Texas Senate

With GOP supermajority at risk in 2020, Dan Patrick says Texas Senate may lower threshold to bring bills to the floor

by Patrick Svitek and Naomi Andu

The lieutenant governor said Thursday he may decrease the threshold to a simple majority if Republicans lose one or two seats in November. Full Story 

Joe Biden sells himself as the Democrat to beat Trump — and turn Texas blue — during San Antonio campaign stop

by Alex Samuels and Patrick Svitek

“You’ll be seeing a lot of me before now and November, God willing," the former vice president said at a rally in the hometown of fellow Democratic candidate Julián Castro. Full Story 

Analysis: The Texas Senate will be a quiet zone in a noisy, important election year

by Ross Ramsey

In what promises to be a tumultuous and competitive election year, races for the Texas House are going to be a lot more interesting than those for the Texas Senate. Full Story 

Houston police chief calls out Texas Republicans for opposing "boyfriend loophole" law after officer dies in domestic violence call

by Stacy Fernández

Acevedo accused U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn of being too afraid of the NRA to pass a provision to the Violence Against Women Act that would close the so-called boyfriend loophole. Full Story 

Appointees claim Gov. Greg Abbott ousted them from board for voting to sanction judge who refused to perform same-sex marriages

by Emma Platoff

After those two appointees left the commission, it handed down just a warning to the judge, Dianne Hensley. Full Story 

Analysis: Texas candidates have one week left to sign up or shut up

by Ross Ramsey

Candidates have one more week to officially declare their 2020 campaigns. In the Texas House — a key partisan battleground — as many as 31 districts, out of 150, could be competitive. Full Story 

Analysis: Beware of Texas politicians bearing home-brewed arithmetic

by Ross Ramsey

When government officials want to spin a story about state finance, it helps to have control of the numbers — and to do the math properly. Full Story 

Analysis: For Texas candidates, 2020 officially started last weekend

by Ross Ramsey

The starting gun wasn't loud, but the 2020 elections in Texas began — officially — last Saturday, when candidates could start filing for office. That's the beginning of a sprint from now to the March primaries. Full Story 

Joe Biden ramps up Texas campaign, naming state director

by Patrick Svitek and Alex Samuels

The Democratic presidential candidate is also getting support from another Texas state senator, Burleson’s Beverly Powell. Full Story 

Secret recordings in Texas: A brief history of some Capitol controversies

by Todd Wiseman

Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced he would not seek reelection a week after the release of an infamous recording of a conversation between him and a political activist. It's not the first time that secret recordings caused a stir in Texas politics. Full Story 

Gutierrez to announce second run for Senate District 19

by Patrick Svitek

The seat is held by Pleasanton Republican Pete Flores, who won it in a special-election upset last year. Full Story 

State Rep. César Blanco to run for Texas Senate

by Patrick Svitek

He is vying to replace state Sen. José Rodríguez, who announced Friday he is not seeking reelection. Full Story 

Sen. José Rodríguez, an El Paso Democrat, announces his retirement

by Cassandra Pollock and Patrick Svitek

Rodríguez, who was first elected in 2010 to represent Senate District 29, said he will retire from the Senate at the end of this term in January 2021. Full Story 

Sutherland Springs pastor announces run for Texas Senate

by Patrick Svitek

The pastor, Frank Pomeroy, said Sunday he will run as a Republican for District 21, currently held by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo. Full Story 

A new Texas law criminalizes sending unwanted nudes. Lawyers say it might be difficult to enforce.

by Troy Closson

The law will make the electronic transmission of unwanted sexually explicit material a class C misdemeanor. But legal experts worry it could be written too broadly under the First Amendment to be effective. Full Story 

"No fist fights. No gun threats." Lawmakers give 86th Texas Legislature high marks

by Alana Rocha, Todd Wiseman, Justin Dehn, Richard Loria and Woojae Julia Song

Members of the Texas House and Senate wasted little time touting the never-ending "kumbaya" feeling that enabled them to reform school finance and property taxes. For those who covered the Capitol, a substantive, successful session meant a "boring" one. Full Story 

After blocking David Whitley's confirmation, Senate Democrats see bills die on Abbott’s desk

by Alexa Ura and Emma Platoff

A monthslong push from the governor’s office to confirm his longtime aide as secretary of state heated up in the session’s final days. Some Democrats feared retribution for defying the governor. Full Story 

Through the lens: The 86th Texas Legislature in photos

by Miguel Gutierrez Jr. and John Jordan

Take a look back at the 2019 regular legislative session as seen through the lenses of Texas Tribune photographers. Full Story 

Texas Secretary of State David Whitley departs as legislative session ends

by Alexa Ura

Whitley leaves his job after presiding over a botched review of the voter rolls that questioned the citizenship of thousands of eligible voters. Full Story 

Texas lawmakers are done. Here are this session's winners and losers.

by Patrick Svitek

The 86th legislative session is in the history books. Who's up and who's down after the 140-day marathon in Austin? Full Story