TribLive: A Conversation with Watson and Patrick
Full video of my Nov. 8 TribLive conversation — a post-election debrief — with state Sens. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Dan Patrick, R-Houston. Full Story
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Fresh Faces — and an Experience Deficit
With 43 legislators in the freshman class and 24 more who were new after the 2010 elections, the 150-member Texas House has a lot of new blood — and a lot of inexperienced officeholders. Full Story
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TribLive: Watson and Patrick on Latinos and the GOP
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Sens. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Dan Patrick, R-Houston, debated the Republican Party's challenge in attracting Hispanic voters. Full Story
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Speaker Candidate Hughes Promises to Decentralize Power
State Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola and a candidate for speaker of the House, promised his colleagues on Thursday that he will decentralize power in the lower chamber if he is elected. Full Story
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TribLive: Watson and Patrick on Obama's Win
At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Sens. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Dan Patrick, R-Houston, discussed President Obama's victory Tuesday night and what it means for Texas. Full Story
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With Obama Presidency Sealed, Texas Lawmakers Face Policy Challenges
What does four more years of an Obama White House mean for the policy issues facing the overwhelmingly conservative Texas Legislature — and the interest groups and constituents who guide the political process? Full Story
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Get to Know the Newest Lawmakers From Texas
The state House, state Senate and U.S. House delegations from Texas have more than four dozen new members between them. Get to know their backgrounds and faces. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
TribuneFest: A Conversation with Ritter and Hegar
At the Trib's Oct. 29 symposium at Texas State University on the future of water, I talked with state Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, and state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, a member of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Full Story
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Democrat Has Reputation for Political Brawling
The outnumbered Texas House Democrats have plenty of leaders, insists state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, of San Antonio. But that hasn’t stopped the chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus from taking center stage. Full Story
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![State Representative Trey Martinez-Fischer, right, and District 7 Councilman Justin Rodriguez, left, greet Rodriguez's grandmother, Inez Randon Ramirez, and her friend, Mary Barker as they get out the message to vote at the Alicia Trevino Lopez Senior Center in San Antonio, Friday, October 26, 2012.]()
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Video: Carona's Comments on Gay Rights Reflect Changing Attitudes
While comments by state Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, on his "evolving" attitude toward certain gay rights issues have garnered plenty of negative attention from conservative groups, the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll shows the Republican lawmaker's views are consistent with changing attitudes among many Texans. Full Story
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UT/TT Poll: Texans Are Leery of Government
News flash: Texans aren't big fans of the state government in Austin, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. But if you really want to get their dander up, ask about the government in Washington. 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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As New Public Ed Chair, Patrick Focuses on Expanding School Choice
State Sen. Dan Patrick says he is ready to champion public schools at the Capitol when the 83rd Legislature convenes in January. Whether the education community is ready to embrace him in that role is another matter. Full Story
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Reorganization Yields Early Reward for Senators
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst upset the normal order of things when he announced his committee leaders four months early. But he did the senators a political favor in the process. Full Story
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After Years on Top, Future Brings Challenges for State GOP
In the last installment of a three-part series on Texas Republicans' lock on state government over the past decade, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at the evolution of the GOP in Texas — and what the party might look like 10 years from now. Full Story
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In Decade of GOP Power, Cuts Moved Costs to Local Level
In the second installment of a three-part series on Texas Republicans' lock on state government over the past decade, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at the debt and tax burdens that have been passed on to municipalities over the years. Full Story
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Looking Back at Texas' Republican Decade
In the first installment of a three-part series on Texas Republicans' lock on state government over the past decade, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at the early days of the GOP's domination. Full Story
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Aide's Talk About 2014 May Benefit Perry in 2013
When Ken Armbrister, chief legislative aide to Gov. Rick Perry, said last week that Perry had told him he was going to run for re-election in 2014, Armbrister may have done his boss a favor. Full Story
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Texas Appeals Redistricting Decision; Elections to Proceed
As expected, the state of Texas is appealing a federal court decision throwing out Legislature's redistricting maps, Attorney General Greg Abbott announced Friday. The appeal, however, won't affect the current elections. Full Story
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New Faces — a Big Turnover Year in Politics
Even if none of the remaining incumbents gets beat or loses, this will be the biggest freshman class over all — legislative and congressional officeholders combined — since 1983, when 63 newbies came in. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
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