Texas Legislature

TribBlog: Anchia for President? How about Castro?

By Emily Ramshaw Nov. 10, 2009

A California newspaper's speculation on who will be the country's first Hispanic president lists Texas' own Rep. Rafael Anchia and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as fan favorites. Full Story

T-Squared: Twit and Wisdom

By Evan Smith Nov. 9, 2009

We've set up our first Twitter list, aggregating the feeds of 58 tweeting Texas elected officials Full Story

House Speaker Joe Straus' picks for the legislative committee that says whether the state should kill or keep state agencies: Reps. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, and Byron Cook, R-Corsicana. San Antonio attorney Lamont Jefferson, who's with the Haynes and Boone law firm, will serve as the House's public member. Full Story

2010: El Paso County Attorney announces Senate candidacy

By Brandi Grissom Nov. 8, 2009

Today in El Paso, County Attorney Jose Rodriguez announced he is running for the state Senate seat that Democrat Eliot Shapleigh is giving up. Full Story

2010: Rodriguez Senate announcement Sunday

By Brandi Grissom Nov. 7, 2009

El Paso County Attorney Jose Rodriguez is expected to announce tomorrow at an El Paso press conference that he will run for the Texas Senate seat that state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh is vacating. Full Story

The Tipping Point: Texas Textbook Politics Meets the Digital Revolution

By Brian Thevenot Nov. 6, 2009

Under new legislation, school districts for the first time can spend a portion of state “book” money on computer hardware and digital content. Some fear the explosion of choice will produce an erosion of quality content. Full Story

Hopson's Choice

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 6, 2009

Rep. Chuck Hopson, D-Jacksonville, is switching parties, saying that ""President Obama and the Democrats in Congress just don't reflect the values of this district." That's a severe blow to Democrats hoping to win a majority in the Texas House. Full Story

Chuck Hopson ad. — Credit: chuckhopson.com

2010: Former Tigua leader mulling Senate run

By Brandi Grissom Nov. 4, 2009

Albert Alvidrez, a former governor of the Tigua tribe in El Paso, is mulling a run for the Texas Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Sen. Eliot Shapleigh. But having Alvidrez in the Senate might not earn the tribe another vote for gambling rights. Full Story

TribBlog: Chavez to decide on Senate by Turkey Day

By Brandi Grissom Nov. 3, 2009

As candidates stack up to challenge her, state Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, said she will make a decision about running for the Texas Senate by Thanksgiving. Full Story

The Polling Center: Our Inaugural Election Survey

By Jim Henson and Daron Shaw Nov. 3, 2009

The results of the first UT/Texas Tribune poll, which was in the field from October 20-27 and sampled 800 Texans who identified themselves as registered voters, shows Texas slowly turning their attention to the 2010 elections. Perhaps more to the point, they have become extremely skeptical about the direction of the federal government. Today we’ll focus on the election match ups and what they tell us about the state of play a little less than six months out from the March primaries. Full Story

TribBlog: Permanent School Fund Rebounds. But Will Schools Benefit?

By Brian Thevenot Nov. 2, 2009

The state’s permanent school fund, which spins off money for textbooks and the like each year, has recaptured billions of dollars after a frightening downward spiral this spring. Trouble is, the increase in the fund may produce no increase at all in education spending. The real beneficiaries of the fund often are the state legislature and its priorities outside education. Full Story