Texas Legislature

Friendly Fire in Texas Legislative Races

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 1, 2013

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
TribLive: Staples on Undocumented Immigrants

By Evan Smith Oct. 31, 2013

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
TribLive: Staples on Why He's Running

By Evan Smith Oct. 31, 2013

At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples explained why he decided to run for lieutenant governor in 2014. Full Story
TribLive: Staples on His Opponents

By Evan Smith Oct. 31, 2013

At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, a 2014 candidate for lieutenant governor, talked about his three Republican opponents. Full Story
Video: Voters Will Decide on Property Tax Breaks for Military Veterans

By Alana Rocha Oct. 31, 2013

Two of the nine constitutional amendments on the Nov. 5 ballot could benefit many of the 1.6 million veterans in Texas. Full Story

Credit: Lain Yandahi
Trial Lawyers Meeting to Address Recent Criticism

By Jay Root Oct. 30, 2013

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

Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller / Todd Wiseman
TribuneFest: All Transportation is Local

By Evan Smith Oct. 29, 2013

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
Surprise Could Leave Senate Democrats Without a Safety Margin

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 29, 2013

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
Hot Seat: A Conversation With Duncan, Frullo and Springer

By Evan Smith Oct. 28, 2013

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
Newsreel: Peace, Cruz and Nugent

By Justin Dehn and Alana Rocha Oct. 26, 2013

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

Credit: Gage Skidmore/Reynaldo Leal
TribLive: Keffer and Rubinstein on Proposition 6

By Evan Smith Oct. 25, 2013

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
TribuneFest: Transportation and the 83rd Legislature

By Evan Smith Oct. 24, 2013

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
Davis, Abbott Express Support for Proposition 6

By Jay Root Oct. 24, 2013

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

Credit: Davis: Marjorie Kamys Cotera | Abbott: Bob Daemmrich
In New TV Spot, Patrick Says He'll Cut Property Taxes

By Morgan Smith Oct. 23, 2013

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
Pitts: There's Enough Evidence to Impeach Hall

By Reeve Hamilton and David Maly Oct. 22, 2013

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

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Carter Drops Out of Railroad Commission Race

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 22, 2013

State Rep. Stefani Carter, R-Dallas, said Tuesday that she is abandoning her campaign for the Railroad Commission of Texas, opting instead to seek a third term in the Texas House. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Newsreel: Shutdown Shuts Down, and a Political Shuffle

By Justin Dehn Oct. 19, 2013

This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: The federal government shutdown comes to an end, Gov. Rick Perry racks up sky miles with a trip to Israel and London, and a resignation in the state Senate starts a political land rush. Full Story
Sheppard Touts Health Care, Schools in Campaign Ad

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 18, 2013

In the special election for the open House District 50 seat in Austin, Democrat Jade Chang Sheppard is on TV with an ad promoting her support for affordable health care, money for schools and less high-stakes testing of students. Full Story
Reverse Mortgage Plan's Fate is in Voters' Hands

By Jordan Gass-Poore Oct. 16, 2013

Currently the only state that doesn’t allow seniors to use reverse mortgages for purchasing homes, Texas could switch course if voters approve a constitutional amendment in the Nov. 5 election. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Ivan Vicencio
Guest Column: The 2013 Texas House, From Right to Left

By Mark P. Jones Oct. 15, 2013

What happens when you examine every single nonlopsided vote by the Texas House during the regular and special sessions earlier this year? You have a way to rank them from most conservative to most liberal. Full Story

Credit: Tommy LaVergne of Rice University