Watch Comptroller Glenn Hegar discuss the state’s economy and more at The Texas Tribune Festival
Hegar also talked about how to keep Texas business-friendly and what another wave of COVID-19 could mean for the state budget. Full Story
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![Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Jim Murphy, chair of House GOP Caucus, won’t seek reelection
Murphy, who represented House District 133 from 2007-09 and again since 2011, chairs the House GOP Caucus and the House Higher Education Committee. Full Story
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![State Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Houston, spoke to the media during a press conference by the Republican Caucus on the break of quorum by state Democrats. July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Despite his victory in Texas and no credible evidence of widespread fraud, Donald Trump calls for election audit legislation
There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the Texas secretary of state who oversaw the 2020 election and was appointed by the Republican governor declared the election “smooth and secure.” Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott, left, addresses former President Donald Trump during a border security briefing to discuss further plans in securing the southern border wall on June 30, 2021, in Weslaco.]()
Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images via POOL -
Texas sued over bill stopping social media companies from banning users for political views
A judge recently blocked a similar bill in Florida after a lawsuit brought forward by NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association, the same groups that sued Texas. Full Story
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![A 3D-printed Facebook logo on a keyboard in this illustration taken March 25, 2020.]()
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State Rep. Chris Paddie, chair of powerful state affairs committee, says he won’t run for reelection
The news comes less than a month after Paddie, who has represented House District 9 since 2013, announced he would run for reelection. Full Story
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![State Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall, speaks from the podium at the front of the House of Representatives on Sunday, May 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Law enforcement warns of “credible threat” against Texas legislators who voted for abortion ban
The threat was apparently made on Reddit and included the names of House and Senate members who voted for Senate Bill 8 during the regular legislative session. Full Story
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![The House floor on Aug. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott adds property tax relief, bail to special session agenda
Abbott has faced pressure from his right to prioritize property tax relief. One of his challengers in the Republican primary has slammed him for not including it earlier in the agenda, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called it his top priority this session. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on Aug. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Austin state Rep. Celia Israel won’t run for reelection, is exploring mayoral run
Israel’s decision creates a vacancy in Austin-area House District 50 with redistricting underway at the Legislature. Full Story
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![State Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, during the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and House Elections Committee press conference regarding the statements released about the alleged 95,000 non-citizens on the voter rolls, in Austin on Jan. 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ near-total abortion ban caps a decadeslong war by conservative legislators to block access to the procedure
Getting an abortion in Texas has become more difficult than anywhere else in the nation. Full Story
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![An ultrasound machine sits next to an empty patient's bed at Whole Women’s Health of Austin on Sept. 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Watch Texas lawmakers Larry Taylor and Harold Dutton discuss education and the Legislature at The Texas Tribune Festival
Taylor, a Friendswood Republican, chairs the Senate Education Committee. Dutton, a Houston Democrat, chairs the House Public Education Committee. Full Story
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![State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Rep. Harold V. Dutton Jr., D-Houston.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
First draft of Legislature’s map of new State Board of Education districts shores up Republican majority
The Republican-dominated, 15-member board determines what millions of public school students in the state are taught in classrooms. Full Story
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![The State Capitol on Nov. 19, 2020.]()
Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans have the redistricting tools to preserve their power. Here's how they can do it.
Lawmakers must redraw the state’s political maps to account for a decade’s worth of growth, but the process leaves enough room for political manipulation. Here’s how it’ll work. Full Story
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![Chairs on the Texas House floor on Aug. 31, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate opens redistricting debate with proposed map one senator labels “intentional discrimination”
The first draft of the Senate map was authored by a Republican who chairs the Senate Redistricting Committee. It immediately drew fire from a Democratic member who said her district was being redrawn to dilute voting power of people of color. Full Story
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![The Senate floor on Jan. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Delta variant, lax mask policies delay Plano family’s return to school
Parents remain divided over whether to require masks in the classroom. For Carmen Campbell, there’s just too much uncertainty right now to feel comfortable sending her son back. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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![Students and teachers walk between classes at Blanco Vista Elementary School in San Marcos on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill restoring the funding that he vetoed for the Texas Legislature and its 2,100 state employees
Abbott vetoed the funding earlier this year as retribution for the House Democrats’ walkout to block the GOP elections bill at the end of the regular session. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks with lawmakers on the House floor during the legislative session on Sunday, May 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
In a changing Texas, Republicans will begin redistricting with more freedom to draw their maps
Facing demographic changes that work against their political dominance, Republicans will be able to redraw politically advantageous maps — and shield themselves from the change — without federal oversight for the first time in decades. Full Story
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Analysis: Population changes the recipe for Texas’ political soup
Not every change in the state’s political maps starts with party affiliation. Geography and population are giving Republican mapmakers new headaches. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on Feb. 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: A preview of redistricting in the Texas Legislature
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Ross, Alexa and James about the coming legislative session and legal fights over redistricting in Texas. Full Story
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![Legislators talk on the House floor on July 29, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Special election runoff between John Wray and Brian Harrison for state House district in North Texas set for Sept. 28
The two Republicans are vying to replace former state Rep. Jake Ellzey, who is now in Congress. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on June 10, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
5 candidates file for special election in San Antonio to replace former state Rep. Leo Pacheco
The field for the Sept. 28 contest has attracted three Democrats and two Republicans. Full Story
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune
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