immigrants. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples explained why he decided to run for lieutenant governor in 2014. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, a 2014 candidate for lieutenant governor, talked about his three Republican opponents. Full Story
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Two of the nine constitutional amendments on the Nov. 5 ballot could benefit many of the 1.6 million veterans in Texas. Full Story
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In the wake of criticism from a former Texas Trial Lawyers Association president about the group's spending practices, the association has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday in Austin to address concerns. Full Story
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At the Trib's Oct. 17 symposium on transportation at Southern Methodist University, Aman Batheja sat down with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins; Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes; John Langmore, vice chairman of Austin's Capitol Metropolitan Transportation Authority board; and former U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, chief of public engagement for VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio. Full Story
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Sometimes, it's the non-announcement that gets the political headline. Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns won’t run for the Senate, greatly increasing already high odds that the SD-10 seat will go to the Republicans. Full Story
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At our 10/23 Hot Seat conversation at the Texas Tech University, state Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, and state Reps. John Frullo, R-Lubbock, and Drew Springer, R-Muenster, talked about water, transportation, public education and other issues in play in the 83rd session. Full Story
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This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz checks in with voters on a post-shutdown tour of Texas, surprising moves on the 2014 campaign trail and Gov. Rick Perry announces a Texas A&M campus in Israel. Full Story
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On Oct. 22, I talked about the coming constitutional referendum on funding the state water plan with state Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, and Carlos Rubinstein, chairman of the Texas Water Development Board. Full Story
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At the Trib's Oct. 17 symposium on transportation at Southern Methodist University, I sat down with four members of the House Transportation Committee: Chairman Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, and state Reps. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, and Joe Pickett, D-El Paso. Full Story
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Gubernatorial candidates Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott are throwing their support behind Proposition 6, the constitutional amendment that will fund projects designed to help the state meet its growing need for water. Full Story
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In the second TV ad of his campaign for lieutenant governor, state Sen. Dan Patrick promises to cut property taxes for all Texans and eliminate tax increases for senior citizens. Full Story
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UPDATED: Records requests that University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall filed with the University of Texas at Austin were the subject of hours of testimony Tuesday afternoon during a legislative committee hearing. Full Story
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